Creative production studio Flavor has added Blake Huber to its L.A. staff as VFX supervisor.
Most recently, Huber was lead Flame artist for MPC, and prior to that, he had been freelancing with Flavor and other leading design/VFX companies, including Big Block, Brand New School, Digital Domain and Logan, since 2013. Consistently working hand-in-hand with top directors and creative directors on major commercial spots for the likes of Discover Card, Geico and Samsung, Huber also serves as VFX supervisor on live-action shoots, bringing him a breadth of knowledge that extends well beyond the studio. A past staff member at Charlex and Brand New School, Huber, a 15-year VFX industry vet, is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington, and so far, his artistry has garnered BDA Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, and the AIGA Certificate of Excellence.
Flavor EP Darren Jaffe said of Huber, “After working with him often over our first year, we found that his perspective, skills and knowledge are invaluable. He is adept at working on large VFX projects with all the explosions and magic, as well as deftly adding his touch to more subtle images to make them shine.”
Huber related, “I love the fact that with Flavor, we have the opportunity to feel like a new studio here in L.A., while operating under the umbrella of Cutters Studios, which is well established. Darren has done a wonderful job of assembling the right staff to make the most impact and help position us to be competitive and visible in the marketplace. Everyone here is united in the common goal of providing the best experiences possible for our clients, while fostering creativity at the absolute highest levels.”
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More