Powerhouse VFX Expands to Vancouver

Emmy-nominated ‘Shōgun’ VFX supervisor Michael Cliett to lead new effort in the growing BC market, adding to the studio’s presence in Toronto, Los Angeles, Georgia, and New York HQ.

Powerhouse VFX announced its expansion into the Vancouver, BC area, welcoming four-time Emmy nominee senior VFX supervisor Michael Cliett at the helm. This expands the company’s current Canadian presence in Toronto, which is in addition to locations in Los Angeles, Georgia, and its flagship in New York.

"This is an exciting time for us at Powerhouse," said Powerhouse SVP, managing director Ryan Cunningham. "Vancouver has such a rich talent base and community. We are excited to bring our boutique culture and provide this offering to our clients.”

Cliett credits include work on Apple TV+’s Silo and Netflix's Stranger Things, and FX Network's highly acclaimed, award-winning series Shōgun for which he received his most recent Emmy nomination.

"We're so happy to have him onboard," said Powerhouse senior VFX supervisor/creative director Kevin Blank. "I’ve been a fan of his many years, and we are all excited to have him join in helping to spearhead our growth.”

Before his work on Shōgun, Cliett gained industry notoriety for contributions as VFX supervisor on Warner Bros.' post-apocalyptic series The 100. Before that, he worked at Method Studios as the VFX supervisor on Guy Ritchie's action/adventure film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

"I'm delighted to be joining Powerhouse,” said Cliett. “I’ve admired their work and I’m looking forward to help build a special team here in Vancouver. The relationship Powerhouse and Company 3 have to their many loyal clients is very impressive. I look forward to developing that kind of reputation for Powerhouse VFX in Vancouver in the years to come.”

Cliett is a member of the DGC (Directors Guild of Canada), the Television Academy, and VES (the Visual Effects Society).

Source: Powerhouse VFX

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Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.