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ABQturkey
May 17, 2007, 2:32 PM
It's official....Our film production status just went up significantly. Now if Rio Rancho can just work out their crap with Lion's Gate and get that studio open...

http://kob.com/article/stories/S87459.shtml?cat=500

Imageworks to open shop in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - Sony Pictures Imageworks plans to open an Albuquerque facility that will initially employ 100 people.

Governor Richardson says Imageworks will operate at Albuquerque Studios—a film studio complex south of Albuquerque’s international airport.

Imageworks creates computer-generated special effects and animation.

Its credits include the “Spider-Man” series, the latest “The Matrix” films and “Superman Returns.”

Because of New Mexico’s tax breaks and interest-free loans for the film industry, Imageworks president Tim Sarnoff says the company will be able to manage its costs and expands its capacity.



(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

vertex
May 17, 2007, 2:54 PM
Interesting, I wonder what kind of work they'll be doing? 100 people isn't alot, it might be a render farm.

finmqa1
May 17, 2007, 3:10 PM
They expect to increase that to 300. This is the perfect compliment for our new world class Albuquerque Studios. Check out the Mesa Del Sol website for more information (www.mesadelsolnm.com).

It was also announced that Antoine Predock will be designing the 78,000 square foot town center there. The link below has renderings.
http://www.mesadelsolnm.com/content.asp?pg=Available_buildings

vertex
May 17, 2007, 3:50 PM
Nothing on the Imageworks website. All jobs posted are for SoCal.

Is this for Imageworks, or for Sony Digital Entertainment? SDE is the SPI's parent division that also contains Sony's game development units as well.

The reason I ask is that there's a big difference between 100 and 300 jobs; 300 jobs means they may be sending some fairly serious production work your way, either in animation, or if this is SDE, then game development.

Btw, where did you get the 300 figure from? And is ABQ even ready for 300 creative professionals like this? They are a special group...:fruit:

finmqa1
May 17, 2007, 5:10 PM
Vertex - the links below from the NM Business Weekly talk about the deal with Sony. It mentions a possible employment base of 300 employees at the ABQ site.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2007/03/05/daily31.html

http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2007/03/19/story3.html

Sony has also teamed up with the University of New Mexico to create a film and digital media program.

And finally the original announcement of the deal from the Los Angeles Times. (Also mentions 300 eventual employees)

http://www.latimes.com/classified/jobs/workinghollywood/la-fi-sony9mar09,0,2739176.story?coll=la-class-jobs-workinghwood

vertex
May 17, 2007, 6:14 PM
Thanks for the links.

To quote the tail end of the LA Times article:

Underscoring the global nature of the business, Sony recently acquired a majority stake in FrameFlow, an Indian visual effects and animation company that has been renamed Imageworks India.

The new facility in New Mexico also could help Sony reduce the cost of making animated feature films, allowing it to better compete in the crowded genre. Sony launched its venture into the burgeoning business last year with "Open Season" and has several other features in production. Although the animation unit would remain in Los Angeles, some of the computer rendering could be done in New Mexico.

I can see SPI doing a few things at this facility.

They could be setting up a motion capture studio, and it sounds like they are definately going to be setting up a render farm. Both projects would employ mostly software and/or network engineers; this is talent I'm certain New Mexico can supply.

Excellent animators are a lot harder to come by. In spite of the start-up program at UNM, any animators who 'might' work here will need to be able to contribute to a production pipeline immediately (SPI is planning for a 12-18 month release schedule).

This means almost all of the talent will initially come from the Culver City operation. This will be a very tough sell, as there is no industry already here. Animators are itinerate by nature, and would much prefer to stay in an already established area with decent employment prospects, rather than be stranded if there are layoffs. Animators are especially weary after what Disney did in 2003, when they laid off almost 1000 people at Orlando, just 4 years after opening their state-of-the-art production studio.

Also, the article mentions FrameFlow (a long-established animation company in India) recently being purchased by Sony; this further reduces the prospects of SPI doing any animation work here.

They could be using the studio for some post production work as well, either for tv or film.

Anyway, it's surprising to hear, but if handled correctly and with smart, organic growth, ABQ can really make something of it.