Benefit from backgrounds You didn’t think you could afford...
Now available at Cobalt Stages
Masterful solutions to real-world challenges.
For the better part of a decade, Hollywood filmmakers have used Virtual Sets to place stories in any setting they can imagine, for a fraction of the cost, time and ecological impact of shooting on location or set-building. Our Academy Award-winning technology has supported Virtual Set productions such as “American Gods”, PBS’s “Cosmos” with Neil deGrasse Tyson to Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”. (The list just keeps on growing...) Whenever you want to set a scene somewhere that’s inaccessible or cost prohibitive, Virtual Sets are a practical and economical solution.
Using Virtual Set on a TV commercial.
Here’s a story that illustrates the usefulness of Virtual Set technology. A creative agency we work with had a client with a tight schedule and location needs that were well beyond that particular budget. The client, Cacique, needed to shoot two spots, in two days, in three different kitchens. Typically, a well-appointed, full-featured kitchen set runs about $22,000 to $25,000. They looked at location options, but the three kitchens were very specific and they couldn’t make it work. Plus, they needed a home ec kitchen to prepare all the on-set foods. Virtual Set at Cobalt Stages was the only way to make it happen. So, the agency engaged one of our post house partners to build the three virtual sets from existing, royalty-free assets. The client was able to secure the low res FBX files and the high res renders needed for less than the cost of ONE practical set. Performers were shot on green screen with nothing more than a propped foreground counter. Our Epic Dragon was on a jib-arm, completely free to move around, while clients and agency watched a FULL composite of the on-camera performance within the Virtual Set LIVE...IN REAL TIME.
Experience the benefits of Virtual Sets.
Get on board with this progressive technology now to save money, shoot sustainably, and make your productions look bigger and better. Our Virtual Backlot means no travel costs, no location fees, no set construction costs or waste—just unrestricted camera movement, amazing production value and complete creative freedom. To learn more about Virtual Sets and our Virtual Backlot, read our blog posts here and here.
The ultimate life-hack for producers: Rent the soundstage that gives you more.
Created by producers, for producers.
Producers, production managers and production coordinators love working here because we understand their challenges far better than your average soundstage rental company. Our many decades of combined Industry experience gave us the insight we needed to create the most comfortable, convenient and complete production experience possible. Cobalt has everything you need to support your clients across all of their creative endeavors.
Hospitality on a higher level.
Established 25 years ago, we’re the opposite of a bare-bones warehouse space where every last thing needs to be brought in from somewhere else. You don’t often hear the words “hospitality” and “soundstage” used together, but we’ve changed that! We’re generous with our support and supplies because we know how little things can add up to costly delays. In addition to our fully-furnished client suite and generous free amenities, we also stock a vast inventory of emergency expendables to minimize downtime.
Last minute? No worries.
Every production has a few last-minute needs. On a recent shoot, for example, our client was in need of repositionable glue sticks and a coffee table. In a blank-slate warehouse, dealing with this type of minutia might be a headache, but having been here for over 20 years, we were able to easily grab the required items on-site with no impact to our client’s busy schedule. Done!
A tale of two kitchens.
How our home ec and craft service kitchens serve you better.
User-friendly and versatile
spaces to work and refuel.
In keeping with the rest of our studio, Cobalt’s home ec and craft service kitchens are both spacious and thoughtfully-furnished, creating a warm and inviting experience for you and your clients. That’s where the similarities end! Our home ec kitchen is your behind-the-scenes secret weapon for food styling — fully-equipped, yet easy to reconfigure to the specifics of any and all food projects. Our craft service kitchen is an ultra-convenient gathering place where cast, crew and clients can be easily catered-to, while they regroup and recharge.
The ideal prep kitchen for food shoots.
Our home ec kitchen was purpose-built for food styling—the first step in properly portraying food and beverages. Your food stylist will never be stuck. With our ‘sanity-saving’ inventory of movable, adjustable and interchangeable kitchen components they will surely be set. To make a versatile space even more accessible, our home ec kitchen has a main door that opens directly to the stage and side door that opens to an additional prep area. This fully-functional kitchen also includes an industrial range hood, adjustable-height stainless steel tables, 4 baker’s racks, 40 full sheets, 2 double door refrigerators that accommodate our full sheets and chest freezers. There’s even a grocery store half a block away for last-minute needs.
Craft service, served with care.
