VFX studio MPC has added three key senior staff members to its Los Angeles team: David Hoogenakker as head of business development; Jeff Werner as head of production; and Meghan Lang as executive producer. The company has also promoted Mike Wigart to EP of MPC Creative. Furthermore, MPC LA will relocate from Santa Monica to a bespoke space in Culver City early next year.
Hoogenakker joins from TBWA/Chiat/Day LA. He brings over 25 years of industry experience working as a sr. producer with notable advertising agencies, production companies and multi-national brand clients such as Nissan, Infiniti, Gatorade and Pepsi. As EP, Lang will focus on the studio’s color division, bringing 13 years of industry experience that are a well-rounded mix of live-action production, VFX, editorial, business development and talent management. Most recently, Lang worked closely with top directors and production execs as an EP at Furlined. Prior to that she was a principal at Stable 7/Scout, a brand and talent management firm. As head of production, Werner will draw from a well-honed expertise in production and 3D from studios such as Method, where for the past five-and-a-half years he was digital studio manager. Prior to that, he was head of 3D at Asylum and a key creative executive there for nearly 13 years.
Wigart served as MPC LA’s deputy head of production prior to being promoted to EP of MPC Creative, the company’s content production arm. He will focus on original content, live action, motion graphics and VR. Prior to joining MPC, Wigart was a producer at Method Studios.
A former bookbinding factory, MPC LA’s new Culver City facility will be home to the company’s Advertising activities and an expanded Film pre-production team. It will be remodeled as part of an open plan space by MPC’s go-to architect Bruce Bolander and reflect brand extension also seen in the MPC Advertising location in New York.
Graham Bird, MPC Advertising’s global managing director, related, “It’s the right time for MPC to change its location and expand the team in L.A. These changes will reflect the needs of our business which today sees us partnering clients on VFX and experiential projects as well as wide ranging innovative creative technologies such as VR and AR. Culver City with its new transport links [the Metro Expo line] and more central location makes complete sense.”
MPC also maintains facilities in New York, London, Vancouver, Bangalore, Montreal, Amsterdam, Mexico City and Shanghai. MPC’s credits include VFX for such features as Terminator Genisys, Godzilla and Guardians of the Galaxy, and ad campaigns for Samsung, Coca-Cola, Nike, Sony, Intel and Dell, among assorted other brands.
