Word: studio
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Lucasfilm is the first major production studio to set up shop in Asia, but competitors are right behind it. For years Hollywood has cut costs by outsourcing post-production--the editing, sound mixing and special effects that turn raw film into a blockbuster movie--to overseas firms. More than 90% of the animation for American films and television shows is processed in Asia, mainly in Japan and South Korea. Now, however, the $100 billion animation industry is rushing to tap the deep pools of young, well-trained artists in countries such as Singapore, China, India, South Korea and the Philippines...
...cheaper when it's produced in Asia, but Lucasfilm executives deny that cost cutting brought them to the region. Still, the move has allowed them to experiment with new ideas--including its first animated TV show--and take chances on young talent without as much financial risk. The Singapore studio's less experienced artists demand lower salaries than their California counterparts, and Lucasfilm doesn't have to navigate U.S. immigration laws to hire them. And by making use of the 16-hr. time difference between Singapore and San Francisco, Lucasfilm has essentially doubled its productivity...
...other hand, believes that its team in Singapore will be an integral part of every film or video game it produces for every market--not just in Asia. "We've always concentrated on making sure our characters have global appeal," says Christian Kubsch, managing director of the Singapore studio. In fact, the company has made Singapore a key part of its strategy. Company execs see it as a launching point for building the brand in neighboring countries like China and India, two of its fastest-growing marketplaces. The Singapore studio will also spearhead Lucasfilm's first animated feature film this...
...communist state of North Korea. Under the patronage of leader Kim Jong Il, a movie buff, animation is one of the rare sectors in which North Korea is following the global trend. Animation houses from North America, Europe and Asia have all subcontracted work there. The state-owned SEK Studio last year paired up with South Korean animators to produce Empress Chung, a $6.5 million animated feature film based on a Korean Cinderella story...
...Lucasfilm's biggest challenge is snatching up the best talent within Singapore's burgeoning digital-arts community before rivals move in. In November, the studio launched the Jedi Masters Program, a two-year paid apprenticeship designed to attract Singaporean students like Travis Ho. Lucasfilm better move fast. Ho, who won't graduate for another two years, has already co-founded a small video-game development firm that has gotten government and foreign contracts. "It's a small operation," Ho says. "But we're doing pretty innovative stuff for beginners." It's no match for Lucasfilm yet, but who knows...