From Pixel Magic: After only four months in operation in Louisiana, Pixel Magic is pleased to announce their intention to hire up to 100 artists over the next year for their Lafayette office.



The workforce expansion is a result of Pixel Magic branching out into the business of stereoscopic conversion— converting existing 2D movies into 3D— at the urging of several movie studios. This conversion is a very labor-intensive process which requires an artist to go through the movie frame-by-frame to turn specific assets into 3D. Ten artists will be hired immediately to meet initial demands; and Pixel Magic plans to hire a total of 100 artists to convert older movies and recently shot, unreleased movies to 3D.



“Pixel Magic has clients that are ready to award us stereoscopic projects today,” says Ray Scalice, Pixel Magic VP and General Manager. “However, we need trained artists on staff immediately to begin these projects. We feel this expansion of services is a great opportunity, not only for Pixel Magic, but for the talented artists in Acadiana and those we can attract to the region.”



Pixel Magic has been creating visual effects for the motion picture and television production industries for nearly 20 years. Some of their major projects include 300, Spiderman, I, Robot, Final Destination, and the Disney film, Secretariat, recently filmed in Acadiana.



Pixel Magic will continue working with Louisiana FastStart to provide training for candidates who have an interest in this line of work. Knowledge of stereoscopic 3D is a plus for candidates, but any interested individuals with a visual arts background are encouraged to apply. Candidates who are selected will complete a specialized training course taught by Pixel Magic artists using proprietary software. The course will be taught over two or three weeks depending on the candidate’s availability. The stereoscopic conversion training course will begin on May 2.



“The positions with Pixel Magic provide Acadiana natives the opportunity to stay in or return to the area to work in a field that until now required moving across the country,” says Ryan LaGrange, Director of Workforce Development at the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA). “Pixel Magic has already hired several local artists, trained through the Louisiana FastStart program, and company officials have confidence in the potential workforce in the region.”



Pixel Magic is the first tenant of The Accelerator at LITE. Their offices will continue to be housed in The Accelerator’s office space at LITE, until the time comes when they need a larger space.



“This sort of project is why LITE was created,” states LITE CEO Henry Florsheim. “The Accelerator at LITE is designed to provide technical infrastructure and assistance for companies like Pixel Magic, providing them a reason to locate in Lafayette instead of anywhere else in the world. It's gratifying to see the work of so many in this community pay off with a project of this caliber.”



Qualified candidates should submit their resume tojobs@lafayette.org.







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