James Cameron’s Lightstorm Vision is expanding its 3D production ambitions with the acquisition of Outsyders, an AI-driven 3D post-production company founded by Paul Becker, Jared Sandrew and Chris Harvey.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Under the agreement, Outsyders will become part of Lightstorm Vision, with the combined operation aimed at building an end-to-end 3D production and post-production pipeline.
The move brings together Cameron’s production technology company with a young post-production outfit that has already been working in the 3D space. Outsyders was founded in 2024 and has contributed to projects including Imax’s Blue Angels, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Moana, among other films. The company also worked with Cameron on Paramount’s Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D).
For Lightstorm Vision, the acquisition is designed to strengthen its position in 3D filmmaking and related production technology. Cameron has been closely identified with the format through the Avatar franchise and the Billie Eilish concert documentary, and the company is now moving to consolidate more of the 3D workflow under one roof.
“At Lightstorm we’ve been working with Paul Becker and his team for almost two years, and really enjoyed the collaboration,” Cameron said. “As everyone knows, I’ve got a very exacting eye for 3D, and I can confidently say that their work and their AI tools are world class. Together we will provide end-to-end solutions for productions and for studios, as we merge the worlds of conversion and native photographic 3D.”
Becker, CEO and co-founder of Outsyders, framed the deal as an extension of the companies’ existing relationship with Cameron and Lightstorm Vision.
“We’ve always shared Jim’s vision for stereo,” Becker said. “Our work with Jim confirmed that our combined technologies were the most logical and effective step for the format. We are excited to join and bolster Lightstorm Vision’s mission.”
A broader 3D push
The stated goal for the combined company is to reduce the time, cost and complexity involved in shooting and creating 3D content. Lightstorm also sees a larger business opportunity in library content, which it describes as “one of the industry’s largest untapped opportunities.”
That focus connects to a separate deal Cameron made with Meta in 2024 for Meta Quest VR headsets. Lightstorm believes studios will be able to economically convert film and TV libraries into 3D content that can be viewed in those environments at a reasonable cost.
The Outsyders acquisition is not Lightstorm Vision’s only recent 3D technology move. The company also acquired 3D camera company Stereotec earlier this year, giving Lightstorm another piece of the production pipeline as it builds out its capabilities across both capture and post-production.
What happens next?
With Outsyders now joining Lightstorm Vision, the company plans to combine conversion and native photographic 3D processes into a single offering for productions and studios. No financial terms, rollout timeline or specific future projects tied to the acquisition were disclosed.