Nickelodeon Entertainment Lab Opens in Burbank

Nickelodeon Entertainment Lab, designed for research and development focused on new technologies for the channel and its viewers, has launched in Burbank, California, and will be led by Chris Young as senior VP.

The lab will develop new entertainment experiences for children by identifying and experimenting with new trends in technology and emerging platforms to create new creative capabilities and entertainment. Nickelodeon is currently working on real-time rendering, virtual cinema, VR, augmented and mixed reality, and artificial intelligence. The lab will build prototypes to test new ideas, collaborate with creators and strategize on production capabilities for future content opportunities.

Young previously served as executive creative director of Nickelodeon Animation Lab and producer at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank. He works under Matthew Evans, the executive VP of digital and new business, and James Stephenson, senior VP of original animation.

“Our Entertainment Lab is a way to give our artists and creators access to innovative tools to inspire new ways to tell stories for the next generation of kids,” said Cyma Zarghami, the president of Nickelodeon Group. “We are working with technology partners, gaming and visual effects companies and our own creators to bring our IP to new platforms, in new formats, and faster.”