Postal, Humble’s sister shop for design and VFX, has significantly expanded its postproduction offerings and talent with the addition of executive producer Damijan Saccio and creative director Gene Nazarov. Both Saccio and Nazarov join Postal from award-winning motion design and visual effects studio UVPHACTORY, which Saccio co-founded in 2000. Bringing talent and experience in the broadcast design and branding space to Postal, the pair will work closely with Postal’s executive creative director Sam Stephens and Humble’s director of business development Jason Mayo to serve clients and continue the shop’s growth.
Most recently at UVPHACTORY, Saccio and Nazarov worked with clients ranging from AT&T and Coca-Cola to Condé Nast and General Electric. That studio has won numerous awards for its broadcast promos and graphics packages for networks including Syfy and VH1, and pioneering music videos such as Björk’s “Wanderlust.” UVPHACTORY is also well recognized as a technical innovator, utilizing stereoscopic 3D, augmented reality, and other interactive technologies in various experiential design projects.
Prior to co-founding UVPHACTORY in 2000, Saccio served as creative director at 3D visualization house IOMedia, and as lead animator at game developer Cybersites. He has a master’s degree in architecture from Columbia University, is a published photographer, and has taught 3D design and animation at the School of Visual Arts, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York University, and Columbia University. Nazarov joined UVPHACTORY in 2012 as creative director, and previously worked at top design and visual effects shops including The Mill, Brand New School, and ATTIK. He holds a degree in computer art and graphic design from the School of Visual Arts.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More