ST Electronics (Digital Media) Pte Ltd

ST Electronics (Digital Media) Pte Ltd [STEE-DM] was set up in 1999 with a charter to focus on research and development and expand the group's capabilities in 3D graphics, visualization and virtual reality. Part of the larger Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited (ST Electronics) group, STEE-DM was formerly known as Interactive Visual Laboratory Pte Ltd. It was originally set up as a joint venture between ST Training & Simulation Pte Ltd (STTS) and the Institute of High Performance Computing. IVLab became STTS' wholly-owned subsidiary in 2001.

In 2005 and 2007, ST Electronics renamed its key subsidiaries and STTS was renamed ST Electronics (Training & Simulation Systems) [STEE-T&S], while IVLab was renamed ST Electronics (Digital Media) [STEE-DM] respectivelySTEE-DM began as a commercial studio with a small team of seven animators. Recognising the opportunities and growth potential of the global animation and games market, STEE-DM was strategically repositioned to be the production studio and the digital media arm of ST Electronics.

Developing Expertise

In the early years STEE-DM cut its teeth by building its in-house capabilities and worked on several interesting projects including a Visualisation Walk-Through for the Singapore Science Centre and Weaveglow, an online game, for the Ministry of Education. Along with these projects, STEE-DM also worked on several other 3D and animation/game projects. The Company develops and markets advanced computer graphics products, delivering cutting-edge virtual reality and real-time visualisation solutions on various graphics platforms. Building on the strong foundation in real-time computer graphics, STEE-DM continues to innovate technologically and deliver cost-effective visual image solutions for its customers. It has grown its business into the interactive entertainment and pre-rendered CG animation area. Leveraging from the cross-synergistic values in technology, capabilities and know-how from realtime visualisation and pre-rendered computer graphics, STEE-DM has become a leader in computer graphics applications with business across the complete CG visualisation spectrum.

Capabilities

Within the virtual environment spectrum, graphics and technology form the underlying common foundation for all applications, and animation and games have been leading in terms of its strong business growth over the past few years. The sheer commercial power of animation and games has seen its applications extending into many areas including simulation. This gradual overlap offers opportunities for a cross-utilisation of technologies in graphics and engines and has allowed STEE-DM to leverage the best of technologies from the games, animation and simulation domains.STEE-DM combines these technologies with artistry and creativity to develop and deliver high-quality interactive entertainment across various media and channels. Today, with more than 35 staff, STEE-DM boasts a truly international team comprising animators from Canada, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United States and Singapore. With a pool of talented crew capable in diverse disciplines of technology, software design, development, computer graphics, arts and animation, the company is now a full-fledged animation house, taking on end-to-end animation productions.

Projects

STEE-DM has entered into strategic collaborations to expand its expertise in the areas of games and animation technologies to produce 3D animation series and features. Among its partners are Weta Workshop, the NZ sister company of Weta Digital, known for its Oscar-winning work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Corus Entertainment's Nelvana Studios, a global producer and distributor of children's animated programming and related consumer products.

STEE-DM participated in the production of Jane and the Dragon together with Nelvana Limited and Weta Workshop in early 2005. Its team was solely responsible for all special effect for the series and STEE-DM's efforts were recognized when Jane and the Dragon was nominated in four categories for 2006 Gemini Award, Canada's equivalent to the US' Emmy. It won in the category of Best Animation Programme or Series. One of its episodes, 'Jane and The Dragon: Shall We Dance', also won the 2006 BANFF World Television Award in the Animation category.

In 2005 STEE-DM began what was to become a long-term relationship with Nelvana Studios and the Media Development Authority of Singapore. The 3 parties inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to co-produce three TV series and 10 direct-to-video (DTV) titles over the next 5 years. The first project of this multi-production relationship is "The Future is Wild", a 26-episode half-hour television series to be aired by Discovery Kids in the US and Teletoon in Canada. The show is currently in production and will premier by early 2008.

STEE-DM took on the challenge of another project - The Ten Commandments in 2005, jointly with Promenade Pictures (a production company with its roots in Hollywood) and Huhu Studios (an animation studio in New Zealand). The Ten Commandments makes its debut in the US in over 600 theatres.

In October 2006, as The Ten Commandments was completing, STEE-T&S inked another MOU with its partners to produce a further five features called the "Epic Stories of the Bibles".

STEE-DM launched its brand name of IVL Animation in June 2007 marking a new milestone that will see it developing this brand into a world-class studio through international co-productions with renowned international partners.