Emmy and Annie award-winning VFX and animation company Jellyfish Pictures has restructured its leadership team. The new appointments follow Key Capital Partners’ minority investment in Jellyfish Pictures earlier in the year and the ongoing global expansion of the company’s operations powered by its virtual studio infrastructure.
David Patton, former global president of brand experience and advertising at Technicolor Creative Studios (where he led The Mill and MPC Advertising), has joined Jellyfish Pictures as CEO. In this newly created role, Patton will work closely with Jellyfish Pictures’ founder Phil Dobree to spearhead long-term growth across the business. Their focus will be to broaden the studio’s product offering, build out operational efficiencies, expand into new markets and nurture the company’s creative talent.
Also joining Jellyfish Pictures is Mark Warburg as COO. Previously global head of talent at Technicolor Creative Studios, Warburg will be responsible for all aspects of operational and talent excellence ensuring that Jellyfish Pictures continues to deliver cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art production platforms to service the demands of the best film and animation studios from across the globe.
Phil Greenlow, formerly the global managing director for film at MPC, joins Jellyfish Pictures as managing director of VFX across film and episodic content. Greenlow will leverage his 16 years of industry experience to build upon the portfolio of work delivered on a diverse range of content, spanning major feature films to the ever-expanding high-end TV market.
Natalie Llewellyn expands her role as managing director of Jellyfish Pictures’ animation & originals overseeing all the studio’s animation production output and driving business development, client relationships and partner initiatives.
Sharn Gondal, former global head of talent at MPC, has been appointed as Jellyfish Pictures’ head of people, responsible for the development and expansion of Jellyfish Pictures’ globally located talent base.
Existing CFO Michelle David and director VFX and animation Luke Dodd will support the leadership team and work closely with new CEO Patton on delivering the company’s ambitions and managing sustained growth.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More