Houdini and Karma XPU for Virtual Production LED Wall Project
APRIL 17 2025
Creating content for large-scale LED walls in virtual production environments is a cutting-edge space — and one that our team at Cause and FX is quickly making its mark in.
In a recent Houdini Connect video, Mikael Moane, Lead CG Technical Artist at our Auckland-based headquarters, shares how his team approached a unique virtual production challenge: crafting high-resolution content for a full LED wall setup.
Solving Virtual Production Challenges with Houdini
Initially starting with Unreal Engine, the team faced workflow limitations that made it difficult to handle the complexity and scale of the project. That prompted a strategic shift to Houdini — and specifically, the Karma XPU renderer.
By keeping the entire process within Houdini’s procedural ecosystem, the team was able to streamline layout, development and final rendering, removing the friction of switching between software platforms.
Why Karma XPU Worked for LED Wall Content
Mikael highlights how Karma XPU offered key advantages for the demands of virtual production:
- Efficient Handling of Large Scenes: Ideal for high-resolution content needed for LED walls
- Hybrid Rendering: GPU-powered, with CPU fallback for added flexibility
- Streamlined Pipeline: Enabled the team to work more fluidly within one procedural toolset
Showcasing a New Capability for Cause and FX
This project marks an exciting step forward for Cause and FX as we expand into virtual production — a space where technical precision and visual fidelity are critical. From complex CG builds to final pixel-perfect output, this project demonstrates the studio’s ability to deliver at scale for immersive environments like LED volumes.
For studios and production teams exploring virtual production workflows, Cause and FX is a capable and creative partner ready to support end-to-end delivery. We’d love to chat to find out what your next project requires.
Watch the full Houdini Connect interview with Mikael Moane below.
