Since our origins in a galaxy far, far, away we’ve helped storytellers explore the furthest reaches of their imagination.

The Industry Leader in VFX

On-set of The Batman, using ILM’s award-winning virtual production suite, StageCraft

From 1975 to today, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most stunning images in the history of entertainment.

Our rebel DNA feels comfortable in the unknown, diving headfirst into the “what ifs” that clients bring us, and innovating our way to a show-stopping answer. We’ve made a name for consistently delivering beyond expectations, on budget, and on time.

ILM Founder George Lucas with ILMers Richard Edlund, John Dykstra, and Joe Johnston.

Academy Sci-Tech Award

39 Awards

See Awards

The talent and tools to open up a world of possibility

With nearly 2000 employees across 5 studios worldwide and one of the most comprehensive and advanced digital effects production pipelines in the entertainment industry, our creative brain trust has the passion and infrastructure to manifest any storyteller’s vision, whether on the screen or through a VR headset.

Studios

San Francisco

Vancouver

London

Mumbai

Sydney

Industries

Motion Picture

Television

Streaming

Commercial

Attraction

“Everything is impossible when we start out. But we’re all about ambition and imagination. The audacity to say why can’t we?”

Luke Hetherington

Executive in Charge, Sydney ILM Studio

Immersive Entertainment

“Our legacy is one of never staying the same”

Spencer Kent

Executive in Charge, Vancouver Studio

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Once Upon a Time in Van Nuys, California

In 1975, George Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic to work on a space opera that would become a pivotal chapter in film and visual effects history. Their work on Star Wars would turn the film and VFX industries upside down.

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E.T., Elliot, and his friends take flight in this shot from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) achieved in-camera utilizing miniature puppets, trees and a matte painting backdrop. © Industrial Light & Magic. All Rights Reserved

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Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren works with a performer against a grid while filming reference footage for animators to use when creating the performance of the stained glass man character in Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). © Industrial Light & Magic. All Rights Reserved

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John Knoll (Standing), Lincoln Hu (left) and Scott E. Anderson work on the computer generated pseudopod water tentacle for James Cameron’s The Abyss (1989). © Industrial Light & Magic. All Rights Reserved

Beyond Star Wars

After creating the award-winning special visual effects for the original Star Wars Trilogy, George Lucas opened up ILM to work with outside filmmakers to create their visual effects and a new era for the company began. From 1980 to 1992 ILM work was recognized with eighteen Academy Award® nominations and with just one exception, won the Oscar for outstanding visual effects each year.

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The T-Rex roars her mighty roar thanks to the combined efforts of ILM’s visual effects team and Skywalker Sound’s sonic mastery. Efforts by both teams were honored with Academy Awards®. © Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

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Scott Squires, Rob Coleman and members of the Dragonheart (1996) visual effects crew review a shot of Drago breaching the water’s surface.

The Digital Revolution

ILM artists and technologists were at the forefront of the digital revolution in filmmaking developing such technology as digital film scanning and recording, digital compositing, digital wire removal and retouching, and a host of computer graphics animation, lighting, and rendering techniques and technology. This freed filmmakers to tell virtually any type of story they could dream up.

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Expanding

ILM begins its global expansion as filmmaker demand for the company’s talent and services grows exponentially. First expanding to Singapore, the studio would also open an office in Vancouver, BC. In 2007, ILM’s work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was recognized with the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

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NASA’s Opportunity rover sits on the surface of Mars awaiting instructions to leave its entry platform and begin exploration of the Martian surface in this fully CG scene from the award-winning documentary, Good Night Oppy (2022). © Amazon Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The Recent Years

ILM continues to expand its global footprint opening full pipeline studios in London, Sydney and Mumbai. In 2018, the company develops and deploys its industry leading virtual production solution, StageCraft, constructing permanent and bespoke volumes around the world for projects large and small. The company’s work is also recognized with the Emmy Award for Best Visual Effects three years in a row and StageCraft itself is recognized with an Engineering Emmy Award.

A creative and collaborative team you can count on

Meet Leadership

Janet Lewyn (SVP / GM) and BB-8 enjoy a flick

ILM crew filming a miniature shot for Pirates of the Caribbean

Frazer Churchill (VFX Supervisor) on set

ILM VFX Supervisor Frazer Churchill on set

Join our team

We are always looking for passionate, talented people to join our ranks.

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