Malaysia Film Industry set to soar with Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios

Nusajaya : Malaysia film industry is set scale to soar to new heights over the next few years with a large inflow of production companies servicing it, which is expected to make Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios as their base.

Iskandar Malaysia Studios Sdn Bhd CEO Michael Peter Lake said the production companies growth is in line with the government’s aspiration to further develop the creative content, digital content and communication media industries.

 “The government is very supportive of the ‘Film in Malaysia’ incentives, which is a big plus and main factor towards attracting production companies and creative content industries to flourish”.

“I am very bullish over the potential of the creative content and communication media industries within Iskandar Malaysia,” he added.

Michael Peter Lake told reporters about this after the signing ceremony between Imagica Corp and Candelon Ventures Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned special purpose vehicle of Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The Film in Malaysia incentive offers a 30 per cent rebate to foreign production companies that spend a minimum of RM5 million in Malaysia. Local productions companies that spend at least RM2.5 million entitled to the same benefit.

Japan-based Imagica Corp and Khazanah Nasional Berhad have formed a joint venture JV, Imagica South East Asia Sdn Bhd (Imagica SEA), to establish the first international post-production facility at Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios in Iskandar Malaysia with a RM9 million investment. Imagica Corp will hold 49 per cent equity interest in Imagica SEA with the balance held by Candelon Ventures Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned special purpose vehicle of Khazanah.

Michael Peter Lake said companies can take advantage of the fully integrated facilities within Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, which includes 5 film sound stages over 100,000 sq ft, the broadest range of post production facilities under one roof, 2 of 12,000 sq ft High Definition (HD) equipped television studios and other support devices.

Meanwhile, Imagica President Yukihiro Fujikawa said it was an exciting time to be in the region as the film industry was booming, and the company planned to tap the available potential. He said Imagica was offering comprehensive and highly creative digital content post production services as well as jobs for the transfer of technical know-how to create more skilled players in the industry.

Fujikawa said in a statement that they will target major Hollywood feature film companies and TV production companies as their post production clients, along with companies from booming Southeast Asia region. “With Japanese creativity and quality, Imagica SEA will penetrate into world market in collaboration with Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios,” Fujikawa added. “As one of the leaders in Japan, Imagica SEA will promote the digital distribution for digital content holders aiming to venture out to new markets in Southeast Asia.”

Apart from post production activities, Fujikawa said the company would also commence digital distribution services such as Digital Cinema Delivery and Digital Distribution Management, alongside archiving and restoration services from its Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios post production facility.

Opened last May, Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios is a RM120 million joint venture between Khazanah Nasional Berhad and UK based Pinewood Studios, where J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII will be produced.

Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios

Imagica SEA

Creative Industry in Iskandar Malaysia

Creative Industry

Creative industry is one of the Iskandar Malaysia nine economic pillars, taken the government’s aspiration to transform Malaysia into a high-income, value-added, innovation and diversify economy. The creative industry has potential to create huge multiplier effect to the economy. Instead of job creation for film production companies and tv production, it also contributes to business and job creation on other sectors like food and beverages, hospitality, building materials, and etc.

Creative industries primary sub-sectors including Film and TV, Animation and computer-generated imagery, Games, Digital content and creative content, and Information and communication technology (ICT). Other sub-sectors creative industry including Advertising, Music, Publishing, Arts (performing, visual, crafts), Architecture/Interior design, and fashion design.

Iskandar Malaysia aims to leveraging on Malaysia existing creative industries capabilities to offer value-added production and post production services, in effort to capture market share of international creative industries market.

The global entertainment and media (E&M) market is expected to grow at a moderate rate of 5.0% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) over 2009 to 2014, reaching an estimated RM5.3 trillion in 2014.

Global creative multimedia companies who have set-up operations in the country include Oscar-winning special effects and animation studio, Rhythm & Hues and international video games developer, Codemasters Studios. The domestic multimedia industry has over 200 multimedia companies. Most of them mainly involve in post production, special effects and CGI, animation, game development, e-learning, mobile and interactive content. In 2009, these multimedia companies create over 7,000 high-value added creative job opportunities with revenues over RM620 million been generated.

