AI software company Metaphysic has appointed visual effects expert Ed Ulbrich as its chief content officer and EVP of production. With 30 years of experience in the VFX, film, TV and advertising production industries, Ulbrich will oversee all production, new business opportunities and content partnerships, with specific responsibilities including group level and hands-on strategic, creative, operational, and financial management.
As an experienced professional innovating how content is made using artificial intelligence, Ulbrich will support Metaphysic as it approaches new projects and expands product and service offerings.
“The advent of generative AI has rapidly transformed how Hollywood will produce films and television, and Metaphysic has established itself as a trusted partner in navigating this new paradigm in entertainment,” said Thomas Graham, CEO of Metaphysic. “We are thrilled to welcome Ed to Metaphysic to support our efforts and tap into his wealth of experience in the industry, forward-looking insight and unmatched technical knowledge across the imaginative worlds of film, television, music, advertising, live-entertainment and AI.”
Ulbrich has been at the forefront of Hollywood’s evolution into the next chapter of VFX, with his work spanning across major entertainment studios such as Marvel Studios, Paramount Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Netflix, and more. Prior to joining Metaphysic, Ulbrich was CEO of Digital Domain, an Academy Award-winning VFX and technology company, and president and general manager of VFX at Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, a global VFX studio. He has led and managed Academy Award-winning teams and collaborated with some of the most talented film, television, music, and advertising professionals on Hollywood’s most iconic blockbuster films including Top Gun: Maverick, Avengers: Infinity Wars, Black Panther, Suicide Squad, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Titanic. He also produced the epic sci-fi movie Ender’s Game and spearheaded the groundbreaking “Tupac Shakur Hologram” project at Coachella for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, which earned industry accolades.
“Metaphysic is expanding creative horizons for filmmakers, artists, studios, and brands in ways previously unimaginable, and it’s doing so on a remarkable scale,” said Ulbrich. “The caliber of our output is truly breathtaking, and our technological prowess is unparalleled. Witnessing legendary filmmakers collaborate with our teams to leverage this transformative technology is nothing short of astounding. It’s exciting and an honor to join this exceptional global collective of visionaries, creatives, and technologists.”
ESPN and other channels return to DirecTV with a new Disney deal after a nearly 2-week blackout
DirecTV announced Saturday it had reached a deal with Walt Disney Co. that will restore ESPN and ABC-owned stations to its service after a nearly 2-week dispute that blacked out those networks for millions of viewers across the U.S.
The end of the impasse came in time for sports fans to watch ESPN's slate of college football games on DirecTV. It also will ensure that ABC's telecast of the Emmy Awards on Sunday night will be available in more major markets where viewers subscribe to DirecTV's pay service.
ABC had been unavailable since Sept. 1 on DirecTV in several markets where the station is owned by Disney. Those were located in the San Francisco Bay Area; Fresno, California; New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Houston; and Raleigh, North Carolina.
DirecTV's 11 million subscribers abruptly lost access to ESPN, the ABC-owned stations and other Disney-owned channels such as FX and National Geographic during the Labor Day weekend in a dispute over carriage fees and programming flexibility.
Some viewers were watching the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament when ESPN suddenly went dark and others were getting ready to watch a college football showdown between LSU and Southern California.
The impasse also kept the NFL's opening game of Monday Night Football off of DirecTV's service.
Financial details of Disney's new deal with DirecTV weren't disclosed as part of Saturday's announcement. DirecTV's payments to Disney will be based on "market-based" pricing, according to the announcement about the deal.
The agreement also will give DirecTV the ability to offer Disney's video streaming services a la carte as well as in its own bundled packages. DirecTV won the right to include ESPN's forthcoming direct-to-consumer... Read More