Chongqing — A technology-driven film studio in Yongchuan District has emerged as one of the busiest production hubs in China. Its innovative use of virtual production and artificial intelligence has pushed efficiency to record levels.
In May, "Resurrection", directed by Bi Gan and starring Jackson Yee and Shu Qi, won the Special Award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. Few viewers realized the entire film was shot in Yongchuan, with more than 30% of its footage completed inside Studio No. 1 of the Yongchuan Science and Technology Film Studio using LED virtual production — the first Chinese feature film to surpass that threshold. The virtual shoot took just one month, nearly five times faster than conventional methods.
The studio, built in May 2023 and operated by Dawa (Chongqing) Imaging Technology, reported that in the first half of 2025, it hosted 25 film and television projects and generated revenue of more than 70 million yuan ($9.7 million). The project count and revenue have already exceeded last year's totals. Its utilization rate hit 90%, the highest in China for a virtual production facility.
Yongchuan Science and Technology Film Studio. (Photo/Yongchuan District Publicity Department)
“Virtual production dramatically reduces costs and shooting schedules, which is why more producers are willing to embrace this technology,” said Chen Liang, co-founder and deputy general manager of Dawa (Chongqing) Imaging Technology.
According to the company, virtual shoots can cut expenses by 20% to 30% and shorten production time by 40% to 50% compared with traditional production.
Instead of moving large crews across multiple locations, productions use LED screens and prebuilt digital sets. Directors, visual effects leads, and art designers conduct early-stage testing at the Yongchuan facility, while Dawa’s team develops digital environments and shooting plans. Large-scale shooting is then done entirely indoors, free from weather or lighting constraints, and can continue around the clock.
For "Resurrection", the one-month virtual production reduced staffing and logistics costs by an estimated 30 million yuan, Chen said. The film’s 400-member crew shot more than 30% of the movie inside the Yongchuan studio, with virtual scenes completed nearly five times faster than on-location shoots.
The studio’s success, Chen added, lies in its integration of artificial intelligence throughout the workflow. “Our use of AI enables near-realistic production quality, making virtual shooting nearly indistinguishable from filming on location,” he said.
One of the challenges of LED virtual production is balancing lighting between actors and the shifting visuals on background screens. Using AI-powered dynamic matching, Dawa ensures natural light transitions and eliminates conflicts between real and virtual light sources.
The company has also embedded AI into pre-production, using large language models such as DeepSeek and ChatGPT to build a proprietary film production model. Tasks such as script breakdown, storyboarding, and pre-visualization that once took weeks can now be completed in days, with up to 70% of the workload automated.
At Yongchuan Science and Technology Film Studio, visitors experience the lifelike audiovisual effects of the LED virtual production system. (Photo/ Li Yuheng)
Scripts can be matched automatically with stored assets, allowing AI to generate preliminary video sequences that human teams later refine — boosting efficiency by 60% to 70%.
LED virtual production in progress at Yongchuan Science and Technology Film Studio. (Photo/Yongchuan District Publicity Department)
The Yongchuan studio's usage rate was 85% last year, but even a modest rise to 90% in 2025 has translated into doubled revenue and project volume thanks to AI-assisted throughput.
“Our virtual production schedule is already booked into early next year,” Chen said. “With AI driving every step of the process, we are confident this year will deliver double growth in both projects and revenue.”