Singapore government agency, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), has unveiled a S$5-million/US$3.7-million fund to support virtual production adoption.

The new Virtual Production Innovation Fund was announced by senior minister of state for communications and information, Tan Kiat How, during the opening of this year’s ATF in Singapore this morning.

Tan said the IMDA support “will build capability in the industry and transform the storytelling process”.

The IMDA has invited submissions for short films (3-10 mins) – including music videos and commercials – that experiment with virtual production. Proposals submissions run until 15 February 2023, with winners being offered up to 50% of the project costs.

The IMDA said these short-form projects “will deepen [local industry] understanding on how virtual production can help them lift their creativity to the next level and produce even more interesting content”.

“This technology presents a unique opportunity for Singapore to overcome our physical limitations, such as limited sites for on-location shooting and space to build extensive sets,” he said.

“Virtual production will transform the creative process of storytelling as our storytellers can recreate locations from the past or any imaginable environment, allowing us to produce content that we were not able to before,” he added.

He also announced a partnership with the U.K.’s National Film and TV School to develop a training programme for Singapore.

Tan also unveiled an “industry challenge” in partnership with Epic Games to “encourage companies to experiment with and use Unreal Engine for virtual production”.