Academy award-winning visual effects studio Digital Domain has been acquired by South Florida-based Wyndcrest Holdings LLC, a group led by action movie director Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor) and investor John Textor. According to Textor, the plan is to build the commercial and film industries’ leading director-centric visual effects business and extend Digital Domain’s business to include direct development of animated films and effects-driven features.
Wyndcrest Holdings principal and former Microsoft senior exec Carl Stork has been elected CEO of Digital Domain, replacing founder Scott Ross, who will serve as a consultant to the company. C. Bradley Call will remain president and chief operating officer while Bay and Textor co-chair the Board of Directors.
‘At a time when every top-grossing motion picture is relying on digital visual effects to help tell compelling and entertaining stories, we believe this translates into a bright future for companies in this field, and we believe Digital Domain represented a unique opportunity to invest,’ says Stork, whose accomplishments at Microsoft included leading the development of Windows 95/98.
‘Having worked with Digital Domain in the past, I am well aware of the talent and creativity of the team here, and understand first-hand why the company has a well-earned reputation for creative and high-quality work,’ Bay comments. ‘Rapidly evolving digital visual effects technology is going to allow motion picture directors to tell even more compelling and visually stunning stories in the future, and we believe that Digital Domain is uniquely positioned to take advantage of these new technologies, as well as new distribution channels and platforms.’
Founded in 1993, Digital Domain has received five Academy Awards, including two Best Visual Effects wins for Titanic and What Dreams May Come, and three Scientific and Technical Achievement honors for its proprietary imaging software. Recent major films baring the studio’s stamp include 20 Century Fox’s Oscar-nominated thrillers The Day After Tomorrow and I, Robot. In addition, the company’s commercial division has been awarded 34 Clio Awards, 22 AICP awards, eight Cannes Lion Awards and numerous other advertising honors.
Digital Domain also operates D2 Software, a subsidiary established to productize the studio’s proprietary software tools, including the Academy Award-winning Nuke compositing package. More information on the company is available at www.digitaldomain.com.
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