Press Release from Visual Computing Labs
Los Angeles and Mumbai, December 1, 2009: Visual Computing Labs (VCL), a division of Tata Elxsi Ltd. and a global leader in animation and visual effects, announced today that leading VFX industry veterans Joel Hynek, Tricia Ashford and Treva Blue will develop VCL’s new US VFX studio based in Santa Monica. This teaming of talent represents a unique offering to Hollywood's filmmakers by combining the expertise of these visual effects leaders, whose work represents the highest production standards, with the support and international business stature of VCL.
Mr. S. Nagarajan, Chief Operating Officer of VCL, said, “We are delighted to have three of the field’s most accomplished professionals on board to team with in building a world-class studio. VCL now offers a truly unique package of high-end and cost-effective VFX service options by combining their exceptional attributes and these robust new facilities to those of our large and talented team in India.”
Joel Hynek, Sr. Visual Effects Supervisor for the studio, has received an Academy Award as Lead VFX Supervisor on What Dreams May Come, and earned a second Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement, for the dual quad effects printer originally developed for Predator. His additional VFX Supervising credits include The Mummy: Tomb of the Emperor Dragon, Jumper, Predator 1 & 2, Die Hard With a Vengeance and Zelig. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and serves on the Board of Directors of the Visual Effects Society (VES).
Head of Production, Tricia Ashford, is well known within the visual effects community for her innovations in team building to form the optimal blend of talents to meet the specific needs of challenging visual effects productions. She has been honored with Best Visual Effects’ nominations for Independence Day and for Vertical Limit, from the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA). Ashford also launched and headed production for R/Greenberg Associates in Los Angeles, producing visual effects and title sequences for films including the Academy Award-winning Braveheart. Tricia's credits include VFX Producing and Supervising for motion pictures as well as serving as a founding member of the VES.
Treva Blue, Head of Trailer Production, brings extensive knowledge of feature film marketing earned by heading the trailer department of Pacific Title. A 13-year industry veteran, she has produced hundreds of digital trailers and VFX for some of the industry's most innovative campaigns including Harry Potter 1,2,3 and 4, X-Men, Star Wars episodes 1,2 and3, Lord of the Rings 1, 2 and3, the Matrix trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many others. Blue's expertise includes navigating the shifting dynamics and technical requirements of simultaneous multi-format deliveries for world-wide marketing campaigns.
Productions at the new Tata-VCL Santa Monica studio will be supported by a Stereoscopic DI Suite and Autodesk's Luster color system. Multiple Autodesk Flames, CG workstations and compositing stations will run Maya and Nuke softwares. The studio's artists will also use Film Light's True Light system to manage overall color calibration for their productions.
VCL's production credits include an array of international projects including Walt Disney, Sony Pictures Imageworks, General Mills, BBDO, Coca Cola, General Motors, ILM, Lionsgate, MGM, Microsoft, Reebok, Toyota, Unilever, UTV, Volkswagen, Yash Raj Films, Zee Television among others. The group was established in 2002 and employs more than 250 VFX artists and animators at its studios in Mumbai.
Tata Elxsi (www.tataelxsi.com [1]) is a technology-led creative and design services company and part of the $70 billion Tata Group. It has a global offices and centers in India, the US, the UK, Japan and Germany. It is a listed company, headquartered in Bangalore.
Links:
[1] http://www.tataelxsi.com