Elysium Studios' Lucy Markovich on transforming storytelling
Lucy Markovich, CEO of newly launched Australian animation producer Elysium Studios, talks about the projects on the company’s slate and its ambition to transform storytelling through advanced technologies.
Lucy Markovich
Australian executives Lucy Markovich and Peter Divers recently launched their own production company in the form of Elysium Studios, a full-service animation firm that aims to use “innovation and technology to deliver transmedia content and transform the art of storytelling.”
Based on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, Elysium offers a full production and post-production service, as well as spin-off ancillary brand and IP experiences such as live events, mobile apps, games, e-books and immersive media.
“We identified a significant gap in the Australian screen sector offering services to the international market,” says Markovich, who is CEO of the new venture. “The future of filmmaking on a global level has become increasingly reliant on technology and innovation. Filmmakers are searching for faster, more efficient, effective and engaging means to deliver stories.
“Addressing skills shortages in production and post-production and a lack of facilities on the Gold Coast, Elysium offers a technology toolkit that encompasses previsualisation systems, real-time immersive and interactive interfaces, and a real-time pipeline for virtual production, motion-capture, animation and VFX. What this means for production is that it will serve to streamline the process and deliver both cost- and time-effective creative content.”
Markovich was most recently an executive producer at Chop Shop Post, where she oversaw the post-production and delivery of hit preschool series Bluey for Ludo Studio. Divers, whose virtual production credits include Alien: Resurrection, Wonder Woman, Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The Hobbit trilogy, has taken on the role of chief content officer and head of VFX.
The pair are joined by chief operating officer Dr Jordan Beth Vincent, whose post-production credits include Teletubbies: Go! for WildBrain, and chief financial officer Hugh Frames.
Launching a company during a global financial crisis, when buyers are commissioning less and some studios are collapsing, might seem like an odd move. But Markovich says: “Ironically, the crisis is one of the reasons Elysium came to be. The cost of producing high-quality content, particularly in animation and VFX, was becoming prohibitive as budgets and commissions shrank.
“Our systems and processes are designed to work with creatives to deliver quality content in a more cost- and time-efficient manner, giving you more bang for your buck. That, along with the Australian tax incentives, are an attractive draw for both local and international productions.”
Peter Divers
Elysium recently delivered virtual production camera tracking for Bronte Pictures’ feature film Beast of War. It is currently working on a First Nations animated series for Australian pubcaster ABC Kids and is developing two coproductions with Ireland’s Tri Moon Films: animated feature film The Keeper and Son of Cool, a live-action adventure series for families grounded in both Australian and Irish mythology.
The studio is also developing its own slate of original IP for kids and families, including an animated series based on the Mini & Milo children’s books, an animated Christmas feature and a thriller-horror film for adults.
Elsewhere, Elysium delivers motion-capture projects for the Sydney Children’s Hospital and mobile apps for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Research Centre and the Department of Health Victoria, while also running training and courses.
Being at the centre of technology and innovation, Markovich says Elysium is following the progress of artificial intelligence (AI) and is working with industry partners towards regulation.
“Keeping an eye on AI is incredibly important with the way it is infiltrating and impacting the industry,” she says. “Machine learning is always an important tool in pipeline creation, but we feel strongly that creative should be led by artists. While we may use machine learning for work such as rotoscoping, we train our junior animators in the creative processes as well as in coding.
“We believe in upskilling our team and ensuring they learn skills that will serve them well as they progress their careers. Our vision is to create a more future-focused and collaborative screen industry in Australia that is able to compete on an international level. Combining a collective of diverse yet complimentary skills into a collaborative ecosystem, working together to bridge the gaps in the industry, and provide training and education, we have a better chance at success.
“We are committed to upskilling and training talent and we want to redefine the art of storytelling through technology and innovation.”
