A Leading European Financial Group, KBC Enhances In-House Video Communications with a Real-Time Virtual Studio

How KBC brought flexibility, real-time production, and realistic virtual environments into its audiovisual workflow.

KBC is a leading European integrated banking and insurance company active in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Across these markets, the group serves around 10 million clients.

KBC’s audiovisual studio was founded more than 30 years ago, when the company decided to build an in-house audiovisual team to support video production within the organization.

Today, the team works on around 400 projects a year. In the past, one project often meant a single video. Now, that same scope can turn into ten half-hour videos.

Much of this work supports internal communication across the banking and insurance environment. These productions often begin as PowerPoint-based presentations. To enhance them and make the final output more suited to the target audience, KBC started looking into virtual production.

“We started looking into virtual production, to enhance and push those kinds of presentations to the next level that is suited for the target audience. And it has the flexibility.”

Tom De Lathouwers, Head of KBC Audiovisual Studio – Video Production

From First Discovery to Reality

KBC first noticed Zero Density around ten years ago through virtual studio demos at IBC Amsterdam. Over time, the team followed the development of the technology and became increasingly interested in what it could offer.

The transition came during the Covid period, when KBC saw a major increase in communication through video. This created a need to level up the company’s existing production approach.

“It must have been around ten years ago that I first noticed Zero Density and the demos of a virtual studio at the IBC convention in Amsterdam. (…) The transition came into the Covid period, where we had a massive increase of communications through video. And so, we had a need to level up what we did.”

Tom De Lathouwers, Head of KBC Audiovisual Studio – Video Production

Choosing Zero Density

For KBC, believability was one of the most important qualities of a virtual set. The environment needed to look convincing and support the message being delivered to the audience.

“What I found very important in the virtual set is that it’s believable, and that is what Zero Density did very well.”

Tom De Lathouwers, Head of KBC Audiovisual Studio – Video Production

KBC chose a one-camera pipeline on a crane to create the parallax effect. The setup includes Zero Density Reality 5 and EVO II engine hardware, along with a Mo-Sys crane, a Blackmagic URSA camera, and a Canon lens modified to operate with the crane.

“We chose the option to go with one camera pipeline on a crane, and specifically, with a crane to have the parallax effect.”

Tom De Lathouwers, Head of KBC Audiovisual Studio – Video Production

The project was also supported by KBC’s long-term technical partner DigiNet, which had already been involved in the creation of the company’s initial studios. As the virtual studio project took shape, DigiNet helped guide the technical direction of the setup and introduced KBC to Dreamwall, a Belgian company specializing in Zero Density and virtual studios.

Real-Time Production and Dynamic Virtual Environments

In KBC’s virtual studio workflow, production happens in real time. Keying, backgrounds, and graphics can be handled immediately, allowing the team to assess the result without waiting for post-production.

“The big advantage coming into the Zero Density Virtual Studio is that it all happens in real-time. Real-time keying, real-time backgrounds, real-time graphics. We can assess it right away without any delay through the post-production.”

Tom De Lathouwers, Head of KBC Audiovisual Studio – Video Production

The setup also allows KBC to use foreground elements and create a more dynamic feeling inside the environment. These objects help strengthen the illusion of a 3D space.

“It’s nice to play with foreground elements, to have a dynamic feel of the environments.”

Jens Wellekens, Jib Operator, KBC

Building on Existing Foundations

KBC’s audiovisual team consists of four internal colleagues and a group of freelance colleagues. With the virtual studio, the company aimed to build on its existing expertise while adapting to a new production environment.

KBC’s video solutions for internal and external communication have been shaped around a broadcast-level standard. The team also works with colleagues from the broadcast scene as part of this production approach.

Bringing the Message to the Audience

For KBC, the virtual studio is part of a broader production environment where lights, cameras, sound, and virtual production work together. Each component contributes to the final goal: delivering the message clearly to the audience.

“All the different components that make up a good video production, the lights, the cameras, the sound and the virtual production, they’re all adding up, as in getting that message across to our audience.”

Tom De Lathouwers, Head of KBC Audiovisual Studio – Video Production

KBC’s virtual studio project brings together Zero Density, DigiNet, and Dreamwall within a workflow designed to support the company’s growing need for video communication. The result is a production environment shaped around real-time control, flexibility, and believable virtual spaces.

Tech That Made All Possible

Reality 5 — Real-time graphics platform for AR, virtual studio, XR, broadcast graphics, and video wall productions

KBC’s virtual studio setup uses Reality 5 to bring real-time keying, virtual backgrounds, and graphics into its production workflow. This allows the team to see and assess the final result immediately, without waiting for post-production.

Reality Hub — One control plane for a multi-engine studio

Reality Hub supports the control and operation of Zero Density’s real-time production environment. In KBC’s virtual studio workflow, it helps bring the different components of the setup together within a more flexible production approach.

EVO Engine Hardware — Engine hardware crafted for 24/7 high-demanding real-time graphics productions

EVO is the powerhouse behind the entire studio, engineered to run continuously and meet the performance, reliability and security demands of public broadcasting.

Zero Density develops virtual production and broadcast graphics solutions trusted by the world’s leading broadcasters — including ABC, CBS, Charter Communications, FOX, The Weather Channel and Univision. Its flagship platform, Reality 5, powers real-time virtual studios, augmented and extended reality productions, and on-air graphics. Complemented by the Traxis tracking platform and EVO engine hardware, Zero Density’s end-to-end ecosystem gives production teams the tools to realize their most ambitious creative visions in real time, without compromise.