By Emily Vines
NEW YORK—Visual effects artist Chris Staves and executive producer Justin Lane have partnered to open Massive Industries, a visual effects house in New York. Massive is a division of production company Psyop, New York, which specializes in design and animation.
Both Staves and Lane were formerly with Method, Santa Monica—Staves as a senior flame artist/director and founding member, and Lane as a freelance producer. Both said they wanted to relocate to New York, Lane having grown up on Long Island. He left New York in the late 1990s, when it seemed to him that many shops were downsizing or going out of business.
Their original relocation blueprint involved expanding Method into Gotham, but those plans fell through, Staves related. They continued to explore their options, noticing an improving climate and increasing momentum for visual effects shops in the area. "This New York market actually has a lot of potential," Staves said. "For some reason it’s just seen a slow growth."
The duo interpreted the opening of New York offices for London-headquartered The Mill and Framestore CFC as positive indicators. "I think everyone’s feeling like there’s no reason why this creative, inspiring environment can’t house multiple visual effects houses that can be really successful and keep the work in New York where the agencies are," Lane remarked.
Their current partnership with Psyop arose from Staves’ longstanding friendship with Psyop executive producer Justin Booth-Clibborn. On how the two entities will work together, Lane explained, "[Psyop’s] focus is more design-driven projects and ours is more visual effects, but sometimes visual effects jobs require a design aesthetic … and on the design side there is usually some kind of photo-real integration—so we thought this was a good time to try to combine those two talents and create interesting commercials."
Thus far, the Massive roster, which in addition to Staves and Lane will comprise freelance CG and Flame artists, has done work for clients like America Online and Aquafina, both through BBDO, New York, and three American Stock Exchange commercials ("Net," "Barbell" and "Scale") for DDB New York (Marco Spier, a CG helmer at Psyop, co-directed that package with Staves). "Whenever we collaborate on projects [with Psyop] we just work ourselves into the way they work, which is pretty remarkable," Staves said. "I’ve never actually worked someplace with this level of collaboration and cooperation."
Staves began his career at now defunct 525 Post Production (the company has since been consolidated into R!OT, Santa Monica). He started as a tape operator, eventually moving up to Henry artist and then Flame artist, primarily working on music videos. In ’96, he joined Method.
Lane was a production assistant on films at the outset of his career. He moved into the visual effects arena in ’97, working as an assistant producer at now shuttered Tapehouse Digital Film. During his four-year stint at the shop, he became a producer and left in December ’00. Later, he moved to Los Angeles and joined Method.
Massive is currently housed at Psyop, and its founders plan to have a new space early next year.
Patricia Claire and Xavier Egurbide represent the company through Claire.Alden Partners, New York.
Movie Armorer’s Involuntary Manslaughter Conviction Upheld In Fatal “Rust” Shooting
A New Mexico judge on Monday upheld an involuntary manslaughter conviction against a movie armorer in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film "Rust."
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed asked a court to dismiss her conviction or convene a new trial, alleging that prosecutors failed to share evidence that could have cleared her.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in her written order noted that the armorer's attorneys did not establish that there was a reasonable possibility that the outcome of the trial would have been different had the evidence been available to Gutierrez-Reed.
The judge also rejected a request from Gutierrez-Reed that she be released from custody, saying it was moot because the request for a new trial was denied.
Marlow Sommer halted and ended Baldwin's trial in July based on misconduct of police and prosecutors and their withholding evidence from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set outside Santa Fe.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for "Rust," was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
A jury convicted Gutierrez-Reed of involuntary manslaughter in March in a trial overseen by Marlowe Sommer, who later sentenced her to the maximum 18-month penalty. Gutierrez-Reed has an appeal of the conviction pending in a higher court. Jurors acquitted her of allegations she tampered with evidence in the "Rust" investigation.
Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of "Rust" and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols.
Evidence that Gutierrez-Reed's... Read More