News & Features
Filmmakers discuss bringing virtual worlds to life for The Mandalorian (S2)
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in virtual production with StageCraft. In a new video released by ILM on our YouTube channel, we shed light on the process and advances made for the second season of the series with interviews from a variety of the key filmmakers involved….
MEET THE SUPES: JEFF CAPOGRECO
What does a VFX Supervisor do? As a VFX Supervisor it’s my responsibility to navigate the VFX crew through the show’s technical and artistic challenges, with the goal of meeting or exceeding our client’s vision and delivering world class visual effects. How many years have you been working in VFX? I started my career in…
MaterialX Joins the Academy Software Foundation as a Hosted project
The Academy Software Foundation (ASWF), the preeminent foundation for open source software development in the motion picture and media industries, today announced that MaterialX has been accepted by the Academy Software Foundation’s Technical Advisory Council (TAC) as the seventh Foundation-hosted project. MaterialX originated at Lucasfilm in 2012, and it has grown into the central format for material…
ILM receives 3 Emmy® Award Nominations
The Television Academy announced its nominations for the 73rd annual Emmy® Awards today recognizing a wealth of innovative storytelling, exceptional new programs, and a robust and diverse group of talent nominees. ILM is honored to have contributed to 4 of the 5 nominated shows in the Special Visual Effects category and is named on the…
MEET THE SUPES: FRAZER CHURCHILL
Why did you decide to move to Sydney from London? My wife’s Australian so we’d been thinking about it for a while and the Australian government is getting very serious about incentivising and supporting film production, VFX and animation. It seemed like the perfect time to come. What has been your impression of the Australian…
ILM Contributes Visual Effects for Disney Launchpad Shorts
Launchpad, a first-ever live-action shorts incubator program that provides the opportunity for filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds to produce live-action short films for Disney+ enlisted the talent at ILM to provide visual effects for the films. For its part, ILM used the project as an opportunity to provide up-and-coming talent from underrepresented groups a chance to expand…
‘Inside ILM’ Series wins Silver Telly Award
Inside ILM: Creating the Razor Crest, received the Silver Telly Award at the 42nd Annual Awards for the short-form non-broadcast documentary category. The Telly Awards recognize creators who are bringing high-caliber stories to screens globally. The mini-documentary film chronicles the design, development, and construction of the miniature Razor Crest ship created for season one of…
In memory of David Owen, he captured light & magic.
We were greatly saddened to learn that over the weekend that our friend and colleague, David Owen, a still photographer and documentarian at ILM for nearly 25 years had passed away. David joined ILM in 1988 having relocated from his native England. He was one of a small cadre of people that worked behind the…
Remembering a Master, Ira Keeler
Long before the precision of computer-aided design and the perfection afforded by 3D printing, there was Ira Keeler. In the world of special effects miniatures and modelmaking, Ira stood out as a master craftsperson possessing the uncanny ability to sculpt even the most complex shapes from a block of solid wood with near-perfect symmetry. He…
Close up with: Helen Farley
MEET THE FACILITIES MANAGER HELPING GROW ILM’S SYDNEY STUDIO Can you tell us your role and summarize your day-to-day responsibilities? I am the Facilities Manager for Industrial Light & Magic’s (ILM) Sydney studio. I oversee everything involving the facilities and operations for the studio. That includes maintaining supplies, stationery, and the kitchens, to onboarding new…
‘Avengers Assemble’ Named to Clio Awards Shortlist
The Clio Awards announced nominations for 2021 and we are thrilled to report “Avengers Assemble“, a commercial we created in collaboration with Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics, and Marvel Entertainment through RSA films, Los Angeles, and agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty was named to the shortlist in the Film Craft / Visual Effects category. Teaming up once…
This is the Way: The Behind-the-Scenes Magic of The Mandalorian Season 2
For the second season of Lucasfilm’s hit Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, Industrial Light & Magic reengineered their StageCraft virtual production platform rolling out version 2.0 in which ILM introduced among other things, Helios, Industrial Light & Magic’s first cinematic render engine designed for real-time visual effects. Engineered from the ground up with film and television…
The Mandalorian Garners a Record 13 VES Award Nominations
Season 2 of Lucasfilm’s hit Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, garnered a record 13 Visual Effects Society nominations leading the broadcast field. Nominees in 25 categories were selected by VES members via 32 virtual nomination events conducted across the globe. The Mandalorian received nominations in the following categories Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode, Outstanding…
ILM Executive Profile: Janet Lewin, SVP, General Manager
“I strive to make it easier to innovate — to create a supportive environment for groundbreaking creativity and excellence in production,” explains Janet Lewin, SVP and general manager of Industrial Light & Magic. Formerly vice president of Visual Effects at Lucasfilm, Lewin has spent a combined 26-years at the two companies. She currently oversees the…
2020 CONCEPT ART AWARDS HONORS 3 ILM CONCEPT ARTISTS
Concept Artists Christian Alzmann, Brett Northcutt, and Stephen Todd were among the artists to receive a 2020 Concept Art Award on Saturday, September 12th. Additionally, Alzmann was honored with the LBX Concept Art Luminary Award, recognizing the impact of his work on The Child for The Mandalorian. Check out the winning artwork alongside each honoree’s…
3 NEW ILM STAGECRAFT STAGES COMING SOON & GLOBAL TRAINEE PROGRAM ANNOUNCED
Industrial Light & Magic today announced the next phase of its global expansion plan for the company’s virtual production and StageCraft LED volume services. This expansion of services is tied to a proactive initiative for increasing diversity in the industry by combining ILM’s growth in this innovative methodology with a global trainee program geared for…
THE MANDALORIAN RECEIVES 15 EMMY NOMINATIONS
On September 20, 2020 the Television Academy announced the nominations for the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards and Lucasfilm’s hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian was recognized with 15 nominations in a variety of categories including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects. “The Mandalorian is a collaboration between some of the most creative artists and…
ROB BREDOW ELECTED TO AMPAS BOARD OF GOVERNORS
We are thrilled to report that Rob Bredow, Executive Creative Director & Head of Industrial Light & Magic, is among the six newly elected members to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ 2020-2021 Board of Governors. Additionally, Jessica Teach, San Francisco Executive in Charge, and 12 individuals from our artist and engineering…
‘DISNEY GALLERY: THE MANDALORIAN’ TAKES VIEWERS BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE HIT SERIES
Starting May the 4th viewers have been treated to a closer look at the groundbreaking technology at work behind the scenes of The Mandalorian and more when Disney+ pulls back the curtain on the live-action Star Wars series with Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian. The eight-episode docuseries, hosted by creator and executive producer Jon Favreau, promises…
ILM Employee Spotlight: Rebecca Kuo
What is your name, what do you do and how long have you been working at ILM Sydney? My name is Rebecca Kuo, and I used to work in ILM Singapore as a Pipeline Technical Director for three years. I recently transferred to ILM’s Sydney studio. What is your biggest passion outside of work?…