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Compass Rose expands into virtual production
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Compass Rose begins a strategic partnership with Fantasy Studios.
Compass Rose, the global network of award-winning service production companies, is expanding its creative offering by partnering with Prague-based Fantasy Studios, one of Europe’s most advanced virtual production facilities.
The move marks Compass Rose’s first step into virtual production (VP). With XR LED stages, Unreal Engine integration, and real-time motion capture pipelines, Fantasy Studios gives directors, agencies, and brands a playground where physical and digital worlds blend seamlessly.
For Pavla Burgetova Callegari, Compass Rose’s founder and executive producer, the partnership is about pushing creativity while staying practical.
“We’re always looking for tools that make our work better, more creative, and more cost-effective for clients,” Callegari explains. “With virtual production, we can shoot a scene in Prague and step straight into a tropical beach, or a branded storefront, without losing time, money, or consistency. The creative possibilities are virtually endless.”
It’s also about flexibility. Sets can be built once and reused, locations that would otherwise be off-limits become accessible, and talent with tight schedules can do more in less time.
As Callegari puts it: “When we shoot with celebrities, their schedules rarely allow for travel between multiple locations. Virtual production keeps the shoot seamless while unlocking options that were not realistic before.”
Fantasy Studios, meanwhile, has already been proving VP’s impact on projects like Hallow Road, starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys, and Interview with the Vampire season two, where LED volumes enabled complex driving and motorcycle sequences with complete control and safety.
Managing Director Lukas Skalnik believes the technology is moving from novelty to necessity: “Clients often travel halfway around the world to capture specific locations,” he says. “We can now offer them the ability to shoot in digital environments that either complement or replace real ones. Some locations just can’t be filmed, for budget, safety, or seasonal reasons. That’s where VP expands what’s possible.”
What sets Fantasy apart is a hybrid workflow: blending in-camera LED, real-time Mocap, and digital environments. “We can put a live-action actor and a Mocap character in the same scene, on set, with immediate visual feedback,” Skalnik explains. “That’s a game-changer for directors and DOPs.”
For Compass Rose, which works with partners including Stillking Films in Prague and Cape Town, Icon Romania, Bulgaria, Tuna+Icon Serbia, Entity Films Slovenia and Croatia, Spectrum Mexico and 24/7 Spain, Portugal, Chile and Argentina, this partnership brings clients a new level of creative freedom while grounding it in the company’s global production expertise.
Both Callegari and Skalnik see the future as hybrid, where digital and physical merge seamlessly.
As Callegari sums up: “At Compass Rose, our goal has always been to give clients more possibilities, creatively and practically. Partnering with Fantasy Studios means we can push boundaries without losing efficiency. Whether a project calls for real locations, virtual sets, or a blend of both, we’re ready to deliver at the highest level.”
