When a university and a media tech company join forces, the result can be more than just a new building—it can reshape how the next generation of filmmakers learns their craft. That is precisely what unfolded at Curtin University’s Perth campus on 10 September 2026, where a new Virtual Production (VP) studio officially opened its doors, the culmination of a two-year partnership between the university and Singapore-based Oceanus Media Global (OMG Studios).
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.
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The studio is not simply a piece of infrastructure. OMG acted as consultant on its construction, helped shape the curriculum for Curtin’s new Bachelor of Digital Creative Industries program, and trained the university’s teaching staff. This means students will be working with the same virtual production tools and workflows used on international productions, rather than learning on outdated equipment.
At the heart of the facility is an eight-metre-by-eight-metre LED volume that combines wall and floor screens—the first back-and-floor LED setup in Western Australia built to professional industry standards.
The partnership traces its origins to a Memorandum of Understanding signed by OMG and Curtin at the Asia TV Forum & Market in Singapore. Since then, it has evolved to include industry-aligned education, VP training, talent development, and cross-border production opportunities.
“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 new degree brings together animation, film, visual effects, and virtual production under one umbrella, designed to prepare graduates for a creative sector that is increasingly driven by technology.
“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 taps into OMG’s regional expertise in VP and creative technology, anchored by its Singapore operations and strengthened through its production hub at Iskandar Malaysia Studios. It also creates a bridging pathway into the degree: selected polytechnic graduates who finish the OMG–Curtin Industry Bridging Programme can receive credit recognition toward the Bachelor of Digital Creative Industries, shortening the time needed to complete it.
At the launch event, guests saw the studio in action during a live demonstration. Actors performed on stage against a 3D-rendered environment on the LED volume, with the composited shot visible live on screen. That was 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.
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) attended the launch, along with Iskandar Malaysia Studios and technology partners RED Digital Camera and XGRIDS. The broader technology ecosystem behind the studio includes Absen, BytePlus, Disguise, Epic Games, and stYpe—a lineup that underscores how deeply real-time production, LED technology, AI, and virtual environments are now embedded in contemporary filmmaking.
Connecting students to real productions
Curtin students have already received credits 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. It serves as an early example of what this partnership aims to build: students learning professional workflows in the classroom and then applying them on productions that reach audiences far beyond the campus.
“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 connect the new studio and its talent ecosystem 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 direct involvement in the production marks a shift from simply preparing talent for the industry to actively participating in it.
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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Why it matters: This partnership shows how universities and industry can work together to close the skills gap in high-tech filmmaking. By giving students hands-on experience with professional virtual production tools and connecting them directly to international co-productions, Curtin and OMG are creating a talent pipeline that could reshape how the next generation of storytellers enters the global screen industry.
