MUMBAI: London's award-festooned visual effects powerhouse Framestore has swooped on two high-profile creative talents following the dramatic collapse of competitor MPC. Patrick Ledda and Daniel Blacker have joined the London studio's leadership team, bringing with them a treasure trove of experience from blockbuster franchises including The Lion King and Pirates of the Caribbean.
The pair's arrival comes hot on the heels of Technicolor's shock decision to shutter MPC a few weeks ago—a move that left the VFX industry reeling and talented artists scrambling for new berths. Framestore has wasted no time in grabbing the cream of the crop.
With a PhD in Computer Graphics, Patrick Ledda is driven by a fascination with the convergence of creativity and technology. Starting as a generalist at Terry Gilliam’s Peerless, Patrick joined MPC 15 years ago, initially as a Lighting Lead, ascending to Head of Lookdev working on high profile productions including Prometheus, 47 Ronin and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. His supervisory debut on Disney’s Cinderella paved the way for boundary-pushing work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge, Lady and the Tramp, Dumbo and The Little Mermaid.
“I’ve long admired Framestore’s innovative approach and this is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with some of the industry's most talented minds across a global network of studios,” states Ledda. “Hugely motivating to be joining a company that continually pushes the boundaries of creativity and technology in filmmaking.”
Blacker's appointment represents something of a homecoming—the animation maestro began his career at Framestore some 18 years ago before defecting to MPC for a 15-year sojourn. His CV reads like a Disney shareholder's fantasy, having guided animation teams on Maleficent, Cruella and most recently Mufasa: The Lion King.
"Framestore has always championed handcrafted, animated performances," Blacker noted. “Coming back to guide these teams and collaborate too with Art Department, Visdev and FPS to tell these stories for our clients is really exciting.”
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Framestore, CEO of film & episodic Fiona Walkinshaw could barely contain her glee at the appointments. "Patrick and Daniel join us at a pivotal time, as we embark on film productions that are both creatively ambitious and technologically demanding. We know that they are more than up to the task and are really looking forward to seeing what they create.”
Framestore's upcoming slate includes How to Train Your Dragon, F1 and The Fantastic Four: First Steps—projects that will surely keep the new recruits busy creating impossible worlds while the very real world of VFX studios continues its dramatic consolidation.
