Company taps the pair to advance and improve its service offerings and provide creative technological solutions to filmmaking challenges.
Leading visual entertainment services company DNEG announced the hiring of Emmy-nominated producers Ron Ames and Jesse Kobayashi in Los Angeles. Most recently, Ames and Kobayashi worked on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for Amazon Studios, managing the delivery of 9,000 shots and nearly 9 hours of content across multiple vendors.
In their new roles as in-house filmmakers, the pair will draw on over 50 years of combined industry experience to provide filmmaking, production, and technical expertise and advice, working directly with DNEG’s in-house teams to improve and advance the company’s service offerings. Additionally, the pair will collaborate with DNEG’s filmmaking partners to help navigate the digital production process, recommending technology approaches and providing creative solutions to filmmaking challenges.
“I have always been impressed with the experience, ideas, and clarity of purpose that Ron and Jesse bring to the huge-scale productions that they have managed in the past,” said DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra. “From streamlining operations through the deployment of new technologies to fostering seamless inter-departmental collaboration and promoting a healthy work-life balance for their crews, they have always ensured timely and budget-conscious delivery of their work. In their new roles at DNEG, they will bring the benefits of this experience and knowledge to our in-house teams and will work closely with our clients to unlock new efficiencies and new technologies in the digital production process as we considerably ramp up our operations following the industry-wide disruption in 2023.”
“Both Jesse and I have worked with Namit and DNEG on a number of occasions over the years, most recently on Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” commented Ames. “Watching the studio grow over the last decade to become the biggest player in the visual effects industry has been incredible. There are huge opportunities and efficiencies to be found at the confluence of artmaking and film technology, leveraging cloud-based production, game-engine integration, and unlocking the power of metadata, relational database, and ontology systems. Jesse and I are excited to bring the benefits of our years of experience to the amazingly talented teams at DNEG and to work closely with filmmakers to rethink the conventions of contemporary production.”
Throughout his career, Ames has been a filmmaker and storyteller, beginning with his first feature film with Martin Scorsese, The Aviator. His experience reaches across every phase of film production, with roles ranging from first assistant director, producer, VFX producer, and post-production supervisor to producer of film technology. His credits include over 20 productions, such as Avatar, The Aviator, The Departed, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Star Trek: Beyond, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. On The Lord of the Rings, Ames produced all technology departments, including VFX, post-production, and sound, from camera capture to final exhibition.
Kobayashi brings over 20 years in post and VFX sectors. He began his career as a filmmaker, directing a series of short films before shifting to integrating creativity and technology. He helped transition dailies from film to digital at Laser Pacific and Warner Bros. post facilities. As an executive for Legendary Pictures, Kobayashi oversaw VFX production on over a dozen features and television shows. He also worked with clients on projects, including Krampus, Warcraft, and Pacific Rim Uprising. Kobayashi worked in the video gaming sector, producing cinematic entertainment at Riot Games.
Source: DNEG
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
