Digital Domain has promoted Gabby Gourrier from senior bidding producer to head of commercial production. Gourrier joined the Venice-based digital production/visual effects studio back in ’97 as a bidding producer and has moved up the ranks to where she is now part of a spot management core that is headed by company senior VP and commercial division executive producer Ed Ulbrich.
"It’s rare to find an individual equally versed in both live-action production and digital visual effects," said Ulbrich of Gourrier. Since her promotion, Gourrier has taken on several projects, including a new Coca-Cola campaign out of Edge Creative, Santa Monica. For that package of spots, Digital Domain worked closely with directors Steve Horn of Steve & Linda Horn Inc., New York, Paul Hunter of bicoastal HSI Productions, and Eugene Yeltsin who at the time was with Palomar Pictures, Los Angeles, but has since joined Dektor Film, Hollywood (SHOOT, 3/19, p. 1).
Gourrier noted that Digital Domain has a broad palette embracing live action, visual effects and animation techniques, "whether they be in-camera, 2-D or 3-D solutions. We’re seeing more complex jobs, with condensed schedules. But we haven’t lost our focus on being a creative studio that consistently delivers great work."
Gourrier’s appointment comes as Digital Domain’s commercial operation has either hired or promoted other key artisans, including model supervisor Leslie Ekker who’s been upped to visual effects supervisor. He joins the ranks of resident spot visual effects supervisors Fred Raimondi, Ray Giarrantana and Andy MacDonald. As a model supervisor, Ekker earlier in his career received an Academy Award nomination for his contribution to Digital Domain’s visual effects work on Apollo 13. At press time, Ekker was slated to supervise a new project for IBM being produced by bicoastal/ international @radical.media.
The divisional expansion also includes the promotion of Michael Pardee from associate producer to full-fledged producer. And freelance production coordinator Leslie Oliver has joined Digital Domain as a staff spot producer.
Greg Dowdin, formerly exec. producer at Wyld Spots, Los Angeles, has come aboard Digital Domain’s spot division as a bidding producer. Also taking on bidding producer responsibilities is Richard Bjorlin, formerly of The Moving Picture Company (MPC), London.
Another pair of MPC alumni, Perri Wainwright and Pete Jopling, have joined Digital Domain as Inferno artists. Also assuming Inferno artists posts are Australian Gavin Malkowich, who had been freelancing overseas, and Jean-Luc Azia, formerly of Computer Film Company-L.A., Culver City. Digital Domain now has nine full-time Inferno artists dedicated to spot work.
Among Digital Domain’s latest commercial endeavors are: the aforementioned Coke campaign; Nike’s "Project Alpha" fare directed by Michael Bay of bicoastal/international Propaganda Films for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco; Anheuser-Busch’s latest round of "Louie The Lizard" spots helmed by Goodby’s Tom Routson who has since joined Tool of North America, Santa Monica; a Universal Studios Florida campaign directed by Vincent Ward of Bruce Dowad Associates, Hollywood, and assorted automotive spots for such clients as Cadillac, Chevrolet and Pontiac. Coming off of a first quarter well ahead of the previous year’s in terms of revenue, Digital Domain’s commercial division is headed by Ulbrich, executive director of commercial marketing & new business Mitch Kanner, director of digital operations Patrick Davenport, and the newly promoted Gourrier.
-Millie Takaki
