VFX supervisor and lead artist Michael Gregory has joined MPC Los Angeles as head of 2D. He comes on board from MPC London where for the past 13 years he has worked on such notable spots as Channel 4’s Cannes Film Craft Grand Prix-winner “Meet the Superhumans” for the Paralympics Games. Gregory brings expertise leading teams on large-scale projects, an exemplary aesthetic sensibility and long-standing relationships with top directors to his new role.
Gregory has worked with top-tier directors such as Jonathan Glazer, Traktor, Nick Gordon, Noam Murro, Mark Romanek, Tom Tagholm and Neil Gorringe. Gregory has won a host of awards, including a VES honor for Outstanding Animated Commercial for Cadbury’s “Spots v Stripes” and a D&AD Pencil and British Arrow for Channel 4’s “Street Summer” campaign, for which he helped develop an innovative new filming technique.
Gregory joins as MPC LA readies for a move this summer to a new state-of-the-art, 25,000-square-feet studio space in Culver City, where it will integrate its diverse capabilities in advertising and film encompassing VFX, content production, color grading, VR and film pre-production and VFX supervision onto one floor. “It’s going to be fantastic to have every department on the same floor,” Gregory said. “The best work always comes from collaboration. Great communication between different disciplines always achieves the greatest results.”
“Michael joining from the London studio will help us maintain the MPC culture as we expand,” said Paul O’Shea, Creative Director, MPC LA. “His work ethic, creative values and passion to create work of the highest standards make him a great mentor for the team. These days we work with MPC teams globally on projects so moving talent between offices is very healthy for us.”
Andrew Bell, managing director, MPC LA, said of Gregory, “Having come up the ranks at MPC London, he truly represents the high standards of our culture. I’m looking forward to seeing his contribution to our work and clients, as well as his influence on our up-and-coming talent.”
MPC maintains studios in London, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York, Bangalore, Montreal, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Shanghai and Paris.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More