GPL Technologies has hired Felix Fissel to lead its VFXnow unit as VP of global operations. Fissel, an IT specialist with deep experience in the visual effects industry, will oversee VFXnow operations in Los Angeles, New York, and Vancouver. He will also lead business development and seek to expand markets for the unit, a hardware-as-a-service provider to visual effects studios, game developers, editing houses and other creative services companies. Additionally, he will spearhead the launch of a new cloud-based service that will provide visual effects companies with virtual access to rendering capacity, workstations and other high-performance technology.
“Felix brings impressive technical expertise and a clear vision for moving VFXnow forward,” said GPL CEO Brian Terrell. “His passion and experience in visual effects is critical to our ability to meet our clients’ current needs and develop innovative, new resources that will carry them into the future.”
Fissel joins VFXnow from the visual effects studio Pixomondo. As global head of IT, he was responsible for managing the technical infrastructure for seven facilities across three continents. Originally from Germany, he was trained as an engineer at Fachhochschule, Darmstadt, before joining Pixomondo in 2006.
A key mission for Fissel will be to broaden VFXnow’s offering through cloud-based services. The company plans to introduce a platform that will allow visual effects studios to access rendering, storage and computer resources on an as-needed basis through a private network. “We’re expanding the concept of hardware-as-a-service,” he said. “Companies often need to add capacity quickly but lack physical space to store extra rendering nodes and storage systems. Our clients will be able to access as many render nodes as they need, instantly, without worrying about things like space, power and cooling.”
Fissel added that VFXnow is uniquely qualified to deliver integrated cloud services for visual effects production. “Our model will be less expensive and more attuned to the needs of visual effects studios than other solutions,” he said.
