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    Pixomondo London launches previs team

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1771 Views
    Pixomondo London’s (l-r) Samat Algozhin, Laura Frasnelli, Matt Perrin and James Thompson
    LONDON --

    Pixomondo London has launched its first wave of pre-production creative services for feature film and high-end TV projects spearheaded by PXO’s UK head of studio Alex Webster and previs supervisor Matt Perrin. 

    The move follows the company’s strategic push into virtual production, which has seen PXO build a portfolio of state-of-the-art LED sound stages in Vancouver and Toronto with plans for a first stage in London.  

    Webster joined PXO last year and has put together a specialist visualization team creatively led by Perrin, who has supervised previs for such tent pole titles as Spiderman: Far From Home, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Aladdin.  

    Webster said that PXO is “combining pre-production, virtual art department (VAD), virtual production, and in-camera VFX (ICVFX) into one cohesive ecosystem. Along with our creative tools built in Unreal Engine, we can begin collaborating on a project at its inception and work with filmmakers to world build and visualize sequences that carry through to ICVFX shot on PXO’s own LED volumes.”  

    Perrin got his start on the James Bond film Skyfall and World War Z. His forthcoming titles include Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The School for Good and Evil, The Little Mermaid, and Wonka.  

    At PXO, Perrin is supported by a team of hand-picked visualization artists, creative technologists, and producers who work across all aspects of the pre-production process. Among them are lead VAD artist and layout supervisor Russell Tickner, VAD and virtual production producer Andy Jamison, virtual production supervisor Samat Algozhin, asset builder Laura Frasnelli and agile virtual production supervisor James Thompson. 

    “PXO is creating a pipeline and toolset from scratch, which merges the traditional with the new to provide interactivity in the early creative process,” said Perrin. “We’re using the latest real-time tech to improve the creative process and drive production values beyond anything we’ve seen before. Set this in the context of our work in virtual production and ICVFX, and we’ve got something quite special brewing.” 

    PXO’s virtual production work includes Star Trek: Discovery Season Four and the inaugural Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, debuting on May 5.  PXO’s Vancouver stage–billed as the largest LED stage globally–is currently in production on Netflix’s upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Canadian virtual production stages are built in conjunction with production equipment rental specialist William F. White International. 

    PXO London is taking previs bookings starting in May. 

    Tags:Alex WebsterMatt PerrinPixomondo



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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