/News 18.03.21

NEW HIRES AT MR. X IN ADELAIDE

MR. X has some notable new joiners with the studio. Read about them below!

Simon Maddison – Head of Creative Operations:

With 20 years of experiences in the industry, holding various roles including Head of VFX, CG Supervisor, and VFX Supervisor to starting and operating his own studio, Fuel VFX, Simon Maddison brings a wealth of experience to his role as the new Head of Creative Operations at MR. X.

Maddison has partnered with some of the industry’s most exciting directors including Jon Favreau on Cowboys and Aliens – which he counts as a career highlight – and David Gordon Green (Halloween, Halloween Kills) on multiple projects. Other notable credits include Marvel’s Ironman 2 and 3, The Avengers, as well as Peter Rabbit.

Simon Maddison. Courtesy of MR. X

Gillian Howe – Executive Producer:

Gillian started her career in the Technical Department at Kodak Motion Pictures before moving to Cinesite, where she found her home in VFX. Here, she developed the bidding department, as well as the sales and marketing teams.

As Head of Business Development, she successfully increased business for the studio by ensuring seamless project deliveries for many of the major Hollywood studios. From Cinesite, Gill moved to Sony to manage their Digital Marketing Studio for Europe based out of Pinewood Studios, where she was tasked with introducing the latest film cameras in tandem with post-production.

In 2014, Gillian had the opportunity to move to Rising Sun Pictures in Australia where she has been working for the last 6 years as Executive Producer prior to joining MR. X. Some of Gillian recent credits include Dumbo, Ford v Ferrari, Thor: Ragnarok, Captain Marvel, The Boys 2 and most recently Mortal Kombat.

Gillian Howe. Courtesy of MR. X

Derek Wentworth – VFX Supervisor:

With a B.A in Animation from Griffith University in Queensland, Derek Wentworth began his career as a character animator in 1996. Recognized quickly for his collaborative spirit, he became a VFX Supervisor in 2001. Wentworth works often from pre-production through to post, present during all stages on projects such as Justin Lin’s Fast and Furious 9. Fresh from filming in Edinburgh, he led post-production over the next 12 months.   
 
Starting at MR. X in 2021, Wentworth’s creativity, quick thinking, and solution-oriented approach is a benchmark for his work both internally and with major studios. His intimate knowledge of production requirements and the crews required for both pre- and -post work has allowed him to build in-house teams for the likes of Lionsgate and more. Having worked as a VFX Supervisor both in-house and as a ‘loan out’ gives Wentworth a unique insight into both sides of the industry.

Derek Wentworth. Courtesy of MR. X

David Crawford – VFX Supervisor:

David Crawford joins the Adelaide team after successfully delivering the VFX for Netflix’s hit series Barbarians at MR. X Montreal. Crawford is a seasoned veteran of the visual effects industry with over 25 years of experience. He worked in the golden age of VFX alongside supervisors and directors of Titanic and two Stark Trek films. Crawford spent years on different mediums, including commercials, music videos, and feature films like Seabiscuit and What Planet Are You From? 

Crawford’s leadership does not extend solely to supervision. He has helped build entire VFX studios, creating CG pipelines from scratch, establishing whole animation divisions and mentoring dozens of other artists and supervisors. His strength ultimately lies in his intimate understanding of filmmakers’ visions and his ability to creatively deliver even what they are unable to articulate in words.

David Crawford. Courtesy of MR. X

Find out more about: