Vancouver’s Rainmaker Entertainment has signed Wilson Tang (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, The Hulk) to a first-look production deal, tasked with the development and direction of animated digital features and content.

The move formalizes a developing relationship – recently the creative worked with Rainmaker on the company’s animated short for the Canadian Pavilion at the 2010 World’s Fair in Shanghai.

Tang comes to Rainmaker from EA Canada, where he was senior art director and franchise creative director, working on AAA titles such as Need for Speed. Prior to that, he served at George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic, where he was the visual effects art director. Tang was also one of the original founders of The Embassy VFX in Vancouver.

Signing Tang emphasizes the company’s move towards ownership of original IP. Catherine Winder, president and executive producer of Rainmaker Entertainment, stressed this at the signing, adding ‘Having a top-notched creative team is an important part of our strategy to develop and produce our own properties. Wilson will be leading us down a new and exciting creative path.’