SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile campaigns for such brands as ESPN Sports Center, Progressive, Febreze, Burger King, Mercedes-Benz and more.
Rossano said he’s enthused to be at the helm of Electric XR at “such a pivotal time. This venture represents a unique opportunity to combine our strengths and I’m looking forward to contributing my experience and working with such a talented team to tackle the needs of today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving industry.”
After years of collaboration, Yacht Club officially joined forces with SCHROM in 2023, combining their talent and resources to offer a comprehensive approach to live-action, tabletop, CGI and still photography projects, spanning everything from broadcast to social media content. XR-NY allows SCHROM x Yacht Club to provide virtual production stage rentals and workflow solutions beyond their own productions. As part of Electric XR, XR-NY’s 35,000-square-foot facility in Nyack, NY now includes two LED stages: a dedicated XR stage with a 50-foot-wide LED volume wall and a flexible second stage with a movable 15 ft x 10 ft LED wall, ideal for tabletop, inserts and talking heads.
“With our new virtual production capabilities, we aim to be recognized as a top-tier, full-service partner for brands and agencies—a one-stop shop for live action, tabletop, still photography, virtual production, and post,” shared Yacht Club partner/EP Joe DePasquale. “By integrating virtual production into our daily operations, we treat it as one part of the bigger picture, not the entire focus. It’s a tool–just like any other–composed of equipment, technicians, and artists. Our goal is to bridge the gap between the various elements of production, so clients don’t have to juggle multiple partners to receive A+ creative, efficiency and service from pre-production through to finish.”
Be Electric Studios operates a second 10,000 sq. ft. facility in Brooklyn, NY, which features a fully soundproofed 50-foot-wide LED volume. As one of the few commercial production-backed XR companies in the U.S. offering multiple full-sized LED volumes in-house, Electric XR delivers seamless virtual production for projects of all sizes–from single shots to full campaigns–at competitive pricing to suit a range of budgets.
“I’m excited to create a virtual production system that brings the virtual and real words together, transforming how we approach storytelling in film,” said Justin Lee, ICVFX supervisor of Be Electric Studios. “With a talented team and a vision for the future, we’re ready to execute on this new frontier.”
“Virtual production merges innovation with artistry, giving creators the tools to craft immersive worlds and dynamic stories like never before,” added Andrew Stern, CEO of Be Electric Studios. “Electric XR enhances both creativity and production efficiency, placing us at the forefront of this evolution.”
Electric XR brings a unique advantage with two locations, one in Nyack, NY and the other in Brooklyn, NY. The Nyack location has an additional mobile LED wall, perfect for tabletop productions and flexible enough to support multiple XR productions across two stages simultaneously. The Brooklyn location is drive-in capable, and has a 20’x20’ adjustable height LED ceiling, perfect for car processes. In addition to serving SCHROM x Yacht Club productions, Electric XR’s services are available for third-party commercial rentals, as well as film, TV and entertainment projects. With an in-house VFX team capable of designing custom backdrops in CGI or Unreal Engine at competitive rates, Electric XR is set to make virtual production an accessible tool, positioning the three entities as a flexible and cost-effective solution for a wide range of production needs.
“Integrating Electric XR into our operations is a game changer for SCHROM x Yacht Club,” said head of production Andrew Greenberg. “Having these tools in-house, along with a dedicated staff operator, allows us to continuously innovate–developing new workflows, exploring the full potential of the technology, and refining how it supports diverse creative approaches.”
Electric XR was created as a cooperative with XR New York and Be Electric Studios, merging their virtual production operations to offer expanded resources, equipment and personnel. The partnership enhances studio availability and provides clients with the flexibility to shoot in either Brooklyn or the Hudson Valley.
If a project calls for it, clients have the option of accessing SCHROM x Yacht Club’s directorial roster which includes Michael Schrom, Matt Morgan, Jake Ladehoff and Thomas Leistein Schneider.
