Responding to industry growth and an increasing number of projects, leading visual effects company Zoic Studios has just completed a major expansion, adding new talent, technology and studio space.
Zoic has recently completed its new build-out, located adjacent to its current space in Los Angeles, allowing capacity to increase by 30 people, while CGI CG workstations total 75. The company has also begun implementation of its new network backbone utilizing the new 10Gigabit Fiber switches from Extreme networks, which will allow full Gigabit Ethernet to the desktop workstation.
With the advent of more bandwidth intensive applications, this will reduce much of the burden artists have experienced when working with film and HD resolution materials in the past. Zoic has four HD flame bays, one Avid and a Panasonic D5 deck. Zoic works with such technology partners as Discreet, Newtek, Alias and Isilon Storage Systems.
Zoics current slate in feature film includes Joss Whedons SERENITY for universal and DEUCE BIGALOW 2: EUROPEAN GIGOLO for Sony Pictures. It continues in episodic television with CSI: MIAMI and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, while continuing a steady growth in the commercial and game markets.
Zoic has contributed to VAN HELSING, SPIDER-MAN 2 and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, while completing pilots for FOX, NBC, Universal, The WB and Paramount. In advertising, Zoic completed spots for KIA, Chevy, SBC and the notorious, new web-based Mini-Cooper project in a creative partnership with Crispin, Porter and Bogusky.
It has always been our goal to use diverse business practice to perpetuate growth, says Zoic creative director Loni Peristere. Having an equally focused yet diverse market base allows the creative at our center to feed the branches with innovative and fresh ideas, which has led to often outstanding work from our talent base. The diversity also allows us to take risks in one area geared toward development, while implementing the fruits of those risks in all areas. The Mini-Cooper campaign is a prime example.
Talent, the heart of Zoics success, features new hires, including VFX supervisor Randy Goux, VFX producer Les Hunter and digital artist Mandy Sorenson.
Goux is supervising vfx at Zoic Studios for SERENITY. Prior to joining Zoic, Goux was digital effects supervisor for the forthcoming Warner Bros. film, CONSTANTINE, at ESC Entertainment and for THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. In 2000, he was at Weta Digital as 3D sequence lead for LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, overseeing, among other things, the award-winning Cave Troll sequence. His previous credits include X-MEN for POP Film where he also contributed to the episodic TV shows ANGEL and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.
Goux joined Kleiser-Walczak Visual Effects in 1996 where his credits include the Universal Studios ride film, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SPIDER-MAN, and the film, GAME DAY. He got his start in visual effects at WGBH-TV in Boston as a designer for national PBS programming.
A veteran of computer animation and effects for the last 13 years, Hunter has most recently served as VFX producer on THE RUNDOWN for Universal Pictures. Prior to that project, Hunter worked with Centropolis Effects on MATRIX RELOADED and MATRIX REVOLUTIONS for Warner Bros.
For approximately 11 years, Hunter produced for Pacific Data Images, now known as PDI/DreamWorks. Leading more than 80 projects at PDI, Hunter worked with some of the pioneers in computer animation and top directors in Hollywood. His credits include MINORITY REPORT, A.I., MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II, FORCES OF NATURE, BATMAN & ROBIN, BATMAN FOREVER AND THE PEACEMAKER. He also produced commercial effects and broadcast graphics for an international client roster including Gatorade, Coca-Cola (Japan), Pillsbury, Reebok, ESPN, HBO, NBC, CBS, and Showtime. He worked on the launch of TNT and the re-design of VH1 and ABC Sports logos.
Sorenson was a digital artist at Encore where she contributed to such high-profile shows as SIX FEET UNDER, CHARMED, ROSWELL and ALLY MCBEAL. Sorenson made her foray into the Hollywood community at 525 where she worked on hundreds of commercials and music videos from 1995-2001, including clips for music artists Red Hot Chili Peppers, Garbage, Bush and Christina Aguilera.
As we grow, it is important that we follow through on our commitment to partnership on all levels, concludes Peristere. From talent to technology, we are determined to solidify and expand our creative and professional relationships both inside and outside of our business. As a testament to this you will begin to see Zoics name alongside others more and more frequently as a partner in what is perhaps the most exciting time for the evolution of digital entertainment.
Zoic Studios (www.zoicstudios.com) is a leader in visual effects and CG animation in the commercials, music videos, feature film and episodic television arenas. Winner of numerous VES awards, Zoic was recently presented with an achievement award at the 3D Awards for its work in television visual effects on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
