Oscar-winning visual effects company Pixomondo has named Jonny Slow as its new global CEO, effective immediately.
British-born Slow began working with Pixomondo at the Los Angeles headquarters last fall to help set up the company’s next steps for growth, following an investment by London-based Mayfair Equity Partners. One of those steps was the announcement of an eighth Pixomondo office opening in Montreal this year.
Prior to connecting with Pixomondo, Slow was U.S. divisional CEO of television production group Zodiak Media.
Slow will work closely with Pixomondo founder and president Thilo Kuther, as well as new Mayfair shareholders to continue planning and maintaining the long-term strategic direction of the company. Slow now joins Kuther, COO Sara Mustafa and CFO Alexi Papadakis to oversee the running of the Pixomondo group, which include studios in Toronto, Vancouver, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Beijing and Shanghai. With Pixomondo’s new ties to the U.K., the company will explore putting down deeper roots in Europe beyond its current facilities in Germany.
“Jonny has been working with us intensively since October last year and I am looking forward to working with him in this new capacity,” said Kuther who further noted, “The addition of Jonny to the team alongside the financial firepower of Mayfair is a compelling proposition, as we continue to build on the foundations of our past, and address the opportunities for Pixomondo in the future.”
Slow added, “Since founding Pixomondo in 2001, Thilo has built a phenomenal group of companies with a studio presence across the globe. The opportunity to work alongside him, the wider PXO team and Mayfair permanently was simply too good to miss.”
Slow’s appointment comes just after the launch of two high-profile Pixomondo projects: the eighth and final season of the HBO series, Game of Thrones (which has earned Pixomondo four Emmy awards thus far); and providing media for Aerosmith’s Las Vegas Residency, Deuces Are Wild, at Park MGM resort.
Pixomondo also made a major ad splash during this year’s Super Bowl with “Joust,” which delivered a Game of Thrones-twist ending to the then latest entry in Bud Light’s series of “Dilly Dilly” commercials. What started as a Bud Light Super Bowl spot featuring the King and Bud Knight descends into chaos when the menacing Game of Thrones character the Mountain makes a surprise appearance, defeating the defender of the “Dilly Dilly” kingdom in a jousting contest. Bud Light’s agency, Wieden+Kennedy, collaborated with HBO and Droga5 on the :60, replete with a sense of spectacle which entailed drone shots and a fire-breathing dragon The ad reunited people from the Game of Thrones crew under the aegis of director David Nutter. The first half of the spot, with Bud Light material, was directed by Spencer Riviera. Production house on the commercial was O Positive. Pixomondo, L.A., and The Mill New York were the VFX houses on “Joust.”
Pixomondo won an Academy Award in 2012 for its VFX work on Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. Other film credits include the Fast & Furious franchise, Bridge of Spies, Wonder Woman, Goosebumps 2, The Wandering Earth and Girl in the Spider’s Web. In addition to Game of Thrones, recent television credits include The Orville, Star Trek: Discovery, The O.A., Westworld and Goliath.
Pixomondo’s immersive entertainment work is currently on display at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi Theme Park, including the Green Lantern flying theater attraction, as well as the Times Square, NY walk-through digital aquarium experience, National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey.
