MPC Coming To Los Angeles
The Moving Picture Company, announced plans to open a Santa Monica-based visual effects facility in late 2008.
MPC LA will initially focus on the U.S. commercials visual effects (VFX) market, and it will also provide a front-end presence to MPC's Los Angeles-based studios features VFX business.
MPC LA is to be headed by highly regarded VFX executive producer Mark Tobin. Tobin was most recently managing director and executive producer at A52, and he was previously a producer at Method.
Ahmad Ouri, president of the Technicolor Content Services business, said, "MPC has clearly established a great reputation in all of the industries it serves -- features, commercial and broadcast. We believe the time is opportune for MPC to expand its footprint to the U.S. market, with an initial offering to the U.S. commercial advertising community. We applaud MPC's choice of Mark Tobin to manage and direct the new facility. He's a proven talent with a great reputation."
According to Graham Bird, director of Commercials Production at MPC, "The MPC brand is all about creativity and quality. The combination of our state-of-the-art facility in Santa Monica, coupled with Mark Tobin's extensive knowledge and insight, provides a powerful creative alternative for Los Angeles and U.S.-based advertisers and commercial production companies."
Tobin, who has overseen jobs for Daniel Barber, Sam Bayer, Frank Budgen, David Frankham and Phil Joanou, among many other prominent commercial directors, noted, "I am excited by the proposition of transporting the strong MPC brand to our new West Coast location. MPC is seen as a serious brand backed by today's VFX industry pre-requisites of the highest-level talent, R&D and technology. To me, MPC's competitive edge comes from the inspiring in-house creative and production talent and is undoubtedly further enhanced by an extensive R&D effort."
The MPC R&D team develops custom tools such as its ALICE crowd simulation software; the PAPI physics engine which allows for realistic shattering and breaking of hard materials, detailed fur creation and 'grooming' solutions; and many other sophisticated in-house solutions to common, complex CG problems.
"With all this expertise housed in a boutique environment, we believe the MPC LA offering is perfect for us and our clients' creative expectations," added Tobin. "In addition, I anticipate MPC LA being able to call upon relevant local Technicolor resources and services to add further value to our creative and production management offer."
MPC will transfer a core talent group from its London base to Santa Monica, which will be further complemented with home-grown local talent in the telecine, VFX and 3D disciplines.
MPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Technicolor and provides visual effects and post-production to the advertising, feature, television and music industries. Recent advertising work includes projects for high- profile brands, including Guinness, Bacardi, Sony Bravia, Coca-Cola and Audi.
Feature releases to receive treatment at MPC include new to DVD SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, new theatrical release 10,000 B.C., and upcoming THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN.
Information: www.moving-picture.com.