Netflix Subsidiary 'Iline Studio' CEO Exclusive Interview... Global Special Effects Video Producer
Seoul Investment Agency Secures First Investment in 300 Days Since Establishment... 'Iline Studio' $100 Million Investment Over 5 Years
Studio Establishment is 5th After USA, Canada, UK, Germany... 200 Employees Hired at Korean Corporation
Stefan Trojanski, CEO of Eyeline Studio, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul on the 21st.
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] "I think this is the starting point of a great journey. I do not want to place any limits on investment."
Stefan Trojanski, CEO of Eyeline Studio, said in an exclusive interview immediately after the business agreement ceremony with Seoul City on the 21st, "This is the result of the persistent efforts of Seoul City and Mayor Oh Se-hoon. It is a day when the relationships we have built so far have blossomed." Eyeline Studio, a subsidiary of Netflix, announced at the agreement ceremony held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido that it will invest $100 million (about 137 billion KRW) over five years to establish a special effects video studio and recruit and train professional personnel.
This is the first case of attracting investment from an American company within about 300 days since the establishment of the Seoul Investment Agency. It is expected to be an opportunity for Korea to leap forward as an 'Asian hub' in the field of special video content. Eyeline Studio is a global special effects video production company involved in making movies, videos, and broadcasting programs.
Even though Korea plays a key role for Netflix, deciding to establish the fifth global studio after the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany is not easy in the current challenging global investment environment. CEO Trojanski said, "My experience working with Koreans in Vancouver, Canada was crucial," adding, "Koreans are not only technically skilled but also diligent and have a strong desire to grow. The quality of the results was also very excellent."
Stefan Trojanski, CEO of Eyeline Studio, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul on the 21st.
Eyeline Studio plans to recruit domestic personnel and nurture talent through its Korean corporation. CEO Trojanski explained, "The studio plans to establish itself through cooperation with domestic companies that already have infrastructure," adding, "With the Korean corporation established, we will employ about 200 talents not only skilled artists but also in production, engineering, and software development."
In the early stages of investment, Eyeline Studio intends to actively invest in training experts it already possesses. It plans strategic collaborations with domestic special visual effects (VFX) studios, virtual production companies, and universities with relevant majors. It will also promote a recruitment-linked education project for training personnel in the special effects video production field in cooperation with Seoul City.
The educational support will utilize Eyeline Studio's innovative virtual production technologies such as real-time software, LED volumetric capture, and machine learning algorithms. CEO Trojanski said, "The technologies and educational programs to be introduced are completely new fields," adding, "We will introduce a program called 'Learning & Development' to provide education and tools that can help career advancement."
Depending on the progress of the business, there is also potential to expand the scale of investment and open related departments at universities. CEO Trojanski said this is his first investment in Korea and added, "I do not want to limit the scale of future investments, and it would be great if we could open related departments at universities. Since the industry is evolving very rapidly, many opportunities will be created from a long-term perspective."
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