By Robert Goldrich
DALLAS --Reel FX, a Dallas-headquartered design and CG animated content producer for feature films and commercials, finalized a deal last month to acquire digital effects studio Radium, according to the latter company’s cofounder/president Jonathan Keeton. Radium maintains studios in Santa Monica and San Francisco. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
The two companies–which maintain their respective identities in the marketplace–are in the process of merging their resources and capabilities, laying the groundwork for both to diversify. For example, Reel FX has been proactive in the development of intellectual property, particularly on the animation feature film front, noted Keeton. This represents new ground for Radium, which has provided digital effects services primarily to the commercial production business. Now as the ad industry goes beyond traditional spotmaking to encompass new forms of content, the intellectual property savvy of Reel FX could come into play for Radium, helping it to extend its reach beyond conventional work-for-hire scenarios when dealing with ad community clientele on new marketing/entertainment fare.
Conversely, Reel FX gains footholds in California, enabling its artists to tap into West Coast facilities that could open up new doors in Hollywood, for example. This breaking down of geographic barriers also applies to commercials as Radium can work more directly with Texas agencies, and Reel FX’s artisans can better liaison with agency creatives who are either based or shooting in California.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us,” said Keeton, who now becomes executive creative director of the services division of the combined organization. “Reel FX is a leader in technology and the development of intellectual properties. By combining our studios, we are creating a new entity capable of greater depth in all areas–a new entity where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Dale Carman, cofounder of Reel FX, described Radium as being “one of the best creative shops in the nation. We’ve long admired its work for clients like adidas, GMC and Target. It is a fantastic opportunity to bring together two like-minded organizations to build something very unique for the industry.”
That like-minded spirit is reflected in the fact that both companies were founded by artists, including Reel FX’s Carman and Radium’s Keeton and creative director Simon Mowbray. Reel FX opened in 1993 while Radium was launched three years later.
Combined the companies have an artists pool of some 130 individuals, with the lion’s share coming from Reel FX. The CEO of the combined operations is Reel FX’s Steve O’Brien.
“Further developments will be announced as the companies complete the integration plans,” stated O’Brien, adding that “the combination of both organizations’ broad capabilities in advertising and entertainment positions us as a leading player in emerging media such as branded entertainment, online and viral campaigns and mobile platform marketing/entertainment.”
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More