Creating cinematic magic through virtual production with Studio X Beyond
Virtual Production
As CEO and Co-Founder of Studio X Beyond, Linda Lim is shaping the next chapter of virtual production in Southeast Asia. Based in Bangkok, her studio has become a go-to destination for international directors and producers seeking high-end virtual production capabilities. With an in-house Virtual Art Department (VAD) that designs and optimises environments for real-time storytelling, Studio X Beyond brings Creative Tech With Soul™ to every project, blending technical precision with a filmmaker's eye.
With projects ranging from film and commercials to music videos, Linda and her team are proving how virtual production can unlock ambitious creative visions that might otherwise be impossible to achieve. Disguise recently sat down with her to discuss PiXXiE, a romantic music video that pushed both technical and storytelling boundaries.
"The director imagined a magical car journey where two characters fall in love while traveling through three distinct California landscapes—a desert road, a lush forest, and an ocean highway—plus ten additional environments to create seamless, dreamlike transitions," Linda recalls. "The challenge was capturing it all in a single day of shooting. Virtual production wasn't just the best option—it was the only way to make it possible."
The obstacles went beyond schedule. "Even if we had worked with a local California production crew, you're talking about hundreds of miles between completely different climates, with no flexibility if weather doesn't cooperate," she explains. "There's no way to cover that ground in one day, let alone achieve the fluid, dreamlike transitions the story required. Virtual production completely reframes the challenge—it solves the logistics while expanding what's possible creatively."
Real-Time World Building
Studio X Beyond's Virtual Art Department (VAD), powered by sister company MOONJI, designed and optimised all environments entirely in Unreal Engine, meticulously sourcing and compositing assets including grass textures, stone formations, and mountain terrain, then refining them for real-time playback on the studio's LED stage.
"Our Virtual Art Department doesn't just drop assets onto a screen," Linda emphasises. "We approach virtual set design like a cinematographer approaches lighting—with an understanding of mood, composition, and emotional resonance. Every element is carefully placed and lit so the director and DOP can make creative decisions as naturally as if they were standing on location." This approach exemplifies what Linda calls "Creative Tech With Soul™"—where advanced technology serves authentic storytelling.
The backbone of this creative flexibility is Studio X Beyond’s Disguise-powered setup. Two VX4+ media servers manage LED wall playback, synchronisation, and compositing, while RX II systems render Unreal Engine environments in real time through RenderStream. Camera tracking data feeds seamlessly into the workflow, ensuring every shot stays precise and consistent. “The Disguise platform gives us the reliability directors need to make instant creative adjustments,” Linda says. “When you’re working with talent, time, and tight budgets, stability isn’t optional—and that’s where Disguise excels.”
Seamless Creative Workflow
One of the biggest advantages became clear on set. “Because everything was running through our Disguise system and Unreal Engine pipeline, we could switch between all thirteen environments instantly,” Linda recalls. “From the California desert to the forest to the ocean highway, each transition was triggered live during filming with controlled video assets.” Behind the scenes, Disguise VX4+ servers handled playback, cueing, and system management, while RX II nodes powered the real-time Unreal rendering on the LED stage.
The seamless environment transitions were achieved through carefully programmed content cues managed by the Disguise platform. "Our Disguise-powered workflow eliminates the need for physical set changes," Linda explains. "We can transform a scene with a single click, maintaining the artists' energy and creative flow without any downtime between different worlds."
This real-time flexibility proved invaluable for capturing authentic performances. "When actors can see and respond to their environment in real-time, rather than imagining it against a green screen, the performances are immediately more grounded and believable," Linda observes. "The couple in PiXXiE could react to the changing landscapes as they moved through their emotional journey, creating a much more natural and compelling narrative."
Beyond Sci-Fi: Virtual Production for Every Story
PiXXiE demonstrates how Studio X Beyond's integrated approach brings ambitious creative visions to life. Studio X Beyond’s integrated approach combines virtual production with end-to-end post-production, ensuring consistency from capture through delivery. Disguise RX II systems render camera-tracked Unreal content in real time, enabling final-pixel workflows on stage while also outputting tracked footage and camera data for seamless integration in post. This dual pipeline lets the team capture final-quality shots directly from the LED stage, while still giving post teams the flexibility they need.
"Virtual production isn't about replacing real locations," Linda clarifies. "It's about bringing impossible stories to life through smarter production. With Disguise powering our infrastructure, we can deliver high-quality cinematic results faster, more sustainably, and with Asia-friendly budgets that make ambitious projects accessible."
The success of PiXXiE proves that virtual production extends far beyond sci-fi films and automotive commercials. "This project demonstrates that we can deliver hyper-realistic environments that feel completely authentic," Linda notes. "Directors are realising that virtual production—especially with the reliability of Disguise systems—can meet their demands for realism while giving them creative control that's simply impossible with on-location shooting."
As Studio X Beyond continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in virtual production, Linda remains focused on the human element that technology serves. "The magic happens when technology becomes invisible and directors can focus purely on performance, emotion, and story," she concludes. "That's when virtual production truly succeeds—when platforms like Disguise amplify creativity rather than constraining it."