Method Studios, a Deluxe Entertainment Services Group company, has added three animation artists to its creative team–Erik-Jan de Boer and James Jacobs who join Method’s Vancouver office as animation supervisor and creature supervisor, respectively; and animation supervisor Keith Roberts who will work out of the Los Angeles studio.
Born in Amsterdam, de Boer has been creating animations and visual effects for nearly a quarter of a century. He has worked at many top British VFX houses, including the Moving Picture Company. In 1996 he joined Rhythm & Hues where his credits included The Golden Compass (an Academy Award winner in the visual effects category), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Night at the Museum. This year he was among the core Rhythm & Hues team honored with a Visual Effects Oscar for his work on Life of Pi.
Jacobs is another Oscar-winning artist who received the 2013 Scientific and Engineering Academy Award for character simulation software used in Avatar. A creature expert nominated for a 2013 Visual Effects Society Award for his work on the Goblin King (The Hobbit), Jacobs has credits on numerous films, including Prometheus, The Adventures of Tintin and King Kong. A Toronto native, Jacobs has spent the bulk of his career focused on the unique challenges involved with creating compelling characters. From Method Studios in Vancouver, he is currently at work on director Wes Ball’s thriller The Maze Runner.
And Roberts, a long-time member of the Rhythm & Hues ensemble, is versed in all styles of CG animation, and his credits include “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Cabin in the Woods” and “The Incredible Hulk.” Originally from Yorkshire, England, Roberts most recently oversaw extensive visual effects work on the upcoming feature “R.I.P.D.” Roberts noted that at Method he is looking to divide his time between high-end feature film and commercial VFX work.
Christian Kubsch, president of Method, said that the hiring of de Boer, Jacobs and Roberts is well timed given that Method is “in the process of expanding the character animation talent across our global network.”
Method has facilities in Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, London, Sydney and Melbourne.
Beyoncé’s Halftime Show Highlighted Netflix’s NFL Debut On Xmas Day
Beyoncé provided more excitement than either game during Netflix's NFL debut on Christmas Day.
Riding into her halftime appearance on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy winner rocked her hometown Houston crowd with a nearly 13-minute performance on Wednesday.
She surprised fans by bringing along Shaboozey to perform "Sweet Honey Buckiin" and Post Malone joined her for "Levii's Jeans."
The action on the field didn't live up to expectations as the NFL showcased four of the AFC's top five teams.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce exposed a glitch in Pittsburgh's defense during Kansas City's 29-10 rout in the first game.
The broadcast itself went off just fine, quickly becoming the second-most popular live title on Netflix to date, according to NFL Media.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens led C.J. Stroud and the Texans to 17-2 at halftime before Beyoncé stole the show.
Mariah Carey opened Wednesday's doubleheader with a taped performance of "All I Want for Christmas is You" and then the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs trounced the Steelers to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
There were no signs of any major streaming issues during the game after Netflix experienced minor blunders at the start of the pregame show. The broadcast opened with roughly 10 seconds of silence because it appeared studio host Kay Adams' microphone wasn't turned on.
Beyoncé's live performance at NRG Stadium was supposed to be the biggest test for the streaming giant and it seemed to go off without a hitch.
Mahomes threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns and Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and one score as the Chiefs (15-1) earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The... Read More