An Absolute Hire: Alice Mitchell
Absolute in London has brought Alice Mitchell on board its film and TV team as lead compositor. Mitchell joins following 20+ years at DNEG, where she worked on films including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Captain America, Mission Impossible--Fallout, The Hunger Games--Part 2 and The Matrix Resurrections. 

She has also been active on the TV front. Recent projects include Prime Video’s Snow White and the Huntsman and Les Misérables, as well as Disney+’s Avengers: Infinity War and Super/Natural.  

An avid BAFTA member, Mitchell has worked with noted talent such as Kenneth Branagh and Christopher Nolan, with her work gaining recognition on the awards show circuit. Steve Barron’s Dreamkeeper took home an Emmy, while Nolan’s Inception, on which she worked across some major shots, scored an Oscar, a BAFTA and a VES award for best VFX.  

Andy Hargreaves Joins Ghost VFX
Ghost VFX, Streamland Media’s visual effects division, has added Andy Hargreaves as VFX supervisor. Hargreaves has over 20 years of experience across commercials, films and episodics including Prehistoric Planet, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Marvel’s Inhumans.

Hargreaves, who previously worked for DNEG and MPC, was recently nominated for an HPA Award for Outstanding Visual Effects for Prehistoric Planet. His additional credits include working on BAFTA Award nominee Emerald City, the Emmy and BAFTA-winning series Outlander, and the popular crime drama Death in Paradise.

From Ghost VFX’s London studio, Hargreaves will be available to service projects anywhere in the world. In addition to London, Ghost VFX has studios in Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Manchester, Toronto, and Vancouver, and its Pune studio is moving into a new facility this year. Recent Ghost VFX credits include Fast X, The Book of Boba Fett, Troll and The Mandalorian.

Shape+Light Promotes Thomas, Neitz, Lehr
Santa Monica, Calif.-based boutique visual effects and design studio Shape+Light has made several promotions, including Aidan Thomas and Aaron Neitz each rising to creative director, and Cara Lehr to managing director. Rounding out the rest of the Shape+Light team are: sr. Flame artist Emily Irvine, Flame artists Pat Hunsberger and Austin Lewis, jr. Flame artist Eugene Vernikov, sr. producer Arielle Weir, and producers Jade Fuller and Rachel Pring.

Thomas joined Shape+Light in 2022, having previously spent 12 years at Method Studios where he worked his way up from sr. Flame artist to creative director. He began his career at MPC and The Mill. Thomas has collaborated with directors including Michel Gondry, John Hillcoat, Tom Carty, Brian Buckley, and Dante Ariola, and delivered award-winning projects for brands such as MSFT, Google, Dr. Pepper, Levi’s, Coca Cola, Guinness, Ford, Honda, Apple, Nike, and Taco Bell. Based in Los Angeles, Thomas was born and raised in London.

Neitz joined Shape+Light in 2021. He has worked across commercials, music videos, feature films, documentaries, and short form, with notable ad clients including Google, Meta, Gatorade, and just about every major automotive brand. Prior to joining Shape+Light, Neitz spent over a decade at Riot/Method Studios as a lead Flame artist, and eight years in editorial at King Cut. 

Lehr has been with Shape+Light since its inception in 2019, originally joining as executive producer. She brings over two decades of VFX experience at award-winning shops including Method Studios, Digital Domain, Psyop, Asylum, and Brickyard VFX. Lehr has had a hand in work for brands including Apple, Meta, Nike, Chevrolet, and the NFL, shepherding them through the post process....