DNEG

DNEG

DNEG

Indian-British visual effects company

This article is about the visual effects studio. For other uses, see Double Negative (disambiguation).

DNEG (formerly known as Double Negative and stylized as D N E G) is a British visual effects, computer animation and stereo conversion studio that was founded in 1998 in London, and rebranded as DNEG in 2014 after a merger with Indian VFX company Prime Focus; it was named after the letters "D" and "Neg" from their former name.[2]

Quick Facts Formerly, Industry ...

The company has received seven Academy Awards for its work on the films Inception, Interstellar, Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049, First Man, Tenet and Dune.[3] In addition, DNEG has received BAFTA awards for Inception, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 , Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049, Tenet, Dune and Black Mirror's "Metalhead",[4] and Visual Effects Society awards for its work on films such as The Dark Knight Rises, Sherlock Holmes, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049, Altered Carbon, First Man, Chernobyl, Last Night In Soho, Foundation and Dune.[5] It has also received Primetime Emmy Awards for its work on Dreamkeeper, Chernobyl and season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery.[6]

DNEG is headquartered in Fitzrovia, London with additional locations in Vancouver, Mumbai, Los Angeles, Chennai, Montréal, Mohali, Bangalore, Toronto, and Sydney.[7][8][9][10]

History

Double Negative first opened its doors in 1998 in London. Founded by a small group of industry professionals, including Peter Chiang (Senior VFX Supervisor), Matt Holben (Joint MD), Alex Hope (Joint MD) and Paul Franklin (Senior VFX Supervisor),[11][12][13] it has grown from a small team to 8,000 members of staff worldwide.

Over the years, DNEG has worked on over 200 movies and developed working relationships with a number of leading directors. Its first project was Pitch Black, released in 2000. Since then, DNEG's work can be seen in recurring franchises like Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Marvel Cinematic Universe, James Bond, Jason Bourne, Fast and Furious, Mission: Impossible and the DC Extended Universe.[14] DNEG has worked on award-winning projects such as Inception, Interstellar, Ex Machina, Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049, Black Mirror – Metalhead, Altered Carbon, First Man, Chernobyl, Tenet, Star Trek: Discovery (Season 3), and Dune.[15][16][17]

DNEG's visual effects work has been honored with seven Academy Awards, seven BAFTAs, eighteen Visual Effects Society Awards and three Primetime Emmy Awards.[6]

Ownership

In July 2014, Indian visual effects company Prime Focus World merged with Double Negative;[18][19] the merged company was rebranded as DNEG.[20]

In August 2021, UK-based firm Novator Capital Advisors invested $250 million in Prime Focus Limited, DNEG's parent company. This deal boosted CEO and Prime Focus founder Namit Malhotra's stake in the parent to 70% from 35%, and as the owner of Novator, Icelandic billionaire Thor Björgólfsson received a 15% stake in DNEG.[21]

On January 25, 2022, DNEG announced its entry into a definitive business combination agreement with Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: AKIC). Subject to customary closing conditions, which were expected in the first half of 2022, the combined public company would be named DNEG.[22][23] DNEG called off the merger and public listing in June 2022, with CEO Malhotra vowing to expand further.[24]

International expansion

In 2009, Double Negative opened its Singapore office,[25][26] and closed it in March 2016.[27][28]

Following the 2014 merger with Prime Focus World, DNEG announced the upcoming opening of a Mumbai branch.[29] Since 2014, DNEG has opened new facilities in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Chennai, Montréal, Mohali, Bangalore and Toronto.

In November 2022, DNEG announced plans to open a location in Sydney, Australia, where its VFX and animation divisions will work. The new studio was scheduled to open in 2023 in Pyrmont and would be headed by VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson. It will lead the visual effects for George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.[30][31]

Services and divisions

Visual effects

DNEG started as a visual effects (VFX) studio specialised in VFX for feature films. Over the years its offering expanded to include VFX and animation for feature film and television, and stereo conversion.

In 2013 the company launched its Episodic VFX team dedicated to the creation of VFX for television, OTT and streaming providers and designed to allow content producers and networks access to DNEG's team and infrastructure for non-theatrical projects.[32][33]

Animation

Quick Facts Formerly, Company type ...

DNEG Animation (formerly known as DNEG Feature Animation) was founded in April 2014 as DNEG Feature Animation after DNEG formed a deal with Locksmith Animation, with Tom Jacomb leading the studio.[34] It provides animation services alongside IP creators and filmmakers for both feature and episodic animated projects. A Queen's Guard soldier with a giant pencil sometimes alongside a short six-leg robot guard are the mascots of the studio. Its first project was the short film Mr. Spam Gets A New Hat, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker William Joyce and released in 2021, which won 'Best Animation' at 2021 New York Shorts International Film Festival, 'Best Animated Short' at Cleveland International Film Festival, 'Best Animation' at LA Shorts Festival, 'Best Animated Short' at Cordillera International Film Festival and 'Best 3D Narrative Short' at SPARK ANIMATION 2021. Its first feature film was Ron's Gone Wrong, co-produced with Locksmith Animation for 20th Century Studios, also released in 2021, which won for 'Best Longform' at the British Animation Awards (BAA).[35][36][37] With the trailer release of Mr. Spam Gets A New Hat in October 2021, and by early 2022, the studio was renamed to DNEG Animation. The studio then worked on the Netflix television special Entergalactic, created by Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi and Kenya Barris and released in September 2022.[38][39]

