Scoop: Tampa's Vū technology shines in new movie

Tampa-born Vū Studio technology played a key role in the production of the upcoming movie "Sympathy for the Devil," starring Nicolas Cage and Joel Kinnaman, studio representatives tell Axios.

State of play: About half of the film, a psychological thriller introduced during this year's Toronto International Film Festival, was shot at Vū's 40,000-square-foot virtual production studio in Las Vegas.

Why it matters: This is Vū's first feature film. The studio, which has specialized in commercials and music videos, joins a number of tech businesses transforming the way movies are made.

• More filmmakers are embracing virtual production studios to create realistic sets from massive LED panels, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports. The screens give actors a chance to see and react to what's happening as they film — a huge leap from green screens which require the content to be added in post-production.

Zoom in: Aside from its flagship Tampa location and its Vegas studio, Vū founders Tim Moore and Jonathan Davila have opened studios in Nashville and Orlando.

• They also donated cutting-edge virtual production technology to the University of Tampa.

What's ahead: The movie is expected to be released next year.