Interactive technology offers a blueprint for success in the Saudi market. Tony Tertyshnyk explains Lumotion Studio’s unique approach to AV.
We are all looking for greater interactions both in our daily lives and in our industry, where the term ‘immersive’ is usually reserved for the world of visuals and audio. Enter Lumotion Studio, a company making waves in the Middle East with its unique approach to content and interactive technology that sets the company up for success by bringing in the sense of touch alongside the commonly exploited senses of sight and sound.
Founded in 2018, Lumotion Studio found its origins in the world of animation, taking a surprising twist that led the young company into the world of AV and into the unique world of interactive projects.
Tony Tertyshnyk, CEO, Lumotion Studio, explains: “We started with animation projects for the world of advertising and 3D mapping shows.
Lumotion Studio started as an animation and content production company. One of our early clients, after visiting Japan and seeing TeamLab’s work, came to us with a request to create an interactive children’s park in his shopping mall. He didn’t know anyone else in the industry and asked if we could handle it. They knew that we produced content, and we were asked to take this project on. We decided to find programmers and develop a team to deliver this project on location, and we created this in four months, it was the first project that we implemented.
“Although we hadn’t done anything like that before, we agreed to take on the challenge. We found that this was an interesting market, though we had never worked with interactive and immersive technologies before, we never planned to work in this market! That project became our entry point into the world of interactive spaces. Since then, we’ve evolved into a boutique studio focused on immersive museums and interactive experiences, working across the Middle East and Europe.”
Today, Lumotion Studio sets itself apart as a small, boutique studio that prioritises in-depth collaboration through its clients by working with small, focused teams on each project by engaging closely with the client throughout the design and delivery phase of a project.
The company focuses on delivering an array of interactive installations, digital projections, as well as AR and VR experiences for clients, including interactive museums in Saudi Arabia and multimedia interactive ‘kid’s rooms’ that bring psychology and AV together by animating children’s artwork on the walls around them.
Tertyshnyk explains: “After our first project, we realised that interactive experiences had much more creative and emotional potential than traditional animation. With animation, we were limited to screens and linear storytelling. But interactive projects allowed us to create tangible experiences: things people can touch, feel, and immerse themselves in.
“We directly work with our clients, one project at a time, which allows us to be more involved with the client. When we work on multimedia projects for kids, we work with psychologists who explain to us how to use colours and objects to achieve better results. This allows us to build something unique. When you create something with interactive and immersive technologies, you see how people interact with your work, how people enjoy and engage with the content, and this engagement is a key driver for us.
“For our clients, these experiences lead to higher engagement, better visitor retention, and a stronger emotional connection with their audience. It’s not just about tech, it’s about creating memorable experiences that people want to come back to. We will work on approximately three projects per year, focusing on the quality rather than the quantity. This approach helps to avoid burn out, as you can see the true impact of your work, and this is a motivator for us. You don’t get this same feeling of satisfaction when working exclusively with animation.”
Lumotion Studio has found itself a home within the unique market of Saudi Arabia, working on high profile projects with the Ministry of Tourism to deliver interactive exhibits for the region’s popular museum market.
“Our entry into the Saudi Arabian market started with animation, specifically with 3D mapping projects for Samaya Holding”, says Tertyschnyk. “It turned out to be an incredible opportunity for us. After several years of collaboration on 3D mapping projects, we showed them some examples of our interactive projects. They liked the direction, and after a period of discussion, we flew to Saudi Arabia to begin work on three interactive museums for the Ministry of Tourism.
“We believe that the future of museums lies in immersive and interactive experiences. Our vision is to create spaces where visitors can do more than just observe artifacts. Visitors can engage with history, culture, and technology in dynamic ways. By integrating cutting-edge interactive solutions, we design environments that captivate and inspire, turning passive observers into active participants.”
Lumotion Studio has delivered multiple interactive museum projects in Saudi Arabia, as part of the country’s Vision 2030 program, where the studio was tasked with blending digital storytelling with real-world engagement, delivering experiences at the Interactive Museum Tabuk and the Interactive Museum Al Jouf.
Lumotion Studio discovered that the Saudi market is dynamic, ambitious, and rapidly growing, with a strong focus on word-ofmouth reputation and a strong demand for high-quality work. Tertyschnyk says: “Whenever we communicate with a new client in the Saudi market, they know our projects. I think the market will grow, and more companies will be working in this field. We want to grow our presence in the market with 3D mapping projects and interactive installations for events. These help us show what we can do and connect with new clients who might want to build immersive spaces with us in the future. The government used to be the main source of projects, but work is diversifying. Museums and exhibitions are growing in the country, not just cultural events, but also business events which are bringing more companies into the market.
“It is a good market to work in, but some mistakenly believe that there is ‘easy money’ in the Saudi market; there is a lot of competition and clients in this market are well educated, they know that they can choose who they work with.”
Today, Lumotion Studio looks to its future, with plans for greater expansion across the Middle East while maintaining its focussed approach to high quality project delivery and balancing new technologies and opportunities as they arise.
Tertyshnyk closes: “We will be focusing heavily on the Saudi market, and we’re now preparing to expand our presence in Qatar and the UAE. We want to make greater connections there and generate more business. We’re also working on creating an R&D team to build ready-to-use interactive solutions, because we understand how important it is for our clients that want projects delivered rapidly in one to two weeks. We have had a lot of conversations with clients that want this, so this will be a focus for us. Since AI and interactive devices are also developing very fast, we need to move quickly to stay up to date and lead in this space.”