Virtual Production Institute Featured In Texas A&M University Commercial
The commercial opens with a space scene filmed at the Virtual Production Institute's stage at Backlot Studios in Fort Worth.
The innovative work happening at the Virtual Production Institute is prominently featured in Texas A&M University’s new commercial.
Showcased during the Sept. 13 national television broadcast of the university’s football matchup at Notre Dame, the commercial — titled “Together, We Stand As A Force For Good” — opens with a vivid outer-space scene. An astronaut with a Texas A&M patch on his space suit is shown working with a handheld tool outside of the International Space Station, with the brilliant-blue Earth highlighted behind him.
Later in the clip, the realistic scene is shown to be a virtual one as the camera pulls out, revealing the Virtual Production Institute stage, staff members at work and the space imagery on the large LED screens. “Here, we believe everything is possible,” accompanies the moment via the commercial’s voiceover.
The clip was filmed on the institute’s virtual production stage at Backlot Studios in Fort Worth. It is one of three such stages for the institute, which is part of the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts. Two are in Fort Worth, as part of the college’s expanding role at Texas A&M-Fort Worth. A third stage was recently completed at the Langford Architecture Center, Building A, on the Texas A&M campus in College Station, and a fourth is planned for a location to be announced in Bryan-College Station.
The university’s Division of Marketing and Communications and the creative team at Texas FilmWorks approached the college about the concept during the summer. The institute’s team created a plan to achieve the look and feel of an astronaut in a weightless space environment, including the use of a robotic camera arm, and provided the digital asset optimization for the space scene that appeared on the LED wall. The project was a two-day shoot at the Virtual Production Institute soundstage.
“The use of an LED volume was the perfect production tool to accomplish being in space with an astronaut working on a satellite,” said Wayne Miller, head of production and executive producer for the institute. “It was a great opportunity for us to be a part of the university’s commercial, showing the importance of virtual production as a valuable tool in content production; the talent of the team at the Virtual Production Institute; and the work we do training our students at our virtual production soundstages.”
The Virtual Production Institute debuted in 2024, with its faculty, staff and equipment funded as a special item by the 88th Texas Legislature. The institute has partnered with Sony Electronics for its state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and with Synapse Virtual Production for the integration of the stages and curriculum support.
Each LED wall displays computer-generated or live-action imagery to create immersive worlds — in the commercial’s case, the Earth and space station — in which subjects can see and react to what is happening around them. Augmented reality creates enhanced visual effects with additional set pieces and props used by the actors, like the tools and satellite in the commercial.
The institute’s goals go beyond media and entertainment and extend to training for health care, first responders and the military; product and architectural design; and creating digital twins in manufacturing and aerospace. The institute is collaborating with other departments across the university and with industry members to train students and explore new applications.
The institute was a key contributor to Texas A&M being named one of Fast Company magazine’s Most Innovative Companies for 2025. As the only university selected this year, Texas A&M was honored in the Augmented and Virtual Reality sector for its contributions to creating the future of tech-powered immersive experiences.
Michelle Blakley, director of brand content and storytelling for the Division of Marketing and Communications, said the university featured the Virtual Production Institute in the commercial because it reflects the future of learning and problem-solving.
“On our stages, we can re-create real-world environments — from hospitals to disaster zones — where students and professionals train side by side,” she said. “It’s not just simulation, it’s preparation — equipping the next generation to respond with confidence when it matters most.”
