Kevin VFX Mike Dalzell Theo Maniatis Carl Loeffler | STASH MAGAZINE

Venice VFX Boutique Kevin Welcomes Trio of Veteran Talent

From the release:

December 13, 2017, Venice, CA.— Visual Effects Studio Kevin, founded by esteemed industry players Tim Davies, Sue Troyan and Darcy Parsons, is enjoying a flurry of new business since opening its doors in September.

In just three months, the new facility with the down-to-earth demeanor has unleashed its creative energy on commercials for Jaguar, Land Rover, Target and Old Spice, and is currently working on a series of commercials for the Super Bowl. Kevin has grown its talent offering accordingly, announcing the new hires of a powerhouse trio—Mike Dalzell as Head of CG, Theo Maniatis as VFX Supervisor and Carl Loeffler as Head of Technology.

“Staying true to our commitment to offer the best talent in the industry, we are thrilled about Mike, Theo and Carl joining us,” comments Troyan, Senior Executive Producer of Kevin. “Already we’re seeing their dedication and unwavering work ethic position Kevin as a great new resource amongst the best of the best in visual effects.”

“Mike, Theo and Carl also fit the state of mind that we hold so important,” adds Davies, Executive Creative Director of Kevin. “They will always have your back, they know their stuff and will always work their ass off to get you what you need. Sue and I feel very fortunate and proud to have them with us at Kevin.”

As Kevin’s Head of CG, Dalzell brings years of experience as a CG Supervisor and Lead Artist—beginning as a 3D generalist then focusing on look development and lighting—at top creative studios ranging from Digital Domain, MPC and Psyop, to The Mill, Sony Imageworks and Method. He was instrumental in look dev for the EMMY Award-winning Coca-Cola “Heist;” VFX Gold Clio and British Arrow-winner Call of Duty “Seize Glory” and GE “Childlike Imagination,” honored with a D&AD Pencil in VFX.

He has also worked on commercials for Nissan, BMW, Lexus, Visa, Cars.com, Air Force and many others. He honed his skills on music videos in Toronto, and then on feature films such as Iron Man 3 and The Matrix movies—all Academy Award and BAFTA nominated for VFX, as well as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which won an Oscar and BAFTA for VFX, to note only a few credits.

Dalzell, who has already led Kevin teams for Mullen, W+K, The Martin Agency and Target, believes Kevin represents a unique situation for both clients and artists. “Sue, Tim and I have all been in the industry for 20-plus years and collectively have spent time at a large number of well established post houses,” Dalzell comments. “This allows us all to understand where the true value lies within a visual effects studio. Kevin is a boutique that understands the business and genuinely cares about everyone involved.”

Kevin VFX Supervisor Maniatis, both a renowned Flame Artist and on-set VFX Supervisor, has a wide breadth of experience in the U.S., London and his native Sydney. “Tim [Davies] and I used to work together back in Australia, so reconnecting with him and moving to L.A. has been a blast!” Maniatis says. “Personally knowing Tim’s generosity, professionalism and cheeky sense of humor and Sue’s [Troyan] leadership abilities, I knew immediately that Kevin was a great place to work. Having worked at many post houses in the world I can tell you one common fact: Each company’s culture is derived from the top and is felt in every aspect of the work environment. Kevin has a wonderful feeling of friends catching up.”

Maniatis’s work has been recognized with a breadth of awards including Cannes Gold and Silver Lions, Clio and Promax honors, and an EMMY for Coca-Cola “Happiness Factory.” His craftsmanship emerges in atmospheric spots for Apple Watch 3 + Apple Music “Roll” (directed by Sam Brown), TAG Heuer “To Jack” (directed by and featuring Patrick Dempsey), Destiny 2 “Rally the Troops” and Titanfall 2 “Become One” (created by Blur Studios), and PlayStation VR “Batman Arkham” and Axe “Office Love,” both directed by Filip Engstrom. Prior to joining Kevin, Maniatis worked with Blur Studios, Psyop, The Mill, Art Jail and Framestore.

Loeffler, Kevin’s Head of Technology, is creating the studio’s flexible and efficient production model using the latest Flame systems, high-end 3D workstations and render nodes and putting new networking and storage systems into place. Kevin’s new Culver City studio will open its doors in Q1, 2018. Loeffler will guide the current growth in both hardware and software, plan for the future and make sure Kevin’s studio is optimized for the needs of production. He draws from over two decades experience successfully building out and expanding the technologies for some of the largest facilities in Los Angeles including MPC and Technicolor.

“I’m excited about working at Kevin because the focus is on quality work vs. quantity,” says Loeffler. “Clients can rely on us for being agile and delivering high-quality work that’s focused on their needs.”

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