Director Neil Huxley has joined the creative production company Lord Danger (part of the Monstera Group) for U.S. commercial representation. Huxley comes aboard a roster that includes Cache Bunny, MP Curtet, Mike Diva, and Parker Seaman.
“I’ve watched these guys grow, they’re hungry, they’re tenacious,” Huxley said of the Lord Danger leadership of Josh Shadid, Michael Bennett, and Anthony Ficalora. It feels like everyone’s geared towards sales, and they understand my work, so there’s no disconnect with the sales team. I love the ‘cyber-punk’ vibe of some of their best work; it’s exactly what I want to be doing.”
Although known for his groundbreaking work in visual effects–he did, after all, spend 18 months working alongside director James Cameron on Avatar as VFX art director, leading a team of 80+ artists, contributing to more than 300 shots–Huxley prefers to see himself as a filmmaker first and foremost.
“Digital production is a second skin for me, but at my core, I see myself as a filmmaker dedicated to serving story and emotion through every medium I use,” Huxley explained. “On the surface, much of my work appears visually effects-driven, but when you look closer, some of my most significant projects are a seamless blend of live-action and visual effects, always crafted to enhance the narrative and deepen the emotional connection.”
Huxley points to his viral 2016 Sports Emmy-nominated, nearly three-minute long live-action, emotionally narrative-driven promo for the UFC fight featuring Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm, and his intimate and powerful spots about supporting veterans of all ages for the Royal British Legion.
Huxley is also accomplished in the video game universe–whether it’s blending live-action and CG for video game trailers for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Iron Man VR, and multiple DLC expansion trailers for Dead By Daylight, including the reveal of the Stranger Things Demogorgon, which accumulated over 7 million views in 24 hours; or writing and directing video game cinematics for such games as Rise of the Tomb Raider, directing over 90 minutes of full performance capture with multiple actors, and serving as DP using a VCAM (virtual camera) system.
Working in Middle Earth
Perhaps his biggest assignment, showcasing the full scope of Huxley’s talents, was the multi-million dollar live-action Lord of the Rings eight-minute interactive film, Middle Earth: Shadow of War for Warner Bros Interactive. Braving the Ukrainian winter, he oversaw a team of hundreds in bringing to life an epic battlefield of warring Orcs and fire-breathing dragons, which garnered millions of views and praise from die-hard fans for being the best depiction of Middle Earth since the original LOTR trilogy.
“I’m a filmmaker, but I feel very comfortable in whatever environment you want to stick me in, whether on a sub-zero location in Eastern Europe or a mocap stage in L.A. For me, it’s all about creating something that connects with people on a deeper level. I want to make them feel something, to move them in some way. At the end of the day, it’s those emotional truths that resonate and drive people to take action.”
Ficalora noted, “One thing that’s consistent in all of Neil’s work is the emotional cinematic storytelling, whether that be live action, CG effects, he’s a visual world builder, and there aren’t many that can do what he does.”
Prior to joining Lord Danger, Huxley was most recently repped in the ad arena by production house Ruffian.
