ARwall, leaders in XR filmmaking and virtual production (VP) technology development, has announced the launch of a new division, Glowcraft Films. The new arm will co-develop and co-produce film, TV, and commercial content using ARwall’s patented and award-winning VP filmmaking inventions. Specializing in producing genre and historical period content, the Glowcraft shingle welcomes industry veteran Scott Ross, following his recent appointment to ARwall’s advisory board.
In addition, ARwall co-founder Jocelyn Hsu, an award-winning tech inventor and producer of over 150 projects, was elevated to the position of President of ARwall and Glowcraft Films. Hsu previously held the title of Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at ARwall, and served as producer and virtual production supervisor for all ARwall’s 120+ VP client deployments. In partnership with Ayzenberg Group / space.camp, Hsu produced the Sony PSVR2 live action trailer for the first-person shooter franchise Crossfire, which debuted summer 2023. The spot starred influencer Rich Black Guy and utilized an array of novel VP techniques to recreate the game’s frenetic action. In April 2024, the resulting ARFX product line won a Product of the Year award at NAB Show 2024, among the most prestigious media tech honors.
ARwall has served as the VP department for Emmy-winning (Disney’s Muppets Haunted Mansion) shows and is well-known as a VP technical partner specializing in indie and commercial productions. The team’s expertise encompasses project supervision and management, creative direction, VAD and set design, LED engineering, motion tracking operation, and full-service production staffing and equipment at its flagship soundstage in Burbank, CA.
However, ARwall’s primary business is as a VP software developer based in a northern suburb of Los Angeles, where a small team of engineers have been working quietly on something big for 8 years. The company’s three divisions include ARwall Store, ARFX Pro Services, and Glowcraft Films, offering proprietary technology and products, extensive professional services, and co-development and co-production. The company’s professional services group has been the pioneering force that patented the in-camera XR illusion and first deployed it for Nightflyers (2018, Netflix/NBCUniversal) in 2017 and presented the tech to every movie studio in Hollywood. ARwall’s multi-disciplinary team comes from TV production, VFX, AAA gaming, and enterprise software. Along with securing multiple foundational patents, the trailblazing founders have previously produced hundreds of productions employing these and other emerging technologies.
Jocelyn Hsu, Rene Amador, and Scott Ross of Glowcraft Films
“We couldn’t be more thrilled that Scott joins us in rolling out Glowcraft Films,” said ARwall CEO and Co-founder Rene Amador. “His decades of award-winning expertise, creativity, and business acumen mesh perfectly with our goals and our own backgrounds to build a creative company. Co-founder Jocelyn Hsu and I have extensive experience as creators. We started our first production company when we were high school students and progressed into careers that took us into the studios, indie, tech, and now back again to our passion: filmmaking. The decades of frontline development, production and effects experience Jocelyn is bringing to bear will benefit every production she and the Glowcraft team touches.”
Amador also will join Glowcraft Films as its first executive producer. With over 475 projects under his belt as director, producer, editor, VFX artist, or virtual production supervisor; Amador will join Hsu in co-developing the initial slate of projects beginning in 2024. In previous case studies that ARwall has released, a complete utilization of ARFX’s automation and virtual backdrop features were calculated to result in a 62-73% cost savings compared to traditional VFX methods. Amador was the producer who researched and proved out these economic benefits over a period of 2 years and published the findings, which resulted in a surge of VP tech investment in 2018.
The appointment of Scott Ross as a board advisor to ARwall combines generations of filmmaking acumen under one shingle. Ross has an acclaimed history of and passion for fostering creative teams working in cinema, having formerly been GM for LucasFilm’s ILM, followed by LucasArts Entertainment Group. He went on to cofound the groundbreaking Digital Domain to legendary success, and has since become an advisor in the XR, VFX, and software sectors. Scott’s most notable prior projects include Titanic, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Terminator 2, What Dreams May Come, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, True Lies, Apollo 13, The Fifth Element, Fight Club, X-Men, The Lord of the Rings, and many of the most recognizable films of the 1980s-2000s.
“I’m intrigued by the creative exploration we can foster with Glowcraft Films, and the immediate opportunity to make a difference in the virtual production industry,” Ross commented. “ARwall’s ethos resonates with me. I’m drawn to their mission to decentralize the production industry – bringing XR technology and VP to the forefront for all creators. Glowcraft Films offers a terrific vehicle to harness my forty-plus years of experience in film production management, and to innovate further to generate even greater potential. I look forward to working closely with Jocelyn, Rene, and the entire team to expand on their approach and grow this venture.”
Jocelyn Hsu, Co-founder of ARwall and newly appointed President of ARwall and Glowcraft Films, noted that the company’s Pro Services arm will continue to offer solutions for projects of all budgets and sizes, and that Glowcraft is a fit for filmmakers seeking a deeper partnership. “While supporting productions on set and internationally, I’ve been struck by the continuing uncertainty surrounding emerging technology. As a filmmaker and producer that feels quite comfortable with the tech at ARwall, I’ve served in a unique position to work with filmmakers early in the development process to shape their projects for greenlight, and this role will empower me to contribute earlier and more directly.”