Canada’s Huminah Huminah Animation has employed animation veteran Steve Cooke as its new Head of Manufacturing. He’ll handle a rising slate of recent exhibits and overseeing all of HHA’s operations out of Halifax. Cooke’s rent follows the addition of Lynn Chadwick (VP Content material & Gross sales) and Claudina Rowe (Monetary Controller); a brand new CCO is quickly to be introduced. The corporate has additionally simply arrange a brand new 90-person studio facility in Dartmouth, NS.

Cooke labored at IOM as Studio Basic Supervisor from 2020 to 2021, with a earlier stint from 2004 to 2019 at DHX, the place he was Supervisor of CG on Rev and Roll, Inspector Gadget, Doozers, Fireman Sam, SuperWhy, Wishenpoof and Little Folks. Beforehand, he was an artwork director on Bo on the Go, Monster Math Squad, Animal Mechanicals and earlier than {that a} stop-motion animator on Lunar Jim.

Cooke’s animation profession started in 1998 at Cage Digital, the place he served as a senior animator on Salter Avenue’s collection Lexx. He has additionally labored as a lead artist at a number of different Canadian firms through the years, together with Elliot Animation.

 

DNEG introduced the hiring of Philippe Gluckman as Artistic Director – India for DNEG Animation. He brings greater than 30 years of expertise within the animation business to DNEG and will probably be based mostly out of the Mumbai studio. Gluckman will oversee the artistic output of the native division, working intently with the worldwide administration crew to make sure fine quality work. Moreover, he’ll concentrate on the artist expertise, facilitating collaboration, communication, and innovation, whereas sustaining and enhancing the supportive atmosphere the studio has created for its artists in India.

Gluckman spent virtually 15 years at DreamWorks Animation in California, as a VFX supervisor on initiatives similar to Antz, Shrek, Madagascar and plenty of others, earlier than relocating to India in 2008 as Artistic Director of DreamWorks Devoted Unit in Bangalore. On this position, Gluckman oversaw the artistic and technical execution of animated motion pictures similar to Penguins of Madagascar, Puss in Boots, Trolls and Boss Child, taking accountability for the visible high quality and execution of the work produced by the studio while rising, managing and mentoring its crew of animation artists.

DNEG Animation has additionally lately tapped Disney Tv Animation government Angi Dyste as its new SVP – Episodic, and promoted two members of its senior artistic crew into management roles, with Archie Donato (DNEG Animation’s VFX supervisor on Entergalactic and Nimona) promoted to Head of VFX, and Eoin Murphy (TD supervisor on Entergalactic and Nimona) upped to Head of CG. The studio is in producitno on Nimona for Annapurna Footage and Netflix, Garfield with Alcon Leisure for Sony Footage and That Christmas for Locksmith Animation, amongst different initiatives.

 

This follows DNEG Canada’s appointment of Adriano Rinaldi as Basic Supervisor of the corporate’s VFX and animation studio in Vancouver, BC. He’ll oversee the crew of greater than 600 staff as the corporate additional strengthens its concentrate on its Vancouver studio, which led DNEG’s latest Oscar and BAFTA-winning work on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Rinaldi will assume
accountability for the day-to-day operations in Vancouver and can collaborate intently with DNEG’s different basic managers, native heads of division, and the corporate’s world senior administration crew on wider initiatives.

Rinaldi brings greater than 16 years of business expertise to the position, each as a senior supervisor and as a artistic supervisor with intensive worldwide expertise. He most lately served as further VFX supervisor for Scanline on Marvel’s Eternals, and previous to this labored intently with famous director Dante Lam as VFX supervisor on The Rescue, for which he additionally oversaw the shoot as on set VFX supervisor in Mexico’s Baja Studios, and on location in L.A. and China.

Previous to working with Scanline, Rinaldi was Head of Artistic Operations for MPC Vancouver. As a senior artistic chief, he helped construct the corporate’s Vancouver presence and contributed to the design and improvement of workflow enhancements, firm processes and procedures, and elevating requirements for artistic excellence.

 

Aardman has appointed Laura Taylor-Williams to the newly-created position of Head of Digital and Strategic Growth. She’s going to lead the strategic route of digital monetization at Aardman throughout AVOD, FAST and EST, and oversee a crew that covers each business and inventive technique within the digital publishing house, making certain the corporate continues to be a best-in-class distributor. She stories to Director of Distribution Alison Taylor, and works intently with Head of Acquisitions Robin Gladman.

Taylor-Williams joins Aardman with over 15 years’ distribution expertise, having led profitable relationships with digital platform companions for globally recognised studios NBCUniversal & Warner Bros. Previous to the creation of this new position, she was masking a Senior Gross sales Supervisor position at Aardman, throughout which era she was chargeable for broadcast, streaming and VOD offers throughout Northern Europe and Canada.

The appointment follows a profitable interval for Aardman’s gross sales crew, as six out of the 15 most-screened productions at MIP Junior had been properties both owned or distributed by Aardman: Interstellar Ella, Monster Physician, Glad the Hoglet, Pop Paper Metropolis and Colourblocks, with Aardman’s personal Lloyd of the Flies taking the highest spot. The corporate additionally made the highest 10 in 4 out of 5 classes of Kidscreen’s Scorching 50, rating at #2 in Manufacturing and #4 in Distribution in addition to making the record for Licensing and Digital – a hit spurred by the expansion of basic manufacturers alongside new Aardman IP together with The Very Small Creatures along with its distribution roster of third-party exhibits.

 

Extra government & artist strikes:

• Arnaud Réguillet appointed Director of Ellipse Studio Angouleme.
• Phil Barrenger has joined Rising Solar Footage as new Head of Operations.
• Sophie “Kido” Prigent appointed as Head of Gross sales for Grizzy & the Lemmings studio HARI.
• Adela Hassan (AdELA) named CEO & Managing Companion of preschool music and edutainment model All Star Child.
• Framestore‘s Immersive division promoted Karl Woolley to Head of Immersive and welcomed Mandy Agderian as Govt Producer.
• BAFTA-winning VFX studio Lola Submit Manufacturing has appointed Annie Gordon as Govt Producer (Factual & Drama) and Lizzie Hill as Senior Producer.
• Veteran Animation Director Chris “Gru” Gruska has joined the roster of Janimation.
• VFX Supervisor Laurent Taillefer has signed on at Rodeo FX.
• Alex Snookes relocated from London to Los Angeles as Jamm‘s new VFX Supervisor & Compositor.
• Jennifer Oppenheimer has been appointed Worldwide Gross sales & Licensing Supervisor for Guru Studio (True and the Rainbow Kingdom).
• Lizzy Grey has joined Banijay Children and Household within the new position of Manufacturers and Advertising Director.