Creative team hires include Adam Lambert, Roxy Zuckerman, and Michael Reed, with Mattias Andersson joining the studio’s dedicated technology crew.
Preymaker has added four new hires to its West Coast team, with Adam Lambert, Roxy Zuckerman, and Michael Reed joining its creative team and Mattias Andersson joining the studio’s dedicated technology crew.
“Many of our clients are based on the West Coast, so having a strong presence in Los Angeles is very important to us,” noted Preymaker’s chief creative, Angus Kneale. “Preymaker is committed to building an exceptional team of creatives, producers, and technical professionals that work seamlessly across the globe. In order to stay on the cutting edge, you need to invest in exceptional talent. On the creative side, Adam, Roxy, and Michael bring a wealth of knowledge and they have excellent reputations in the industry. I have also worked closely with Mattias in the past and am thrilled he has joined us. I have no doubt that there are great things ahead.”
Previous head of technology at The Mill and JAMM, Andersson brings extensive career experience in high-end visual effects, CGI, and immersive media. In his new role, he will manage the creative studio’s technology stack in the cloud, develop innovative platforms, drive creative tools, and ensure security for client data.
“My goals are to work closely with the company’s world-class talent to help Preymaker be at the very forefront of whatever we decide to do,” said Andersson. “Efficiency is important to me. I don’t want artists to waste time on technology issues. We want them to be able to focus on what they do best - create amazing content.”
Lambert brings almost 20 years of experience as a VFX supervisor, Flame artist, and digital artist with stints at The Mill in London and Los Angeles. He worked on high-profile creative projects, including NFL The Next 100 and The Guardian’s Cannes Lion-winning Three Little Pigs advert.
“After 19 years at The Mill, it was time for a new challenge,” said Lambert. “When I spoke with Angus, Mel, and Verity, I fell in love with Preymaker’s family vibe I longed for again and the juggernaut of talented artists at their disposal. The studio is built for being creative and doing the best work possible where technology is at the forefront of making artful and engaging visuals.”
Zuckerman’s experience encompasses commercials and films as VFX lead, compositing supervisor, and digital artist at studios including The Mill, Digital Domain, Eight VFX, and Blur Studio. Her credits include contributions to films such as Tron: Legacy, Iron, Man 3 Real Steel, several chapters of the Fast and Furious franchise, and leading VFX for commercial campaigns such as Liberty Mutual’s popular Limu Emu.
“I’ve worked for big, publicly owned studios and feature houses and for boutique visual effects studios,” added Zuckerman. “Preymaker stood out as a unique, goldilocks sort of studio: not a huge machine but not so small that you struggle to staff a project. Angus, Melanie, and Verity are industry veterans with excellent reputations, and I trust their judgment with the type of work we’re doing.”
Reed spent the past eight years as CG Lead and 3D Generalist, most recently at The Mill as Generalist Department Supervisor. Before The Mill, he worked at studios such as MPC LA, Zoic, and The Mission. His credits include the GMC Hummer EV Revolutionary World Premiere and the cinematic trailer for The Last of Us as well as AR/VR projects, including Justin Timberlake’s Montana: An Immersive Music Experience and Samsung Winter Ride VR for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
“I decided to join Preymaker because both the people and the company’s offering were very aligned with my own,” said Reed. “There is an emphasis on making beautiful images and visual effects, but it’s accompanied by a huge curiosity to explore and develop new methods and technology.”
“It was a natural decision to expand our business on the West Coast,” said Preymaker executive producer Melanie Wickham. “Brands, agencies, and production partners here have been big supporters of Preymaker since we opened three years ago.”
Added Preymaker executive producer Verity Grantham, “We are looking forward to expanding our business along the West Coast, nurturing and further growing our existing relationships, and welcoming new clients to collaborate with our talented team of makers.”
Source: Preymaker
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
