New facility to house dual LED stages, performance capture, and cutting-edge AI tools

The Blavatnik Family Foundation, helmed by billionaire investor and media mogul Len Blavatnik, is making a major bet on the future of filmmaking—donating $25 million to the USC School of Cinematic Arts to establish a next-generation virtual production center.

The new 15,000-square-foot Blavatnik Center for Virtual Production will serve as a cornerstone for USC’s rapidly expanding curriculum in virtual production and AI-driven storytelling. The facility will include two high-tech LED volume stages with wraparound panels, performance capture systems, camera tracking, real-time 3D design labs, and dedicated classrooms stocked with digital asset libraries. The stages can function independently or merge to form a larger immersive production environment.

“Virtual production has become an integral part of filmmaking, led by the next generation,” said Blavatnik, whose Access Industries owns stakes in Warner Music Group, A24, and DAZN. “I’m proud to support the School and provide young filmmakers with the tools and resources needed to master these emerging technologies and lead the industry’s future.”

USC’s curriculum is already seen as a bellwether for Hollywood’s future pipeline. The virtual production program is led by a powerhouse lineup: visual effects veteran Habib Zargarpour (The Jungle Book, Ready Player One), producing track lead Scott Kroopf, Entertainment Technology Center CEO Ken Williams, and creative tech director Brad Kean.

Dean Elizabeth M. Daley praised the gift as a transformative step in preparing a new generation of storytellers for the demands of modern production. “We are so grateful for the Blavatnik family’s generosity and for what it will mean for scaling up the virtual production workforce our industry desperately needs,” Daley said. “The Blavatnik Center will be an important workspace as we collaborate on creating the dynamic filmmaking of the future.”

The move comes at a pivotal moment for virtual production, which has rapidly gained traction across the entertainment industry as studios and streamers look to reduce costs, improve creative control, and enable more global collaboration. From The Mandalorian to Avatar: The Way of Water, LED volume stages and real-time rendering systems are changing how blockbusters are made—and USC appears poised to lead the academic front of that revolution.