Industrial Light & Magic To Close Singapore VFX and Animation Studio

After nearly two decades, Industrial Light & Magic will be closing their Singapore VFX and Animation studio, potentially leading to 300 layoffs, according to Deadline.

What’s Happening:

Industrial Light & Magic, the Disney/Lucasfilm-owned visual effects division, will be closing their VFX and animation facility in Singapore.
Originally opened in 2004 as Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, the studio began operations with work on the animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
In 2013, Singapore division moved into what was called “the Sandcrawler building,” due to the resemblance of the structure to the iconic Star Wars vehicle.
ILM said that it is giving their employees as much notice as possible and offering opportunities to relocate to one of the company’s other studios – with locations in Vancouver, London, Sydney, and Mumbai, as well the San Francisco headquarters of the company.
A joint statement from Singapore government agencies – the Economic Development Board and the InfoComm Media Development Authority – was released saying that the decision by Lucasfilm to close their operations in the country were a “response to changes in the industry and business conditions. The global media industry is facing disruption from rapid technological advancements, while studios are coping with challenges relating to talent and profitability.”
Though not in the statement, another clear factor in this decision was the ongoing restructuring of the industry in the present day, with cost-cutting across the board thanks to pressure from streaming, as well as the current strikes in Hollywood by screenwriters and actors which have caused halts in production on both high and low-profile projects.
The statement went on to add, “We are proud that Singaporeans have worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as Jurassic World: Dominion and Marvel’s The Eternals. Many have moved on to roles in media companies like Netflix or have gone on to start their own companies. In addition, Lucasfilm’s leaders actively contributed to training generations of students in digital and tech skills at polytechnics and Institutes of Higher Learning.”

What They’re Saying:

Luke Hetherington, executive in charge of ILM’s Singapore and Sydney studios: “We would like to thank the Singapore Government, industry, and community for their partnership over the past 17 years. We have been able to train and employ a generation of production talent, visual effects artists, and animators. We are very proud of the incredible work the team in Singapore has accomplished and look forward to providing new opportunities for Singapore talent to continue the innovative work they are doing.”