Peter Pan & Wendy on Disney Plus
Get ready to embark on a magical adventure with Peter Pan & Wendy, now streaming on Disney+! Led by VFX supervisors Mark Curtis and Nicolas Chevallier, our talented teams across MTL, MUM and LDN completed over 990 shots, demonstrating our team’s incredible artistry. A mix of cutting edge tech (take a bow, FIRA) and incredible artistry helped bring Yara Shahidi’s Tinker Bell to life, and the team also delivered the iconic flight over London, reimagined the legendary Tick Tock, and meticulously crafted the Jolly Roger pirate ship.
Collider describes the film as “the right way to do a live-action Disney remake,” the Daily Telegraph says it is “the most beautiful, moving children’s film of the year” and Screen International praises the film’s VFX, including “the wormhole shift from London to Neverland and a tumultuous showdown between Hook and the mighty croc who ate his hand.” Empire, meanwhile, suggests it is “perhaps the hippest director-to-kids’-movie pairing since Spike Jonze wondered Where The Wild Things Are.”
Ad Age Creativity ‘VFX Company of the Year’
This week, Framestore was named 2023 ‘VFX Company of the Year’ by the prestigious Ad Age Creativity Awards! 🏆🎉 Congratulations to our incredible Advertising clients and teams who worked tirelessly to bring our award-winning projects to life.
Hold back the tears!
Marvel’s latest sneak peek of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ahead of its May 5th release features Rocket Raccoon, Lylla, Teefs, and Floor, and promises an emotional finale that will have audiences worldwide crying into their popcorn. Hats off to the global team who knocked this one out of the park!
To chime with this emotional new clip, director James Gunn spoke to Collider about Rocket’s troubled past. In the piece he is effusive in his praise for our work, stating “Framestore just did this amazing, amazing, beautiful work. They’ve done all of the Rockets throughout, from the beginning of the series, and they’ve really killed it this time.”
And literally JUST as we were planning on sending this week’s round-up out, some first reactions to the film started to drop. Are they good? OF COURSE THEY ARE! Check out some of these thoughts, from an array of writers and opinion-formers…
One month til splash-down
The highly-anticipated The Little Mermaid is set to splash onto the big screen on May 26th! As we eagerly count down the days, Disney has treated us to a sneak peek of Halle Bailey singing “Part of Your World” and revealed the fantastic character posters, showcasing our groundbreaking work in bringing these beloved classics to life.
Black Mirror’s first twisted trailer
Netflix has released the first trailer for Black Mirror Season 6 which returns in June. Featuring some incredible VFX work by our IA London team, it promises to be an unmissable watch.
There’s Knowhere like McDonald’s
To celebrate the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, McDonald’s launched their new campaign starring Groot in an amusing dance-off. The Chicago team worked closely with Vancouver on assets to create a lively spot which captured the essence of the film. The final spot was graded by Company 3!
What Happen in Vegas…
The entire industry gathered this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the mega event, CinemaCon 2023, which was jam-packed first-looks and intel about Framestore projects.
Disney showcased exclusive clips from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Little Mermaid, while at the Warner Bros. Showcase Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling joined director Greta Gerwig for an extended trailer release of Barbie, and Timothée Chalamet presented the first trailer for Wonka (featuring Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa).
Universal offered the first glimpse of Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda in the adaptation of Wicked – the Wizard of Oz prequel that tells the tale of what happened before Dorothy’s journey down the yellow brick road.
Talks and events
FMX
Framestore was in full force at this year’s FMX conference, which brought the best in animation, effects, immersive and interactive media to Stuttgart. Our presence at the conference included a full lineup of talks and presentations, both in our suite and on the main stage.
Framestore faces included – deep breath – Chief Creative Officer Tim Webber; VFX Supervisor Christian Kaestner, Creative Director, Pre-production Services Vincent Aupetit; Johannes Sambs, Head of CG (IA); Director, Global Talent Development Simon Devereux; Head of Groom & CFX Gabriela Salmeron; Kirtsy Yule, Production Trainer; Unreal and 3D Trainer Sergio Gonzalez and members of the LDN, MTL and MEL recruitment and marketing teams. Phew!
Our talks delved into topics such as the production of photoreal creatures, the transformative power of virtual production and real-time technologies, and the innovative Disney Wish Cruise Ship dinner show. Tim Webber also examined key innovations throughout his career and shared his thoughts on the future of filmmaking while presenting his upcoming short film FLITE.
In addition to main stage talks, we hosted special sessions in our company suite covering topics like virtual production, Unreal engine, leadership, professional development, mentoring, and VFX production.
Bloomberg Design + Make
Bloomberg Design + Make, a leading conference on innovative design, hosted a panel discussion this week featuring Mike McGee. The panel, titled How to Make It: The intersection of design and technology, focused on the collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of design and making.
FRAMED
Compositor, NY
Meet New York Compositor Noah Catan, whose obsession with Transformers and Lord of the Rings knows no limits. Noah, you’ve been [FRAMED].
In other news
Choose your Staffer
The Staff Award polls are open once again, awaiting your votes. Please take some time to consider who you think would make worthy winners this quarter.
As usual, go to the Intranet to cast your three votes (note that those who have received an award in the last twelve months are ineligible this time around).
The polls will close on Friday 5th May.
That’s a Wrap
The VAN team had a fantastic time at their Social Friday, celebrating the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Wrap. The team enjoyed pizza, popcorn, bubbles, and an out-of-this-world themed cake. This was the team’s first feature delivery on the Framestore pipeline – excellent work, Hot XMAS Team! 🔥🎅
Life Drawing Classes in VAN
VAN’s life drawing sessions are back in full swing, and inviting all-comers whether they’re seasoned pros or only just plucking up the courage to break out their paints. We can’t wait to see all your masterpieces!
To All the Gamers
The VAN games room is now open for business, equipped with kit for pool, table tennis, foosball, PS4 with VR, arcade games and board games. Play nice, people!
Avant-Premiere in MTL
The MTL team was invited to a private screening of Peter Pan & Wendy. The screening was made even more special with the presence of Disney Executive Producer Jim Whitaker, who personally introduced the movie to the audience. Over 300 team members and their guests were in attendance, and all flew high to Neverland.
Springtime in MTL
After a long and harsh winter, our talented runners brought some much-needed spring cheer to the Montreal office with their colorful decorations. In celebration of Earth Day, employees were given the chance to take a plant home, bringing a little bit of nature into their own spaces.
Jeremie Lodomez visit the MUM Studio
Our MUM Compositing team got to meet Jeremie Lodomez, Global Head of Compositing this week, getting a deep-dive on the studio’s commitment to absolute excellence and how MUM’s growing team fits into the company’s global strategy.
MEL Benefits
MEL recently expanded their benefits package to include a discounted partnership with Medibank Private Healthcare. Staff gathered both virtually and in office for a lunch & learn catered with Subway, to learn more about the Australian healthcare system, why private health insurance could benefit them, and how they can tap into the corporate discount.
You’re all caught up for this week! Please remember that our studios in LDN and MUM will be closed on Monday for Early May Bank Holiday.