Lucasfilm's ILMxLAB opens first international studio in Singapore
Lucasfilm's Singapore facility, The Sandcrawler. (Photo: Lucasfilm website)
SINGAPORE: Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB will be expanding its operations beyond its San Francisco headquarters, with its first international studio opening in Singapore.
"ILMxLAB Singapore will continue the company’s emphasis on immersive, real time storytelling," said the studio in a press release on Thursday (Feb 24).
It added that the new location will be based in the Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) office in Fusionopolis, which has been operating in Singapore since 2006.
The entertainment studio said that the move was supported by Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB).
"We welcome Lucasfilm’s decision to locate its first international immersive entertainment studio in Singapore," said Mr Philbert Gomez, vice-president and head of digital industry Singapore at EDB.
Mr Gomez noted that the new studio will provide opportunities for Singaporeans to work on exciting immersive media projects and build skills in 3D modelling, artificial intelligence, and real-time rendering.
ILMxLAB Singapore will build on the work from ILMxLAB San Francisco, known for Emmy-nominated virtual reality (VR) story series Vader Immortal and Oscar-winning VR experience CARNE y ARENA, which allows viewers to live through a "fragment" of a refugee's journey.
ILMxLAB San Francisco is also known for Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Damage Control, and Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge.
"Over the best part of 20 years we've built a Singapore studio blessed with great talent and ability to do anything in the visual effects world. We’re really excited to now take this step into immersive work with ILMxLAB," said Mr Luke Hetherington, executive in charge of ILM’s Singapore & Sydney studios.
"This gives us an exciting chance to create partnerships in Singapore, develop new skills and create new opportunities. There is vast interest and capability regionally in this space, and I can't wait to see what the ILMxLAB team achieves."
Ms Vicki Dobbs Beck, vice-president of immersive content innovation at ILMxLAB, said that building a team dedicated to creating immersive story-driven experiences in Singapore would be "yet another exciting chapter" at the studio since its founding in 2015.
“We have already seen best-in-class visual effects work produced by ILM Singapore and we look forward to expanding ILMxLAB's artistic and technical capability with our Singapore team in support of the award-winning, innovative work that our studio is known for," she said.