UK’s Pinewood Shepperton, one of the oldest and largest integrated TV and filming studios and famous for its James Bone movies is partnering Iskandar Malaysia Studios Sdn Bhd tojoint venture develop Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios to operate an integrated media production studio facility in Nusajaya, Iskandar Malaysia.

The creative ecosystem from Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios could lead to spin-off investments of close to RM1 billion and expected to job creation of 3,000 job opportunities and additional 5,000 indirect job creation a year from local and foreign film production companies, tv production companies and post production companies.

 

Content Creation

Digital Content

Source from IRDA

Flagship B Nusajaya Iskandar Malaysia

Flagship B Nusajaya Iskandar Malaysia 

Nusajaya is located west of Johor Bahru, in close proximity to Port of Tanjung Pelepas and Gelang Patah. It is also strategically located within a 45 minutes drive of Singapore’s Changi Airport, and 20 minutes from Johor’s Senai Airport. The regional city is built in an area spanning 24,000 acres, combining residential, commercial and industrial elements. Key catalyst iskandar project in Nusajaya include Kota Iskandar, EduCity, Puteri Harbour, and Medini (Legoland and Pinewood).

Nusajaya is accessible via the Second Link Expressway, connecting to the North-South Expressway at Senai and new Coastal Highway linkage Danga Bay with Medini Iskandar Malaysia.

Key Landmarks:-

Johor State New Administrative Center (JSNAC)

JSNAC will be an integrated development of Johor State and Federal government department offices that spans 320 acres of johor land. The components that will be established in JSNAC are the Johor State Assembly Building, Chief Minister and State Secretary Complex, State and Federal Government Office Complexes and a ceremonial plaza.

Puteri Harbour

Puteri Harbour is a 688 acres waterfront integrated development that offers exceptional living, office parks, shopping and recreational spots and waterfront lifestyle activities. Key components of this integrated development are the public marina and private marina that offer 286 berths including 10 mega yacht berths.

EduCity

EduCity is a 305 acres education city that will be a fully integrated knowledge-based hub comprising world-class universities, industry-centric R&D clusters, academic-industry action centre, international school and colleges, accommodation and recreational facilities, as well as conference and exhibition centres. Faculties planned in this education city are Economics, Business, IT, Medicine, Agriculture Technology, Food Sciences, Education and Fine Arts.

Medical Park

Medical Park, now being branded as Afiat Heathpark, spans 68 acres of johor land and caters to three distinctive areas under the health spectrum, namely modern medicine, traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) and wellness. Afiat Healthpark will include a private hospital, private specialist clinics, a health screening centre, a commercial village, a nursing college, a rehabilitation centre, a dialysis centre and facilities for traditional and complementary medicine.

International Destination Resort

This prospective tourism magnet is centred within 2,379 acres of johor land and will be anchored by a strong recognizable brand. Its components will include theme parks, retail and entertainment district, hotels, food and beverage districts, resort real estate and golf course. The johor land is under the ownership of Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB).

Southern Industrial and Logistics Clusters (SiLC)

Labelled a clean and green, world class managed industrial park, SiLC capitalizes on its proximity to an established network of two international airports and five seaports. An industrial zone with a unique green industrial park concept, SiLC is designed and planned to meet the current demand for environmental sustainable development that complements both the economic and quality of life.

Medini

Medini is an integrated development spreading over 2,230 acres of johor land, located between Johor State New Administrative Centre and the Second Link to Singapore.

Positioned as the central business district of Nusajaya, Medini comprises four components zones namely, Medini North, Medini Business, Medini Central (Logistics Zone, Creative Zone, Heritage Zone), and Medini South.

Medini has progresses rapidly over the past two years, with most of the critical infrastructure works nearing completion. Legoland was completed and operated in 2012 September, and Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios is scheduled to be completed in 2013.

Medini Business will be an integrated development zone that is home to high-end office space, new housing developments, hotels and retail developments. It will also integrate parkland, tree-lined avenues, landscaped spaces and natural water features. It is developed by Global Capital & Development, which represents investors from the Middle East and Malaysia.

Flagship B Nusajaya

Medini