Ryan Thomp-son has joined Santa Monica-based 525 Studios as a producer who will focus on business development for the post/ effects house’s visual effects division. He comes over from CGI/effects shop Pixel Envy, Santa Monica, having served there as an executive producer and a producer. At Pixel Envy, he was involved in effects on commercials for such advertisers as Sun Microsystems, ESPN and hotjobs.com. The latter—"Gravity Balls," directed by Larry Frey of bicoastal/international @radical.media for New York agency Weiss Stagliano Partners—debuted during this year’s Super Bowl telecast.
Thompson was also involved in music videos at Pixel Envy, with clips for such artists as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Backstreet Boys and Aerosmith. Prior to Pixel Envy, Thompson wrote and produced visual effects-intensive, 2-D/3-D animated TV programming for Asian networks, including NHK Japan and KBS Korea.
The signing of Thompson underscores 525’s plan to provide clientele with fully integrated, project-based visual effects production services. Thompson will be involved in bidding and managing projects; in establishing project-term visual effects supervision; and in helping to integrate new services, including interactive 3-D previsualization, conceptual and graphic design, and mobile 3-D scanning.
Thompson comes aboard just as 525 has completed phase one of its CGI department build-out. The new 3-D lab features dual-processor lGHz interactive 3-D workstations; a 750MHz x 18 processor Linux render garden; Alias|Wavefront Maya, Pixar Renderman MTOR, and Discreet Logic Combustion software; and new digital disk-recorder and broadcast monitoring hardware. Senior engineer Albert Soto recently finished integrating the new department’s systems with the studios’ existing five Discreet Logic Infernos, two Henry Infinitys and two Spirit HD telecine/Datacine bays via a HIPPI/ Fiber network, aimed at keeping workflow seamless.
Thompson joins on the heels of 525’s hiring of CGI digital effects supervisor Andrew Orloff and CGI visual effects supervisor Kirk Cadrette, both of whom were most recently freelancing. Orloff’s experience spans a wide range of film and video computer graphics production, including lead roles on major ad campaigns for Sega, Coca-Cola and Intel.
A longtime associate of Orloff, Cadrette has served in effects roles on such features as Independence Day and What Dreams May Come. Cadrette, who also has assorted spot credits, is currently working at 525 on a Volkswagen campaign being helmed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris for bicoastal Bob Industries.