Keeping clients and crew comfortable is important to any production, so we don’t just provide a folding table with paper plates and call it a day. With a massive food bar (full service for 40 people), 5 burner cooktop, microwave, 2 dishwashers, huge refrigerator and granite counters, we offer a low-stress and highly civilized craft service experience that leaves everyone refreshed and refueled. Sandwiched right between client and production suites, it’s ultra-accessible, too. From the most critical tools like our beloved Jura coffeemaker (complete with grinder), down to our cappuccino frother and bagel slicer, Cobalt’s kitchens offer everything you need and a generous supply of nice-to-haves, too.
Be a MoCo Master.
Take full advantage of our motion control tools and support.
Creativity without limits.
Motion control, or MoCo, gives us the flexibility to move the camera in three-dimensional space with precision and repeatability. It makes it possible to execute extremely dynamic camera moves that would be impossible to operate conventionally. For example, imagine a shot that starts high and wide, and then roars into a tabletop product shot. MoCo also allows you to composite elements in post-production that could not physically coexist in the same shot. Meaning, you could shoot a cat and a mouse side by side as separate elements, and then composite them together afterward. The precision of the camera’s movement makes the compositing undetectable, creating new opportunities for unbound creativity.
State-of-the-art motion control tools.
Our clients have convenient access to our comprehensive inventory of motion-controlled equipment—the largest and most diverse on the East Coast. Our Gazelle Motion Control Camera System interfaces with any and all digital cameras. It’s easily configurable in overslung (above the crane arm) or underslung (below the crane arm) modes, with various pan, tilt and roll head options. Cobalt’s motion control inventory includes turntables, sliders, high-speed sleds, and XY tables all curated to facilitate rapid design, engineering and construction.
Ariana Grande goes MoCo.
Last week, we had the honor of creating motion control VFX for an Ariana Grande video. In it, she’s singing in a train station, amidst a maelstrom of activity. Our MoCo system allowed the director to illustrate the passing of time via blur motion figures which moved all around the singer while she performed in Real Time. This is an effect similar to one we executed for Eminem’s video “Walk On Water” with Beyonce. The possibilities are endless. And THAT’s the magic of MoCo.
A highly consultative culture.
At Cobalt, we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of client support to help you get the maximum benefit from our production equipment. We have a uniquely comprehensive library of motion control tools, but our goal is always to connect you with the most economical, useful and user-friendly solution. If it’s not in our inventory, we can leverage our relationships to connect you with the right tools for the job.
Closer to Midtown than Brooklyn.
A streamlined production experience in Hoboken.
Hoboken is chill.
Getting here and being here is all part of the Cobalt experience. During rush hour, our Hoboken soundstage is a quick reverse-commute from the city. And while you're here, Hoboken's relaxed small-town vibe and authentic atmosphere offers a chill experience. Hoboken is safe, clean and the furthest thing from working in an 'Industrial Park.' Take a walk, or dive into an authentic, old school Italian deli.
Multiple ways to get here easily.
Ride the ferry across the Hudson from either East or West side. Or if you prefer, there are bus and PATH train options. We're just one stop away.
Soundstage Reimagined.
As a producer-owned soundstage, we understand the kind of production experience you want for yourself - and for your clients. For the ultimate client experience, we've curated a Turnkey Soundstage, complete with the latest technology, concierge support and 'boutique hotel' amenities.
Free Wi-Fi is just the beginning.
While empty-box stage rentals make you procure and load-in everything you need, we include all the extras that make your experience comfortable and convenient. Enjoy access to high-speed hardwired ethernet at every desk, networked workhorse color laser printers, tables, chairs, wardrobe steamers, walkies, racks, and hangers - all offered free of charge. Last but not least, people love that we have a dedicated Client Suite that is plush and ready to go.
Stay connected. Focus on the work.
At Cobalt, a live HD feed broadcasts from our soundstage to the client room, conference rooms, commercial food prep kitchen, wardrobe and makeup areas. As one of our clients' favorite features, this connectivity makes it effortless to multitask and monitor the production. They wonder how they ever worked without it.
Don't sleep on this powerful, practical technology.
Virtual Sets are cutting edge, not bleeding edge.
Movie magic made accessible.
Today, Virtual Set technology is less expensive than traditional sets and location shoots, and the tools and artists are plentiful. Cobalt's Virtual Backlot marks the first time it's available to the public on the East Coast, so there will never be a better time to lead the way and start leveraging this invaluable technology.
But is it believable? 
A major misconception about Virtual Sets is that the audience will know it's 'not real'. This was a problem in the past, but the introduction of hyper-realistic rendering solved the issue. Virtual Sets now enhance the audience experience by creating vast, photorealistic environments like "Black Panther's" mythical country Wakanda, which included 6 virtual miles of futuristic cityscape, complete with 60,000 individual buildings.
