Visual effects creative studio JAMM has added commercial and feature Flame artist Brian Hajek to its roster.
After graduating from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Hajek began working in the commercial field before crossing over to feature films. His extensive experience includes compositing shots for movies like The Avengers, Life of Pi, Avatar, Snow White and the Huntsman, American Sniper, Moonrise Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy and many more.
Hajek’s skill for making the fantastic feel tangible led to a VES Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture, for his role in helping to create “Skinny Steve Rogers” for the movie Captain America: The First Avenger. The shrunk-down version of the superhero played by Chris Evans was so believable, many viewers assumed it to be footage of a doppelganger actor. After working on over 50 feature titles, Hajek is returning to advertising.
After working with JAMM as a freelancer, Hajek is glad to jump on board in a greater capacity, saying, “It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of JAMM’s creative team. I had the chance to work on the Toyota ‘Discovery Machine’ campaign here, and it was immediately clear that this was a place I’d like to stay.”
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push — one that could include paying millions of dollars — to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More