DNEG, a leading visual effects (VFX) and animation studio for the creation of feature film, television and multiplatform content, announced the promotion of Tom Jacomb to President, DNEG Animation. Previously serving as Managing Director, Jacomb helped launch the Feature Animation division at DNEG in 2014.
Based in London, Jacomb has guided the growth of the team to more than 500 employees across DNEG’s animation studios in London, Los Angeles, Montréal and Mumbai. In his new role as President, Jacomb will oversee further worldwide investment and expansion of DNEG Animation, including expansion into Vancouver and the creation of up to 100 new animation roles in the city.
Jacomb’s promotion to President is effective concurrently with the appointment of five new senior members of DNEG Animation’s team and the studio’s expanding slate of new feature film and episodic animation productions. DNEG Animation’s recent projects include Ron’s Gone Wrong, DNEG’s first feature animation project (Locksmith Animation/20th Century Studios). The studio’s production slate also includes Under the Boardwalk for Paramount Animation, animated short Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat with Academy Award-winning director William Joyce, and four yet-to-be-announced projects. Additionally, the team is developing the first feature-length animated adaptation of The Great Gatsby with Joyce.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce that Tom Jacomb, whose vision has guided our Feature Animation team since its inception in 2014, has been promoted to President, DNEG Animation. This promotion, and the onboarding of five new senior members of his team, supports our ambition for DNEG Animation to become one of the best and most highly regarded animation studios in the world,” said DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra. “Tom is continuing to build a superlative global team that is delivering fantastic work, delighting our clients and winning some fantastic film and episodic projects; and we will continue to build upon these great successes.”
Jacomb commented, “DNEG has long been known for its creative pedigree in visual effects, and I am incredibly proud of the opportunity to lead our amazing team and prove that DNEG can also excel in delivering the highest-quality animation projects. The team’s talents and hard work get the credit for our growth and the incredible projects that we are embarking on with our new feature film and episodic partners, including some very exciting co-production opportunities that will be announced in the months ahead. Looking to the future, I am very pleased to welcome our new senior crew members, who will bolster DNEG Animation’s global capabilities with even more creativity, experience and expertise.”
Five senior hires have been brought onboard to help lead the production of DNEG Animation’s expanding slate of projects:
Freddy Chaleur (Sherlock Gnomes, Gnomeo & Juliet) and Yancy Lindquist (The Boss Baby, Trolls) join DNEG Animation’s talented team of VFX Supervisors, which includes Philippe Denis, Archie Donato and Taylor Moll; Animation Director Jay Boose (The Little Prince, Up) joins the team’s animation leadership group, which includes Kapil Sharma, Troy Saliba and Dave Lowry, all led by Ted Ty; and DNEG’s new hires are rounded out by Head of Look Development Sonja Burchard (Rise of the Guardians, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Producer Audrey Ford (Turbo, Tangled).
The DNEG Animation original animated short Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat will receive its North American premiere at Spark Animation Festival in Vancouver, which runs from October 28 to November 7, 2021. The DNEG Animation creative team on this project, headed by SVP Creative Production David Prescott and VFX Supervisor Taylor Moll, worked closely with director William Joyce to develop the animated short within Unreal Engine, pushing the boundaries of what real-time game engine technology can bring to production feature animation and paving the way for the production of The Great Gatsby, which will be developed with these new workflows.
DNEG’s VFX work has won six (including five of the last seven) Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects for the feature films Tenet (2021), First Man (2019), Blade Runner 2049 (2018), Ex Machina (2016), Interstellar (2015) and Inception (2011); six BAFTA Awards (10 nominations); 11 VES Awards (28 nominations) and two Primetime Emmy Awards (four nominations).
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