An apprentice programme by Lucasfilm Animation Singapore (LAS) to train artists here to draw like Jedi Masters starts today.
Meanwhile, the Singapore outfit's first project, the first season of an animated TV series set in the Star Wars universe, is nearing completion and is scheduled to reach the small screen by this year.
LAS is located at the Changi Business Park.
Its general manager, Mr Xavier Nicolas, 52, said the local studio has an 'aggressive expansion plan' that will see the company nearly doubling its staff from 186 to 300 by the end of this year.
LAS will be taking on more projects, and production of the second season of its animated TV series has begun. Its games group will also be working on three games this year.
Artists and animators make up the largest number of staff in LAS, with more than 120 of them working in those areas.
Mr Nicolas said finding the right artistic talent here has been a challenge.
'Since we are the first Hollywood studio here in Singapore, it is not easy to find the pool of artists we need and who are ready to produce the type of work we have at the global level,' he said.
That was why the company set up a 21/2-year training programme, the Jedi Masters Program, to train local talent to meet the standards of the Lucasfilm group of studios in the United States, which includes Oscar-winning visual effects company Industrial Light and Magic (ILM).
From more than 500 applicants, 13 were selected for the first six-month course, which begins today. More such courses will follow.
These apprentices will be taught how large-scale productions are carried out, and learn under mentors flown in from the US companies.
The last 12 weeks of the programme will be spent working with actual production teams.
The programme is headed by Mr Tad Leckman, who has worked on films such as Men In Black, The Mummy movies and Star Wars: Episode II.
Coming from diverse backgrounds, the trainees range from JC students to adults making a mid-career switch.
Twins Samuel and Daniel Ling, both 20, gave up their place in the National University of Singapore's architecture course in order to sign up.
They said the LAS course is 'a chance to develop ILM-level skills...we never thought we could come this close to the graphics wizards behind the films'.
