Leading VFX and animation company The Cinesite Group announced an investment in The Imaginarium Studios, a performance capture and virtual production company with facilities at Pinewood Studios in the UK and at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
As reported by Variety, The Imaginarium Studios will become Cinesite’s partner company and retain its culture, brand and facilities. Studios staff will continue to work under the leadership of CEO Matthew Brown.
“The Imaginarium Studios and Cinesite are committed to delivering the best creative solutions for our clients,” said Brown. “Our partnership will be hugely beneficial to storytellers, creating a seamless experience for VFX, animation, virtual production and motion capture services. We are excited to bring characters to life and take content creation to the next level with our partners at Cinesite.”
“The Imaginarium Studios is a fantastic company with an enviable reputation and we are proud to welcome them to our collective,” Cinesite Group CEO Antony Hunt said in a statement. “Our new partnership will provide a further service-set to our growing customer base. The investment in the Imaginarium business strengthens our connections with the gaming industry and provides us with facilities in Pinewood Studios, (UK) and Trilith Studios, (Atlanta, GA, USA) opening more opportunities for our dynamic group.”
The studio was formed by legendary actor and director Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings) in 2012.
“I could not be more proud to see the team at The Imaginarium Studios coming together with the hugely talented leadership at Cinesite, who have been incredible creative partners with me on Animal Farm. I look forward to combining the talents of both companies to deliver creative solutions for whatever a project demands,” said Serkis.
As a stand-alone facility, The Imaginarium Studios mainly focused on performance-led capture and virtual production services. Their approach to performance capture has created numerous innovations and new methods in the VFX industry.
Imaginarium Productions are currently producing the classic George Orwell novel Animal Farm, with Serkis directing, and which is in production at Cinesite. Nicholas Stoller (Captain Underpants) adapted the screenplay. The animated feature film is being produced by Adam Nagle (Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank) Dave Rosenbaum (Riverdance: The Animated Adventure) and Jonathan Cavendish (Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle).