Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. has named Steve Garrad head of its Vancouver studio, overseeing day-to-day operations for its global visual effects company Method Studios and TV post/VFX brand Encore. The long-time production executive takes the helm as both brands build their talent and capacity in Vancouver to meet demand for their feature film and episodic services.
Reporting to president of Deluxe VFX Ed Ulbrich, Garrad will work closely with his global counterparts at Method’s and Encore’s worldwide studios to keep efficiency and quality high across all productions.
Ulbrich said, “Steve has been in the VFX business a long time and is deeply connected all around. Studios and filmmakers love him. He’s built and run a VFX studio from scratch. He’s well respected and well liked in the Vancouver creative community and across the industry. There are very few people who have his breadth of experience and we’re thrilled to have him lead our Vancouver studio.ย
Garrad brings two decades of experience and production know-how to the studio, joining most recently from a role as VFX producer for Warner Bros. on the upcoming feature The Meg. Previously he was executive VFX producer at Double Negative, where he was the company’s first employee in Vancouver; instrumental in building and crewing the facility from the ground up over two years, and bringing in The Mummy, Star Trek Beyond and more. Prior to that he was VFX executive producer at Image Engine, where he spent five years executive producing features including R.I.P.D., Fast & Furious 6 and Zero Dark Thirty. He built his early career in London, where he was a sr. VFX producer at Double Negative UK for many years and head of Production at Clear UK (now Prime Focus). Garrad got his start in the industry at Cinesite as a runner, working his way up the ranks to DFX producer. He was nominated for Emmy and Leo Awards for his work on the TV show SGU Stargate, and is a member of the Visual Effects Society’s Board of Directors in Vancouver.
Garrad said, “The Method/Encore studio in Vancouver was one of the first in town and it’s always been a focal point. There’s strong VFX and post talent there. Ed has a great vision for the global Method organization, and part of it is working to help each studio maintain its own culture, which makes the overall company culture richer, deepens the knowledge base and allows it to move faster.”
Having created key VFX sequences for features including Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and other blockbusters, Method’s Vancouver studio has grown over the past two years to become one of the largest VFX facilities in the region. The Encore team in Vancouver is currently providing postproduction and/or VFX services for shows including Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Altered Carbon, the CW’s Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and more.
