The principals of award-winning design and production company Thornberg & Forester (T&F) are very proud to welcome Vi Nguyen as their head of 3D and VFX supervisor. This is a new position within the growing company, which was launched in the heart of New York City in 2007. nn”I was very attracted to Thornberg & Forester’s open creative environment, the quality of work and the concentration on environmental and sustainable advertising,” Vi said.nn”As a company, we have now grown to the point where we need Vi’s leadership and amazing talents every day,” explained co-founder and creative director Justin Meredith. “Working with us in a freelance capacity, he has been instrumental; by streamlining our workflow and render farm, he’s made large-scale CG jobs run smoothly, and he is a proven master at resolving VFX challenges in beautiful ways. With Vi on our team, we feel that our creative powers and our capabilities are unmatched.”nnA native of San Diego, Vi began his career as an associate producer for Digital Hemisphere Development in LA, then joined Southern California’s Rhodiana Corp. as a technical manager. By 2004, his reputation as an emerging Maya artist landed him with LA’s Blind Visual Propaganda, and then with Motion Theory in Venice later that year. During the 28 months that followed, Vi rose to lead Motion Theory’s VFX department as the company delivered iconic, VFX-intensive spots for Budweiser, Cadillac, EA Sports, Gatorade, HP, Lenovo, and McDonalds, among many others, and music videos for major artists including Beck. nn
Roger Darnell DWA for Thornberg & Forester Contact Roger via email Phone: +1.828.264.8898
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn't have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly impacted... Read More