Lucasfilm is closing its Singapore visual effects and animation studio after nearly two decades, potentially leading to around 300 layoffs.Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) VFX and animation studio opened in the nation in 2004 to work on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The team moved into the Sandcrawler Building, which also houses Disney’s offices for Southeast Asia, in 2013 and that building was acquired by the Blackstone Group eight years later.A Disney spokesperson told local outlet CNA that ILM will be “consolidating its global footprint and winding down its Singapore studio due to economic factors affecting the industry.”The move will impact around 300 staffers and Disney said ILM will “give employees as much notice as possible and offer opportunities to relocate to one of the company’s growing studios,” along with hosting a local job fair “with companies identified as having a need for talent with similar skill sets.” ILM is headquartered in San Francisco and also has studios in Vancouver, London, Sydney and Mumbai.In a joint statement on Tuesday, Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said Lucasfilm and the relevant government agencies are helping affected employees to find roles in other companies.“The technical and creative skillsets of these employees — who are trained across roles such as designers, tech engineers and tech support staff — continue to be in high demand, both within the broader media industry and also in other industries that are going digital,” they said.
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