Singapore's dream of appearing on the animation film industry map finally became a reality last week, when Lucasfilm Animation Singapore opened its studio here. 'This is the beginning of a whole new industry,' said Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's second minister for trade and industry. 'We believe the digital entertainment industry is set to grow exponentially in the coming decades. The fact that we have an outpost of George Lucas here will act as a honey pot and attract people from all over the world.'
Lucasfilm's decision does raise a few questions: how much did it cost to attract the famed American filmmaker to set up shop here? This remains shrouded in mystery, as all the studio's executives would say was that it owns 75 per cent of the Singaporean offshoot. The rest is owned by a consortium led by the Economic Development Board, Singapore's foreign-investment promotion agency. And why Singapore? you may ask. Mainly because of its tough laws on intellectual property, said Micheline Chau, president of Lucasfilm. The fact that the city state offers an attractive lifestyle for international talent is an added bonus.
So, is it really good news for wannabee animators? Well, yes and no. According to prospective employees called in for an interview, the salaries offered for an entry-level position are pretty low - about S$1,000 to $1,200 ($4,580 to $5,500) per month.
When asked about salaries offered and whether the studio was using Singapore as a low-cost base for more intensive work, the studio's general manager, Christian Kubsch, said: 'If we were looking for low cost, we would not have come to Singapore.' He said 3-D animation required elaborate skills and that the salaries offered were 'above the market' - though he would not specify which market or give a range.
Still, putting the name of Lucasfilm on a CV will be a big plus for new graduates, and many more students are now expected to show interest in related courses offered by local schools. The Economic Development Board is also working hard to attract international (mainly American), specialised schools for digital arts and animation to set up offshoots in Singapore, and support this nascent industry further.
Lucasfilm plans to make its first animated feature film next year, in which the Singapore studio is expected to participate. But first, the 35 recruited staff will work on the studio's Clone Wars TV series, due for release in 2007.