Global entertainment giant Technicolor has today announced plans to establish a 500-person visual effects (VFX) centre in Adelaide, propelling SA as an international film production hub.
The investment will complement the newly expanded Post Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) rebate further establishing South Australia as a global centre for visual effects and post production.
A major game-changer for the Australian film industry, Technicolor will establish ‘Mill Film’ in Adelaide – a $26 million 3000-plus square metre visual effects (VFX) studio. The initial focus for Mill Film will be delivering VFX for major film studios and streaming services, with a later expansion into emerging opportunities in virtual and augmented reality.
Mill Film will comprise an Adelaide Centre of Excellence and VFX Academy, together accommodating 500 people – ranging from technologists to artists – when running at full strength within five years.
A French company, Technicolor employs more than 15,000 globally with facilities in Paris, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, Vancouver, Bangalore and Shanghai.
Technicolor worked on the film The Shape of Water, recently nominated for 13 Oscars, along with films such as the Jungle Book, The Martian, Blade Runner 2049, Wonder Woman and Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
The investment will be a boost for existing Adelaide VFX businesses, with the Centre of Excellence and Academy set to attract talented artists to South Australia from around the world.
The South Australian Government will provide up to $6 million from the Economic Investment Fund to support the project, which is expected to have an economic benefit of around $252.6 million over ten years.