CIS Visual Effects Group, based in Hollywood, Calif., and Vancouver, Canada, has acquired the assets of Postmodern Sydney. Purchase price was not disclosed.
Established in 2001, Postmodern is a design and visual effects shop serving high-end feature, commercial and TV clients in Australia and throughout Asia. Recent Postmodern projects include VFX for the Proyas/Summit Entertainment feature, Knowing, and the Spierig Brothers/Lionsgate feature Daybreakers. Recent commercial projects include McDonald’s “McHappy Day” for DDB Sydney, and Macquarie Bank’s “Out of the Box” for Leo Burnett.
“We’re at a point in our business growth where we’ve got some amazing work under our belt but for some time we’ve been looking for a strong partner to help us spread our wings,” said Andrew Robinson, Postmodern’s managing director. “For us that meant finding someone with great creative and technical credentials along with global recognition.”
“The CIS guys reached out to us late last year to talk about joining forces with them on an Australian shop,” continued Robinson. “We hit if off immediately with Don [Fly, CIS’ president/general manager] and his team, and their understanding of the Australian market. We look forward to bringing CIS technologies and capabilities into our creative pipeline for film studios, commercial production companies and television networks in addition to the independent feature market.”
The business will continue to operate as Postmodern from its existing premises with all key personnel remaining in place. Plans are underway to build a new purpose-built Sydney facility later this year to house an expanded CIS-Postmodern operation.
Fly said that CIS has been impressed with the caliber of VFX work coming out of Australia. He added, “The depth of Australian creative talent and strong governmental support for the industry make entering the Sydney market very attractive.”
In addition to Robinson, key players on the Postmodern management team are VFX director James Rogers and facilities manager Angus Reid.
CIS Visual Effects Group is a division of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More