Los Angeles, CA – February 9, 2021 – Television City, the iconic media campus owned and operated by an affiliate of Hackman Capital Partners, announced today that it has contributed $100,000 to Holocaust Museum LA to sponsor the development of a virtual museum experience, designed by Academy-Award winning experience-focused technology company Magnopus. The app will enable individuals – Angelenos and otherwise – to engage with some of Holocaust Museum LA’s most evocative exhibits from the comfort of their own home.
“We are deeply appreciative of Television City embracing Holocaust Museum LA’s free education programming aimed at fighting antisemitism and hatred not only in our community but throughout the nation, which has become even more important in light of current events,” said Beth Kean, Chief Executive of Holocaust Museum LA. “The combination of Television City’s contribution to the development of Holocaust education experiences via the vibrant imagination of Magnopus is amazing and will be a powerful tool in amplifying our message globally.”
While Covid-19 has temporarily closed many museums in California and the U.S., exacting many unprecedented challenges, Holocaust Museum LA has continued to utilize new, technology-driven ways to engage with patrons and offer its renowned free education programs. “We may be physically closed but we’ve never been more open,” said Kean.
“We at Magnopus feel fortunate to be working with the Holocaust Museum LA to develop tools and technologies that will deliver enhanced learning experiences for educators and the public,” said Craig Barron, Creative Director of Magnopus and recipient of the 2009 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. “Magnopus has created immersive experiences for museums before, but this project is different, as it is about bringing the exhibit directly to the public.”
Television City’s contribution to Holocaust Museum LA is part of its $2 million pledge to help heal and rebuild the local Beverly/Fairfax community. TVC’s pledge contains two components: first, the studio committed $1 million to support local community organizations, businesses, and individuals like Holocaust Museum LA and others; second, Television City established its ‘Changing Lenses’ initiative, which created an endowment help the entertainment industry achieve diversity and inclusion behind the lens by providing educational programming, job training, mentorship, financial assistance, and career pathways for underrepresented communities.
“We’re proud to partner with Holocaust Museum LA and Magnopus, leveraging best-in-class digital media tools to deliver access to and education about historical events whose atrocities echo in today’s context,” said Michael Hackman, Founder and CEO of Hackman Capital Partners. “These issues are of great importance to me personally and we are humbled that Television City’s pledge can be utilized to help build a more tolerant and empathetic generation of citizens and leaders.” Hackman also serves on the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Board of Directors and has supported Jewish philanthropic causes for decades.
About Holocaust Museum LA
Holocaust Museum LA is the first survivor-founded Holocaust museum in the United States. Since 1961, the museum has provided free Holocaust education to students and visitors from across Los Angeles, the United States and the world, fulfilling the mission of the founding Holocaust survivors to commemorate, educate and inspire. The museum is open seven days a week; and because the founding survivors insisted that no visitors ever be turned away from learning about the Holocaust for lack of an entry fee, museum admission is always free.
About Magnopus
Magnopus is an experience-focused technology company specializing in immersive content creation and software development. Its key creative and technology teams are a fusion of award-winning talent from Hollywood storytelling and visual effects, as well as the games industry, who have served filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, JJ Abrams, David Fincher, Jon Favreau and more. For the last 8 years, Magnopus has focused on building experiences and the supporting technologies to unite the digital and physical worlds in ways that people can actually use, rather than just imagine “someday”. Its diverse team of artists, designers, and engineers have collaborated with partners, from big tech companies to major cultural institutions, to bring technology together with content that is contextual and meaningful to audiences.
About Hackman Capital Partners
Founded in 1986, Hackman Capital Partners is a privately held, real estate investment and operating company focused on buying, renovating, and re-imaging vintage commercial, industrial, and studio properties. The company has established one of the world’s preeminent studio and entertainment real estate portfolios. Notable Southern California properties include: Television City, the iconic, 25-acre former CBS broadcasting facility in the heart of the Beverly/Fairfax District; Manhattan Beach Studios, a 22-acre, state-of-the-art studio production facility in Manhattan Beach, CA; and, The Culver Studios, a historic 14-acre television and film studio in downtown Culver City and the future home
