​​IMDA announces a US$3.6mil fund to support Singapore’s media industry to adopt virtual production

• Aims to develop talent skilled in virtual production
• Will invest in production, capability development for S’pore enterprises 

To ensure that the Singapore media industry remains competitive as the international partner of choice to create premium IP, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced the launch of a US$3.6 million (RM15.8 million) Virtual Production Innovation Fund. 

This to support the local media industry to develop capabilities needed to harness virtual production technology, the agency said, in a statement. 

The agency notes that virtual production technology uses LED screens to display realistic background environments for television or movie scenes powered by video game engines so that the camera is able to capture actors and visual effects in real-time. 

It said moving forward, production will no longer need to be dependent on location, road closures, location fees and permits as well as the weather, set construction and space rental.

This technology presents a unique opportunity for Singapore to overcome its physical limitations such as limited sites for on-location shooting and space to build extensive sets, it added. 

IMDA said virtual production will transform the creative process of storytelling as storytellers can recreate locations from the past or any imaginable environment, allowing them to produce content that we were not able to before. 

It added that there is also strong signal from global media players that virtual production technology will be widely used in film and television production and will become the industry norm in the coming years, adding impetus for the media industry to adopt virtual production.

Therefore, to prepare the media industry for the future, IMDA said it will undertake a two-prong approach to build capabilities in virtual production so that media companies and talent can keep up with global production practices to remain competitive.

This includes:

First prong: Developing talent skilled in virtual production

To train media professionals to use this technology, IMDA has partnered the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in the United Kingdom to tailor the school’s Certificate in Virtual Production course to meet its industry’s needs. 

The agency said fifteen Singapore media lecturers, trainers and industry professionals will receive hands-on training at NFTS’s virtual production facilities as well as attend lectures conducted virtually from December 2022 to April 2023.

Additionally, a series of industry-led masterclasses and workshops, conducted by international virtual production experts, will be rolled out over the next twelve months. 

Second prong: Investing in production and capability development for Singapore enterprises and talent

IMDA said it will also support local companies to experiment with virtual production to realise their creative vision for short-form content, such as music videos, short films, brand commercials, amongst others. 

It said from now until 15 February 2023, companies can submit their proposed content concepts at go.gov.sg/vpinnovationcall. 

These proposals will be evaluated based on their creative appeal and ability to best use virtual production technology to bring their project’s creative vision to fruition, it added.

IMDA said it will fund up to 50% of the project’s cost for selected proposals. 

By supporting these projects, the local industry will deepen their understanding on how virtual production can help them lift their creativity to the next level and produce even more interesting content, it added.

Additionally, IMDA is collaborating with Epic Games, creator of the advanced real-time 3D creation tool, Unreal Engine, which  powers games like Fortnite, to run an industry challenge. Commencing in the first quarter of 2023, the challenge will encourage companies to experiment with and use Unreal Engine for virtual production. 

Teams with shortlisted projects will receive direct mentorship and training from Epic, while also receiving prize money from IMDA to support content production.  

Justin Ang, assistant chief executive, Media, Innovation, Communications & Marketing, IMDA, said, the development of virtual production technology in recent years now allows us to create visual effects in real-time without physical set production and with that, overcome the limitations of space, scale and complexity. 

“The impossible can be made ‘possible’, limited only by the imagination of our filmmakers,” 

“We are excited to see more innovative and compelling stories resulting from the use of virtual production to strengthen Singapore’s position as a hub for content and IP creation,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Dean Reinhard, evangelist and senior technical account manager, Epic Games said, despite its size, there is an abundance of incredible creative talent in Singapore, and tools such as Unreal Engine are essential in helping filmmakers and production studios today reimagine storytelling and create stunning imagery in real time, 

“We are thrilled to work with IMDA to help train and support these local talents on maximising the use of these incredibly powerful tools and resources available to them,” he added.