Aug 15, 2023

Lucasfilm/ILM will exit its animation and VFX operations in Singapore, where "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" was produced.

Lucasfilm is closing its animation and VFX operations in Singapore, which was responsible for the primary production of the iconic animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," after nearly two decades.

In a statement, the Disney-owned company said, "In the coming months, ILM will consolidate its global footprint and close its Singapore studio due to economic factors affecting the industry."

In February of this year, Disney announced plans to cut 7,000 jobs from its worldwide workforce in an effort to cut $5.5 billion in costs. According to Singapore news media outlet CNA, the closure of the Singapore studio will affect about 300 employees.

According to the company, ILM made the announcement now to give its employees as much time as possible to find other jobs. It is also offering relocation opportunities; ILM currently has studios in Vancouver, London, Sydney, Mumbai, and San Francisco.

ILM also indicated that it will be working with local agencies, including Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Information Communication and Media Development Authority (IMDA),

to hold job fairs for companies looking to fill vacancies with employees with skills such as:

I 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 talented production people, visual effects artists and animators. We are extremely proud of the great work that our Singapore team has accomplished and look forward to providing new opportunities for Singapore's talented people to continue their innovative work.

In a separate statement, EDB and IMDA added that.

The technical and creative skill sets of these employees (who are trained in a variety of roles, including designers, technical engineers, and technical support staff) continue to be in high demand both within the broader media industry and in other increasingly digital industries.

Lucasfilm's Singapore operations began in 2004 as Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, working on the production of Star Wars: The Clone Wars; ILM became the first international ILM studio two years later in 2006, when its Singapore operations; in 2013, the company moved to the Eclipse Building (also known as the Sandcrawler Building) in the Fusionopolis cluster of Buona Vista; in 2021, Lucasfilm sold the building to Blackstone.