Folks on the Transfer: New Management at Huminah Huminah, DNEG, Aardman & Extra

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 reveals 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 Normal 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 Road’s sequence Lexx. He has additionally labored as a lead artist at a number of different Canadian corporations 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 trade to DNEG and shall be primarily based out of the Mumbai studio. Gluckman will oversee the inventive output of the native division, working carefully with the worldwide administration workforce to make sure high-quality work. Moreover, he’ll concentrate on the artist expertise, facilitating collaboration, communication, and innovation, whereas sustaining and enhancing the supportive setting the studio has created for its artists in India.

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

DNEG Animation has additionally lately tapped Disney Tv Animation govt Angi Dyste as its new SVP – Episodic, and promoted two members of its senior inventive workforce 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 Normal Supervisor of the corporate’s VFX and animation studio in Vancouver, BC. He’ll oversee the workforce of greater than 600 workers 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
duty for the day-to-day operations in Vancouver and can collaborate carefully with DNEG’s different basic managers, native heads of division, and the corporate’s world senior administration workforce on wider initiatives.

Rinaldi brings greater than 16 years of trade expertise to the function, each as a senior supervisor and as a inventive supervisor with intensive worldwide expertise. He most lately served as extra VFX supervisor for Scanline on Marvel’s Eternals, and previous to this labored carefully 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 inventive chief, he helped construct the corporate’s Vancouver presence and contributed to the design and growth of workflow enhancements, firm processes and procedures, and elevating requirements for inventive excellence.

 

Aardman has appointed Laura Taylor-Williams to the newly-created function 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 workforce that covers each business and inventive technique within the digital publishing area, guaranteeing the corporate continues to be a best-in-class distributor. She experiences to Director of Distribution Alison Taylor, and works carefully 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 function, she was overlaying a Senior Gross sales Supervisor function at Aardman, throughout which era she was accountable for broadcast, streaming and VOD offers throughout Northern Europe and Canada.

The appointment follows a profitable interval for Aardman’s gross sales workforce, as six out of the 15 most-screened productions at MIP Junior have been properties both owned or distributed by Aardman: Interstellar Ella, Monster Physician, Blissful 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 reveals.

 

Extra govt & 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 Associate 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 Government Producer.
• BAFTA-winning VFX studio Lola Submit Manufacturing has appointed Annie Gordon as Government 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 Youngsters and Household within the new function of Manufacturers and Advertising and marketing Director.