And the Oscar goes to... "The Jungle Book" VFX team, who won the 2017 Oscar for Best Visual Effects! The film's live action storytelling was set in a fully-imagined, utterly convincing virtual world - and there was no other way this work would have been possible without using VSet. To get inspired, check out this featurette on the team's extraordinary work. Link here.
Is the L train even running? Do we even care?
There are so many ways to get to Cobalt soundstages.
Brooklyn, Schmooklyn.
We love Brooklyn, but we love convenience more! Shooting at Cobalt means never having to worry if the L train is running, because there are SO many ways to get here, and they’re all good. We’re conveniently located in Hoboken, NJ, and if you haven’t been here yet, you’re missing out!
Ferries are more fun.
The scenery, the salty breeze, the gorgeous skyline view—the ferry is an inexpensive and Instagram-worthy way to travel. The NY Waterway ferry travels between Hoboken 14th St. and Midtown/W. 39th St. in Midtown Manhattan, with a free connecting shuttle bus service that’s available to and from the Midtown terminal. Try it!
Take the PATH of least resistance.
The PATH train goes up to 33rd St. in Manhattan and takes you all the way here to Hoboken. PATH trains are safe, reliable, and cleaner than most mass transit. And the best part of taking the PATH to Cobalt from the city is that it’s a reverse commute—you’ll never be packed in like sardines.
Come by car. We do it all the time!
During rush hour, our Hoboken soundstage is a quick reverse commute from the city. Whether you’re parking in the garage nearby (yes, we offer discounts ;-) OR taking advantage of our street-level, drive-in-ready studio... Getting here is fast and easy. Schedule a studio tour today, head west, and see why we love it here in New York’s “West, West Village.”
More space to work. More amenities to love.
Cobalt serves the East Coast creative community with glorious, generous space. Closer to Midtown than Brooklyn, our 12,000 sq. ft. facility, our 7,000 sq. ft. soundstage and our 20 ft. high, 3 wall cyc provide ample space for major creativity.
Zoom in.
Our sound stage isn't just big - it's drive-on. Our street-level load-in capabilities go even further toward making your total production experience as seamless and easy as possible.
We're big on amenities, too.
From our well-equipped woodshop to the Live HD feed (that's pre-wired directly from Video Village) to all corners of the facility, we're packed with all the extras that make your turnkey experience efficient.
Not too big, not too small.
Why our soundstage is “just right.”
The Goldilocks Effect
All too often, soundstage sizes go to extremes—either you’re crammed in, or you need walkies just to find your PAs. We believe Goldilocks had it right when she rejected anything but a comfortable “just right” fit. When it comes to soundstages, an awkward fit impacts the entire production in thousands of tiny, aggravating ways—not the vibes you want when you’re producing great work under pressure...
Designed by Producers, for Producers.
Relying on wisdom acquired over many decades in the Industry, we created the ergonomically-ideal soundstage. Cobalt’s stage measures a useful 7,000 square feet. We’re neither a cavernous warehouse with not so much as a folding chair, nor a shoebox that was a utility storage room up until yesterday. We’re a well-appointed, turnkey soundstage that’s ready for anything.
Soundstage Reimagined.
To make your experience as comfortable and convenient as possible, we provide even more than a “just right” fit. We include dozens of free amenities, plus access to our expertly curated inventory of production tools. Unlike your average equipment rentals, our production tools are kept and maintained onsite, so we can keep them in excellent condition. If you haven’t already, schedule a tour today and explore how our soundstage can reduce your stress and elevate your work.
Tabletop is in our DNA.
Macro image-making at Cobalt.
Let’s talk tabletop.
Our stage was born in 1995 as a tabletop / VFX studio, and if there were a sign above our door it would read “Science in the Service of Art.”
Throughout the years, we’ve invested in the right tools for tabletop work, which has often meant inventing, engineering andconstructing those tools ourselves, in-house. That’s how tabletop works.
Mini tools for max impact.
Tabletop is an extremely unique genre, because off-the-shelf equipment typically doesn’t scale to the subject. In fact, equipment tends to completely dwarf the subject. That’s where our specially-modified lighting and our extensive inventory of miniature grip and rigging gears come into play. To maximize the visual opportunity, you need to miniaturize your tools. We’ve done this here at Cobalt with our one-of-a-kind bellows-focusing Epic Dragon, made expressly for macro work.
Get cooking at Cobalt.
Cobalt’s dedicated Home Ec Kitchen is always fully-equipped and ready to roll. Our custom-built bake-up allows you to see and experience the magic of baking—in real time or in time lapse—via our motion-controlled camera. Add in our high-volume gas mains and a purpose-built exhaust system for fire effects, and you’ve got the ideal setup for whatever creative ideas you’re cooking up.