Digital Artists Agency Signs New VFX Talent

Digital Artists Agency (DAA), a below-the-line talent agency specializing in visual effects, has signed a trio of highly accomplished VFX professionals for representation and has expanded customized services for its studio clients and talent roster. DAA services the film, commercial and television industries worldwide.

Joining DAA are motion capture producer and supervisor James Knight, visual effects supervisor Gray Marshall and animation director and supervisor Bernd Angerer.

The signing of Knight, who served as motion capture producer for the Academy Award-winning Avatar, signals DAA’s growing focus on virtual production and the importance of motion capture to digital filmmaking. In addition to his role as motion capture producer on Avatar, Knight has among his credits The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and I Am Legend.

Marshall has served as production visual effects supervisor on The Hangover, 21, Dreamgirls and Adaptation, and as VFX facility visual effects supervisor on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Italian Job, xXx, Fight Club and the television series West Wing. He has also worked as visual effects supervisor on leading commercial campaigns, including Nike‘s “Morning After” directed by Spike Jonze and winner of a Cannes Lion, and Sun Microsystems “The Dot” directed by Phil Joanou. Marshall has worked at Digital Domain and was also creative director and co-owner of Venice-based visual effects studio Gray Matter FX.

Angerer is a longtime animation supervisor at Digital Domain where he is attached to the upcoming 47 Ronin and where he was also animation supervisor on X-Men: First Class, TRON: Legacy and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; lead animator on The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor; and senior animator on Speed Racer. At Sony Imageworks he was character animator on I Am Legend and Beowulf and lead character animator on Spider-Man 3. During an earlier stint at Digital Domain Angerer was character animation sequence lead on I, Robot and character animator on Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Aeon Flux, What Dreams May Come and Titanic.

Bob Coleman, founder of DAA, said “The very real challenges of visual effects production mean that finding the right talent for the right project is more important than ever. We’re aware of the creative and financial implications for studios and VFX facilities and we strive to partner with them in providing the best talent available. We are very proud to welcome James, Gray and Bernd to DAA and to help them achieve their career goals.”

In addition to procuring work, DAA provides its talent roster with strategic career management and development, contract negotiations and legal review, as well as financial management referrals. DAA also sponsors visas for highly skilled foreign artists, allowing top-tier international talent to work anywhere in the United States.

DAA also announced that given the enormous opportunities in virtual production, it is actively seeking visual effects talent with cinematic experience in motion and performance capture, previsualization, virtual environments and CG characters.