Visual effects company Rising Sun Pictures (RSP) has beat out nearly 90 finalists across 15 categories to be named the 2024 Australian Exporter of the Year at last night’s Australian Export Awards.
The company, which boasts a team of more than 340 artists and supervisors across its Adelaide and Brisbane studios, also topped the creative industries category at the awards, held by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade).
Established in 1995, RSP is known for contributing to a range of Marvel titles, such as Thor: Ragnarok, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and The Marvels, along with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Elvis, Ford v Ferrari, The Fall Guy, Deadpool and Wolverine, and Harold and the Purple Crayon.
While it has a longstanding relationship with overseas studios, RSP continues to nurture the next generation of visual effects artists in Australia via a partnership with the University of South Australia, leading the university to establish a standalone Bachelor of Visual Effects and new graduate certificate programs in 3D animation and creature effects.
It has also been one of the first Australian VFX houses to harness AI’s potential, commencing a partnership with the Australian Institute of Machine Learning in 2018, and going on to create REVIZE, a toolkit that can generate doubles in place of actors in dangerous scenes or create older or younger versions, reducing the time required for visual effects production.
President Jennie Zeiher said the company aimed to leave a “lasting legacy of innovation and creative excellence”.
“We have always been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of visual effects, serving as true creative partners to filmmakers worldwide.”
“Our pioneering work in this area has garnered attention from major motion picture studios and other visual effects companies. This has led to a steady stream of projects.”
She identified the UK as the company’s next target for export expansion.
“While Hollywood remains the central hub for decision-making, we see significant potential in the UK,” Zeiher said.
“Major studios like Warner Bros. and Netflix have established a strong presence there. In addition, the high-calibre tentpole films coming out of the UK align with our expertise.”
Rising Sun Pictures previously won the Australian Export Award for the Creative Industries in 2019, along with the Arts, the Entertainment & Design category in 2018. The company was a finalist in the Creative Industries category last year.