Classroom to International Co-productions: Virtual Production Studio Launched at Curtin University
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OMG CEO Nick GC Tan in the new virtual production studio at Curtin University, Perth. (Photo: Oceanus Media Global)
Nick GC Tan, CEO of Oceanus Media Global, with producer Paul Barron at the launch at Curtin University. (Photo: Oceanus Media Global)
New studio bridges Curtin’s Bachelor of Digital Creative Industries with OMG’s professional virtual production workflows across Australia and Southeast Asia.
PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA, November 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A Virtual Production (VP) studio was officially launched at Curtin University’s Perth campus on 10 September 2026, the result of a two-year collaboration between Curtin University and Singapore-based creative media technology company Oceanus Media Global (OMG Studios). OMG served as consultant on the studio’s build, was a key contributor to the curriculum for Curtin’s new Bachelor of Digital Creative Industries programme, and provided training for the university’s teaching staff — giving students direct access to the same VP tools and workflows used on international productions.
The eight-metre-by-eight-metre LED volume, combining wall and floor screens, is the first back-and-floor LED volume in Western Australia configured to industry standards.
The collaboration began with OMG and Curtin’s Memorandum of Understanding, signed at the Asia TV Forum & Market in Singapore, and has since grown to encompass industry-aligned education, VP training, talent development, and opportunities for cross-border production.
“This isn’t just a studio opening,” said Nick GC Tan, CEO of Oceanus Media Global.
“It is about closing the gap between what students learn and what studios actually ship. VP and generative AI are no longer electives or technologies on the horizon. They are increasingly the language of storytelling and production, not just in Southeast Asia but across the markets we operate in and are moving into.
“This studio trains the talent, and through OMG’s production opportunities, it becomes a doorway into Southeast Asia, Korea and Australia, and outward to the rest of the world.”
From the Classroom to the Global Screen Industry
The degree brings together disciplines including animation, film, visual effects and VP, and is designed to prepare graduates for an increasingly technology-driven creative sector.
“This brings together a range of creative technologies, disciplines and industry connections in one environment, creating new possibilities for how stories are developed and shared,” said Jonathan Pillai, Dean of Learning Futures at Curtin University’s Faculty of Humanities.
The collaboration draws on OMG’s experience in VP and creative technology across the region, anchored in its Singapore operations and strengthened through its regional production hub at Iskandar Malaysia Studios. This partnership also creates a bridging pathway into the degree. Selected polytechnic graduates who complete the OMG–Curtin Industry Bridging Programme will be eligible for credit recognition toward the Bachelor of Digital Creative Industries, reducing the time required to complete it.
At the studio launch, guests watched a live demonstration of the studio in action: actors performing on stage against a 3D-rendered environment on the LED volume, with the composited shot visible live on screen, followed by a screening of a fully edited short film made using the same workflow. Every stage, from asset building and creative development to post-production, was completed in-house, with contributions from students, teaching staff and OMG.
The launch was attended by representatives from Curtin University, the Western Australian Government’s Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, Screenwest, and Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), alongside Iskandar Malaysia Studios and technology partners RED Digital Camera and XGRIDS. The broader technology ecosystem behind the studio’s build and production work includes Absen, BytePlus, Disguise, Epic Games and stYpe — reflecting the increasing integration of real-time production, LED technology, AI and virtual environments in contemporary filmmaking.
Connecting students to real productions
Curtin students have been credited on OMG’s feature film Whispers of Fatimah, the first Singapore-Malaysia-Indonesia co-production to use VP. The film was unveiled at the Cannes Film Market in May and premiered in Indonesian cinemas on 24 September 2026 — an early example of the pathway this partnership is designed to build: students learning professional workflows in the classroom, then applying them on productions that reach audiences well beyond it.
“The tools students are learning here are not simulations of what the industry uses,” said Mr Tan. “They are the tools professionals are using now. The opportunity is to give students not just a qualification, but experience, credits and connections — and a pathway into the global creative industry.”
A platform for cross-border productions
The next phase of the OMG–Curtin partnership will see the new studio and its talent ecosystem connected to international production opportunities.
At the launch, OMG announced a new co-production initiative with acclaimed Australian producer Paul Barron of Sandpiper Entertainment, beginning with Amber Fang, a co-production involving Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Curtin’s involvement in the production marks a shift from preparing talent for the industry to taking part in it directly.
A signing ceremony involving Professor Richard Blythe from Curtin University, Mr Tan and Mr Barron followed the announcement, formally marking the next stage of the collaboration.
“This is the connective tissue between Singapore, Malaysia and Australia,” said Mr Tan.
“It connects creative and technology talent, builds new academic and production partnerships, and lays a pipeline that runs from classroom to screen. This is just the beginning.”
ENDS
Oceanus Media Global (OMG Studios) is a Singapore-based creative media technology company specialising in virtual production, generative AI, immersive media, content production, distribution and IP licensing.
OMG spearheads virtual production and creative technology across Southeast Asia, with operations expanding into Australia, Korea and beyond — spanning film, advertising, broadcast, education and emerging creative technologies.
Through its production facilities, technology partnerships and industry collaborations, OMG develops new approaches to content creation while building pathways for creative and technology talent to participate in the global screen industry.
Curtin University is Western Australia’s largest university, with close to 67,000 students. In addition to the University’s main campus in Perth, Curtin has campuses in Kalgoorlie and Midland, and five global campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.
Curtin is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide and has achieved a QS Five Stars Plus rating, the highest available for a tertiary institution and one of only four to do so in Australia.
The University is recognised globally for its innovation, strong connections with industry, and commitment to preparing students for the jobs of the future.
For further information, visit curtin.edu.au.
Jeslyn Keng
Oceanus Media Global (OMG)
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