Sony Pictures Technologies has tapped Grant Anderson as the new Executive Director of the “Sony 3D Technology Center,” located at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. The announcement was made by Chris Cookson, President, Sony Pictures Technologies and Chief Officer of the Sony 3D Technology Center, Sony Corporation of America, and Toshino Yuhaku, Senior Vice President, Corporate Alliances, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
“From his work as stereo supervisor at Imageworks, and on the studio’s major releases Green Hornet, the upcoming Battle of the Year, and others, along with his years of teaching at the Center, Grant has a keen understanding of the technologies and techniques needed to create natural and realistic 3D. Grant will continue the 3D Tech Center’s mission to nurture a community of experts in the growing market for 3D entertainment, while expanding collaborations on natively shot 3D productions, conversions and library efforts,” said Cookson.
Headquartered in Culver City, the Sony 3D Technology Center collaborates and consults on 3D productions, and offers professionals from across the industry the opportunity to learn more about the methods and equipment used to create top-quality 3D entertainment – including sports, movies, television and games.
Since its opening in 2010, the Sony 3D Technology Center has worked with over 3,000 TV and film industry trade association members, as well as independent professionals, offering classes and workshops with the goal of providing audiences with the best possible 3D experiences.
“With several of the filmmakers who participated in 3DTC programs now releasing major motion pictures, I believe 2012 will be a watershed year for 3D that will bolster the demand for high-quality 3D content around the globe,” said Anderson. “In the coming year, the 3D Technology Center will increasingly focus our efforts on close collaborations with productions to assist content creators in developing high-quality, cost-effective 3D entertainment.”
As an expert in 3D stereography, Anderson has taught the theory and application of creating high-quality 3D in movies, television, games and other platforms. Anderson is an established producer, visual effects supervisor, and digital artist in the film industry. He began his career in 3D as stereoscopic supervisor on Beowulf 3D and continued with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and The Green Hornet. He recently served as an advisor on Columbia Pictures’ The Amazing Spider-Man and as stereographer on Screen Gems’ Battle of the Year: The Dream Team.
Previously, Anderson served as CG supervisor and digital artist on some of Sony Pictures Imagework’s biggest projects including Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, The Matrix 2: Reloaded, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Aviator, among others. He supervised a team of nearly one hundred people to create the visual effects for Spider-Man 3, where Anderson was responsible for over 200 visual effects shots in the film. Anderson was also on the Academy Award®-winning visual effects teams for Titanic, Spider-Man 2, and the short film The Chubb Chubbs.
Prior to joining Sony Pictures, Anderson worked with Spider-Man creator Stan Lee to form Stan Lee Media where he used his skills to blend the art of feature film with the interactivity of online entertainment. Anderson also served as a digital artist at Disney and at visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain, where he worked on James Cameron’s Academy Award-winning film, Titanic. Anderson’s experience also includes a position as Senior Software Engineer at Apple Computer, responsible for supporting their key multimedia technologies. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and a minor in film.
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; worldwide television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 159 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at www.sonypictures.com.
