Creative studio VR Playhouse in L.A. has merged with postproduction studio Identity FX, shifting co-founder Ian Forester from CCO to CEO and bringing on Leo Vezzali (of Identity FX) as executive producer. The union will pivot VR Playhouse in a more technology-centric direction, focusing on original technical IP and high-end interactive services, utilizing a global team of artists and technologists. Former CEO and co-founder Christina Heller, who will be devoting time to a new venture, will remain as chief development officer and continue to lead the educational and community initiatives at VR Playhouse, including the recently-launched VR Playhouse School.
The alliance comes on the heels of VR Playhouse’s migration into substantial CGI and interactive VR projects, including its recent character work on Skydance Interactive’s AAA videogame Archangel and recent Special Jury Recognition for Room-Scale VR at SXSW. The partnership continues this forward momentum and further infuses VR Playhouse’s dedication to technology, combining Identity FX’s VFX workflow and team of global artists with VR Playhouse’s deep knowledge and expertise in the VR industry. The diverse aesthetics of Identity FX’s network of artists will allow VR Playhouse to tailor its creative approach to the appetite of the continually growing global VR marketplace.
Vezzali brings his diverse and multi-disciplinary background in visual effects, animation, stereoscopic 3D and postproduction to his role, allowing him to execute a multitude of projects in feature films, commercials, interactive digital campaigns and AR/VR experiences, from ideation and story conception through final delivery. Most recently, he has fine-tuned the 3D experience for The Amazing Spider-Man and Prometheus and was the in-house 3D VFX supervisor for Green Lantern, Conan The Barbarian, and Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
