Stargate Studios

Stargate Studios is an independent visual-effects, post-production and virtual-production company founded in 1989 by cinematographer and visual effects supervisor Sam Nicholson, ASC. Operating legally as Stargate Films, Inc., the company develops production workflows for feature films, television, streaming series, commercials and interactive work.

The studio combines concept development, previsualization, on-set supervision and finishing with 2D and 3D compositing, modelling and animation, digital makeup, environment extensions, matte painting, rotoscoping and clean-up. Its production services also include custom background and plate capture, aerial and vehicle-based acquisition, GPS-tracked imagery, editorial conforming, data workflows and DI colour grading.

Virtual production

A central focus is turnkey virtual production using mobile LED-volume configurations, on-set playback, camera tracking and pixel-mapped kinetic lighting. Stargate's proprietary THRUView system is designed for real-time in-camera visual effects, producing environmental reflections, windshield bounce and dynamic illumination directly on set. The company also maintains the Virtual Backlot, a library of GPS-tracked panoramic environment plates and 3D architectural assets for productions needing location imagery and digital environments.

Screen work

Its credits span long-running television, streaming and feature work, including The Walking Dead, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, 24, NCIS, Ray Donovan, Our Flag Means Death, The Lincoln Lawyer, Black Mirror, One Piece, Insidious: The Red Door, The Black Phone, White Noise and M3GAN.

Stargate's current work is anchored by its South Pasadena headquarters and direct production operations in Atlanta, Toronto and New York. The company continues to provide virtual-production, visual-effects and post-production services while drawing on a history of digital-effects work for broadcast and feature productions.