The Imaginarium Studios
Production company | |
Industry | Performance capture |
Founded | 2011 |
Headquarters | Ealing, London, United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
Andy Serkis Jonathan Cavendish |
Services |
Film production Video game development |
Website | Official website |
The Imaginarium Studios (also known as The Imaginarium) is a British digital studio based in London, founded by actor-director Andy Serkis and producer Jonathan Cavendish in 2011. The studio specializes in applying motion capture technology in film, television and video games. Since 2011, it has provided performance capture for international films including Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).[1]
History
Serkis first became interested in "cyber-thespianism" when he first worked with Peter Jackson at his Weta Workshop in New Zealand for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong (2005).[2] Serkis stated, "People come out of film schools not equipped with the skills for doing anything other than shooting kitchen sink dramas. We need to change our mindset, cross-fertilise our talent and encourage writers, directors and producers to think on a much larger scale."[2]
Serkis partnered with Cavendish in 2009, opening The Imaginarium officially in 2011 after securing a permanent place at Ealing Studios in London.[3] In January 2012 the studio signed an agreement with Vicon, the world's largest supplier of precision motion tracking systems.[4]
Upcoming projects
On 20 October 2012 it was announced that The Imaginarium had secured film rights for Samantha Shannon's novel The Bone Season, along with rights to a new adaptation of Animal Farm. “The dystopian world created by Samantha in The Bone Season series offers a fantastic setting for a truly extraordinary and thrilling narrative,” said Serkis. “We are honoured that she chose to collaborate with us in the adaptation of her work."[5] Serkis and Cavendish will produce The Bone Season while Serkis will direct, and possibly star in Animal Farm. The studio will handle all motion capture for future Star Wars movies, beginning with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015.[6] The Imaginarium is also handling the motion capturing for the 2015 Marvel Studios film Avengers: Age of Ultron.[7] Serkis' studio will also be aiding in the performance capture for the upcoming video game Star Citizen.[8] Serkis will use the studios for his directorial debut, Jungle Book, in 2018.[9]
Filmography
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Upcoming
- War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
- Jungle Book (2018)
- The Bone Season (TBA)
- Animal Farm (TBA)
Music Videos
- "Adventure of a Lifetime" by Coldplay (2015)
Video Games
- Battlefield 1 (2016)
- Star Citizen (TBA)
References
- ↑ "The Imaginarium". Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- 1 2 "Andy Serkis plans UK motion-capture studio". 23 April 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ↑ "Andy Serkis Talks Imaginarium Project at Cannes". 13 May 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ↑ http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/4e21434c-18be-11e2-80af-00144feabdc0.html#slide0
- ↑ "Hobbit's Andy Serkis plots 'The Bone Season' and 'Animal Farm' Remake". 20 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ Star Wars Motion Capture
- ↑ Stern, Marlow (July 14, 2014). "Motion Capture Maestro Andy Serkis on 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' and Revolutionizing Cinema". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- ↑ Roberts, Chris (December 15, 2014). "10 for the Chairman Episode 48".
- ↑ "Does Andy Serkis's motion capture acting deserve an Oscar?". The Telegraph. Retrieves 11 January 2015