ARRI Forms Business Unit Dedicated to Virtual Production

ARRI
Kevin Schwutke (L) and David Bermbach (Image credit: ARRI)

MUNICH—ARRI has announced that it is elevating its ARRI Solutions division to become its own business unit focusing on virtual production and has appointed two new senior management positions to lead it. 

The company says it formed the new business unit because “the growing demand for high-quality virtual production, integration of systems, and development of efficient state-of-the-art workflows has left many creatives and corporations searching for a reliable, global partner.”

The business unit is led by Kevin Schwutke, who focuses on the strategic and commercial direction, and David Bermbach, who is responsible for the technological backbone. Under their leadership, ARRI Solutions will become the partner of choice for a wide range of studio owners, operators, producers, content creators, and corporate clients.

ARRI Solutions designs, engineers, builds, and operates pioneering virtual production environments of all sizes, along with delivering integrated systems and cutting-edge workflows for corporations, broadcasters, and studios. With experience of leading major studio projects from consultancy through to configuration and turnkey installation, the company says its ARRI Solutions unit “offers customers a full end-to-end service with the promise of ARRI brand quality.”

“We are seeing great demand from our customers for our expertise in developing and delivering advanced, highly integrated solutions that ensure production value at the highest level, said Dr. Matthias Erb, Chairman of the Executive Board at ARRI. “The appointment of Kevin Schwutke and David Bermbach to lead ARRI Solutions will position this business unit alongside Camera Systems, Lighting, and Rental as a fundamental pillar of ARRI’s long-term strategy.”

Kevin Schwutke, Senior Vice President & Head of Business Unit Solutions at ARRI, who recently joined the company, continues, “ARRI already has a showcase of pioneering virtual production and broadcast studio projects all over the world. Establishing ARRI Solutions as a business unit means we can expand our capabilities together with our partner network, ensuring we can not only meet, but exceed our customers’ expectations for efficient, effective, and state-of-the-art studio and production environments.”

David Bermbach, Vice President & Technical Head of Business Unit Solutions at ARRI, adds: “ARRI’s heritage for quality and delivering the most authentic images is unparalleled in the industry. This deep understanding and expertise provide the foundation for our development of cutting-edge software, tools, and workflows, specifically designed for virtual production and ultra-modern studios.”

Schwutke studied Mechanical Engineering & Computer Science and brings extensive consultancy experience to ARRI, with a specialization in the management of fast-growing companies. After positions at Bosch and as an Associate Partner at Porsche Consulting, he most recently served at Munich-based ClimatePartner as Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Customer Management.

Bermbach joined ARRI in 2006 and has held a number of senior technical positions, including Head of Center of Competence Project Management R&D Camera Systems and most recently Head of Global Technology for ARRI Rental. He has been fundamental in integrating ARRI’s cameras and lighting into virtual production environments which are already in use for film, episodic and commercial shoots.

Tom Butts

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.