By CAROLYN GIARDINA
Cinesite (Europe) Ltd. has acquired Effects Associates, a London-based special effects house, for an undisclosed price. Cinesite (Europe)’s parent company is Cinesite Inc., which is headquartered in Hollywood.
Effects Associates will retain its name and operate as a Cinesite (Europe) subsidiary. Martin Gutteridge, who was one of the founders of Effects Associates, will continue to manage day-to-day operations. He will report to Cinesite (Europe) managing director Colin Brown.
Effects Associates has roughly 30 employees and operates a 50,000 square foot facility at London’s Pinewood Studios, which includes modelmaking and engineering shops. It also offers physical special effects capabilities such as fog and rain machines, pyrotechnics, hydraulic power rigs and computer-controlled platforms.
Cinesite Inc. opened digital studios in Los Angeles in ’92, London in ’95 and New York in ’98. The London studio is a subsidiary of Cinesite (Europe). The company has subsequently provided digital effects and restoration services for hundreds of films, TV shows and commercials. Recent work includes digital effects for the ABC mini-series Cleopatra, which also features miniature and model work from Effects Associates. Cinesite (Europe) Ltd.’s commercial credits include Renault, Reach, Nestle, Abbey National, Puma and Kodak. Effects Associates’ spot credits include Tango, Barclaycard, Rover, Super Nintendo, Grolsch, Land Rover, Volvo and Talking Pages.
"There is a natural synergy in this alliance with Cinesite," Gutteridge said. "We are doing many of the same things in different ways. It broadens the range of talent and the base of technology available to both companies, and it will create opportunities for efficiencies that will undoubtedly pay dividends for our customers."
"With this alliance, we have taken an important step towards becoming a full-service visual effects studio," added Brown. "This step enables us to offer our clients more flexibility for creating the best illusions for their projects as practically and efficiently as possible."
Oscar-Nominated Director Sean Wang Joins Park Pictures For Spots, Branded Content
Park Pictures has added director Sean Wang to its roster of talent for representation spanning commercials and branded content. His feature-length debut, Dìdi, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it was acquired by Focus Features and released later that summer to critical acclaim.
Wang is a Taiwanese-American filmmaker hailing from Fremont, Calif., and currently based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Park Pictures, he was repped by Even/Odd Studios. Often pulling from his lived experiences, Wang can turn hyper-specific story points into universally relatable, memorable moments.
Dìdi won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Cast at the Sundance Film Festival. His documentary short Nai Nai & Wài Pó premiered at SXSW 2023, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, later earning an Oscar nomination. The film following Wang’s two grandmothers is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Other films from Wang include the lauded documentary shorts 3,000 Miles, H.A.G.S., and Still Here. As a Google Creative Lab 5 Alumnus, Wang has directed several commercial campaigns for Google that highlighted live captions and teased large news from the tech conglomerate, including an ad that aired during the 2017 Emmy Awards.
Wang said of Park Pictures, “I can’t think of a better artistic home for me as a director. The work that comes out of Park Pictures is incredible, and I admire the work they do in advertising and the documentary and narrative space. Everyone I’ve met there is just as obsessed with making great films as I am, and I look forward to growing my career with them as I move into the commercial space.”
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