Creative content company Alkemy X has added creative director Geoff Bailey to its New York office. This move accents a noteworthy stretch of expansion in which Alkemy X almost doubled its staff and opened a new state-of-the-art production and post facility in New York City. The announcement comes on the heels of Alkemy X making headlines as the exclusive visual effects company on M. Night Shyamalan’s original thriller Split, which was the no. 1 film at the U.S. box office for three consecutive weeks.
The genesis of the creative relationship between Alkemy X and Bailey formed in 2016 when the two collaborated on a 360° experiential film project for EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young) and brand consultancy BrandPie. Bailey served as the creative director on the project, which was commissioned for EY’s Strategic Growth Forum held in Palm Desert, Calif., last November. The experience was a showcase of Alkemy X’s entire arsenal of visual storytelling expertise, including live-action, VFX, animation, design, and editorial.
“After bringing Geoff on board for the EY project, we immediately recognized the potential for him to be a tenured creative leader at Alkemy X,” said Justin B. Wineburgh, president and CEO of Alkemy X. “The timing of this appointment couldn’t be more perfect with so many key growth initiatives coming to fruition this year. Furthermore, Geoff’s multidisciplinary background and branding expertise, coupled with his incredible work ethic and personality, aligns perfectly with the multitude of talent and high-end production resources that allow us to create exceptional work and continue to exceed our clients’ expectations.”
“I enjoy creating at the convergence of many disciplines and look forward to leveraging my branding knowledge to support Alkemy X’s hybrid creation pipeline — from ideation and strategy, to live-action production, design, and VFX,” remarked Bailey. “Together, I believe we can bring a depth of knowledge and creativity into new and unforeseen spaces. Of course, as a creative director, you can have all the great ideas in the world, but they’ll flat-out fail if you don’t have the right people to execute at a high level — and Alkemy X’s talent pool is far-reaching, including some of the best editors and digital effects artists I’ve ever worked with.”
Most recently, Bailey was a creative director at loyalkaspar, where he creatively led the launch campaign for A&E’s Bates Motel, while garnering numerous PromaxBDA Gold Awards and a Sports Emmy for the rebrand of ESPN’s College Football and Longhorn Network. He also served as creative director/designer on the title sequence for the American launch of A&E’s The Returned, and as creative director/director on a series of launch spots for the debut of Vice Media’s TV channel Viceland. Prior to that, Bailey freelanced for several of New York’s top design firms as a director, designer, and animator. His extensive freelance résumé includes work for HBO, Showtime, Hulu, ABC, Cinemax, HP, Jay-Z, U2, Travel Channel, Comedy Central, CourtTV, Fuse, AMC Networks, and Kiehl’s.
Bailey holds an MFA in Film Production from Columbia University. His films have screened at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, Los Angeles International Short Film Fest, Brooklyn International Film Festival, Nashville International Film Festival, BET/HBO Urbanworld Film Festival, Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival, and numerous others.
“Geoff’s versatility as a visual storyteller is what makes him such a great creative leader, especially as Alkemy X forays into new opportunities in the realm of VR, branded content, gaming, and more,” concluded Nick Litwinko, Alkemy X SVP and New York managing director. “Not only does he demonstrate the rare combination of focus and imagination that’s necessary to bringing larger conceptual visions to life, but also he’s adept at all the necessary details and technique that goes into each phase of the filmmaking process.”
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More