Eight VFX, the New York and Los Angeles-based visual effects, design and production studio, has named Abbe Daniel as the new executive producer for its New York office. In addition, the studio has named Carolyn Hill and Amanda Rosenberg of Carolyn Reps to handle sales on the East Coast. The appointments were announced by Eight VFX’s partners, creative director Jean-Marc Demmer and managing director Baptiste Andrieux.
Daniel joins Eight VFX from Leroy & Clarkson, the brand design and identity boutique in New York. She’s held key positions at production companies and agencies, specializing in the production of digital ad campaigns, visual effects work and experiential installations. Prior to Leroy & Clarkson, she was an EP at the experiential studio Fake Love, and has held EP/MD or sr. producer posts at such studios as Digital Kitchen, Curious Pictures, Click 3X and R/GA.
In her new position Daniel will play several key roles in the New York office; in addition to acting as both EP and general manager, she’ll oversee sales and marketing and is in the process of recruiting and hiring an experienced creative team, with plans to add additional VFX supervisors, CG supervisors, 2D and 3D lead compositors, designers and other key contributors.
Currently Eight handles a range of work, including commercials for such brands as Target, Pandora, Puma, Ram Trucks, New York Lottery, Call of Duty, Honda and Perrier. The studio has partnered with such directors as Craig Gillespie, Michel Gondry, Noam Murro, Tom Kuntz, and Michael Gracey.
The studio also has extensive feature credits, and provided VFX for the soon-to-be-released “I, Tonya,” directed by Gillespie. Eight’s New York office was the sole effects studio on this picture, completing over 200 shots delivered in under four months. They’ve also worked on films like “Beasts of No Nation” for Cary Fukunaga, “Knight & Day” for James Mangold, “Mother” for Darren Aronofsky, “Hostage” for Florent Emilio Siri and Gillespie’s 2014 sports drama, “Million Dollar Arm.”
Eight VFX has branched into episodic television as well, working on the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things 2” and “The Orville,” the sci-fi comedy from “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane. For the latter, the studio turned around over 120 shots in under four weeks. “They tapped into our strengths for large digital matte paintings, set extensions and photoreal CG,” Daniel said about their work.
The main focus of growing Eight VFX’s presence in New York, Daniel added, will be to continue to build on their current relations, both with directors and production houses, as well as with agencies and brands. “We’re also expanding our design and development and mixed media services for all of our clients across the board,’ she noted. “Our goal is to help clients achieve their visions and meet their objectives, so all touchpoints across all platforms will be important.”
Said Shira Boardman, EP in Eight’s L.A. office, “I’m excited to have a true partner in Abbe. She’s tuned in to the details of how to bring the right elements together to support and improve a job, and she’s a great problem-solver with so many creative resources to tap. I’m confident we’ll be able to build a bigger and better Eight, together.”
Naming Carolyn Reps to handle sales reunites Daniel with Carolyn Hill, who repped Curious Pictures when Daniel was a senior producer at that storied animation and mixed media studio.
Director Paul Feig’s “Another Simple Favor,” With Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, To Open SXSW
"Another Simple Favor," Paul Feig's sequel to his 2018 noir comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, will open the SXSW Film and TV Festival.
Organizers of the Austin, Texas, festival announced Tuesday that the long-awaited "A Simple Flavor" sequel will kick of this year's edition on March 7. The Amazon MGM release plots another twist-filled round of murder and betrayal, with Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) heading to an Italy wedding on Capri.
"When we saw this film last fall, we instantly knew it had to open SXSW — it gave us that electric feeling we live for as programmers," said Claudette Godfrey, festival vice president, in a statement.
SXSW has hosted Feig's films before, including a work-in-progress screening of "Bridesmaids" in 2011 and the premiere of "Spy" in 2015.
The premiere of "Another Simple Favor" will be Lively's first new movie since last year's "It Ends With Us" and the subsequent legal drama involving Lively and that film's director and co-star, Justin Baldoni.
In late December, Lively sued Baldoni, his production company and others for sexual harassment and attacks on her reputation and sought unspecified damages. Baldoni sued last month, accusing Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion and seeking at least $400 million in damages.
A trial date of March 2026 has been set.
SXSW previously announced another opening night premiere: the upcoming Seth Rogen Hollywood comedy series "The Studio." The film festival, now in its 32nd year, runs March 7-14.
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