The studio's next feature film was Nimona, an adaptation of the webcomic of the same name by ND Stevenson for Netflix and Annapurna Pictures, released in June 2023; in the production of Nimona, DNEG would take over animation from Blue Sky Studios after the company was shut down by then-owner The Walt Disney Company before their production was completed.[40] It was followed by Under the Boardwalk for Paramount Animation, which was released in October of that year.[41][42][43]

Projects currently in production include The Garfield Movie (2024), for which DNEG is a producer alongside Alcon Entertainment for Sony Pictures,[44] That Christmas (2024), a co-production with Locksmith Animation for Netflix, an adaptation of The Cat in the Hat (2026) with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, and an adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

ReDefine

DNEG ReDefine was launched in 2019 to provide creative visual effects and animation services both to expanding international markets and to filmmakers and streaming companies.[45][46][47]

Stereo

DNEG Stereo (formerly known as Prime Focus World) was the first in the world to convert a full Hollywood film from 2-D to 3-D and has since become one of the largest stereo conversion companies in the motion picture industry.[48]

Virtual Production

DNEG Virtual Production is a global, end-to-end virtual production service. It offers filmmakers and content creators access to a full range of real-time production services – from script breakdown, through development / pre-production, production and post-production, to final picture delivery. DNEG Virtual Production has delivered virtual production services for Andy Serkis' Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Keneth Branagh's Death on the Nile and David Leitch's Bullet Train.[49][50]

Filmography

Feature films

1990s and 2000s

More information Year, Title ...

2010s

More information Year, Title ...

2020s

More information Year, Title ...

Upcoming films

More information Year, Title ...

Television series and specials

More information Years active, Title ...

References

  1. [1]
    Hayes, Dade (18 August 2021). "Visual Effects Oscar Heavyweight DNEG Gets $250M Injection From UK Investment Firm Novator". Deadline. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  2. [2]
    Cheshire, Tom (11 January 2013). "Action heroes: Soho's VFX teams illustrated by Soho's VFX teams". Wired. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  3. [3]
    Failes, Ian (3 April 2018). "Double Negative: Double Decades of Double Positives". VFX Voice. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  4. [4]
    "About us". Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  5. [5]
    "DNEG wins big at VES Awards". TVBEurope. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  6. [6]
    "DNEG Scores BAFTA Award for Special Visual Effects on "Dune"". UK Screen Alliance. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  7. [7]
    Wit, Alex Dudok de (14 June 2021). "DNEG To Open Studio In Bangalore, Its Fourth Indian Location". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  8. [8]
    Wit, Alex Dudok de (23 August 2021). "DNEG Plans To Expand To Toronto And Create Up To 500 Canadian Jobs". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  9. [9]
    "DNEG opens Sydney office with Mad Max VFX". 16 November 2022.
  10. [10]
    "VFX Veteran Alaric McAusland to Head DNEG Facility in Sydney". 14 December 2022.
  11. [11]
    Frei, Vincent (8 March 2012). "JOHN CARTER: Peter Chiang - VFX Supervisor & Co-founder - Double Negative". The Art of VFX (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  12. [12]
    Bickerton2021-10-26T09:35:00+01:00, Jake. "Former DNEG execs setup VFX firm beloFX". Broadcast. Retrieved 18 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. [13]
    "Paul Franklin". St John's College. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  14. [14]
    "DNEG Gives the 007 Series an Explosive Finale in 'No Time to Die'".
  15. [15]
    "DNEG Wins Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects on 'Dune'".
  16. [16]
    "Visual effects powerhouse invests in Australian base". arts.gov.au. 25 November 2022. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  17. [17]
    "Jobs boom as Sydney secures Hollywood giant | NSW Government". 17 November 2022.
  18. [18]
    Cohen, David S. (25 June 2014). "Visual Effects Giants Prime Focus World, Double Negative to Merge". Variety. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  19. [19]
    Cohen, David (25 June 2014). "Visual Effects Giants Prime Focus World, Double Negative to Merge". Variety. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  20. [20]
    Philips, Emma Latham (14 June 2018). "DixonBaxi's rebrand for Oscar-winning VFX company DNEG "suggests motion and constant transformation"". It's Nice That.
  21. [21]
    Hayes, Dade (18 August 2021). "Visual Effects Oscar Heavyweight DNEG Gets $250M Injection From UK Investment Firm Novator". Deadline. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  22. [22]
    Ramkumar, Amrith (25 January 2022). "WSJ News Exclusive | Hollywood Visual-Effects Studio DNEG Reaches $1.6 Billion SPAC Merger to Go Public". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  23. [23]
    "DNEG, visual effects studio behind "Tenet", to go public in $1.7 bln SPAC deal". Reuters. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  24. [24]
    Szalai, Georg (16 June 2022). "'Stranger Things' VFX House DNEG Calls Off SPAC Deal, CEO Vows to "Keep Expanding"". The Hollywood Reporter. MRC and Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  25. [25]
    Shetty, Chaitra. "Double Negative opens in Singapore". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
  26. [26]
    Valecha, Amrita (7 January 2011). "Double Negative takes recruitment drive to Australia & New Zealand". axapac. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011.
  27. [27]
    "Singapore statement". Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  28. [28]
    Frater, Patrick; Cohen, David (23 March 2016). "Double Negative to Close VFX Facility in Singapore (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  29. [29]
    Frater, Patrick (11 June 2015). "India's Prime Focus and U.K.'s Double Negative to Open Mumbai VFX Plant". Variety. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  30. [30]
    "DNEG Opens New VFX and Animation Studio in Sydney". DNEG. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  31. [31]
    Lang, Jamie (16 November 2022). "DNEG Sets Up VFX/Animation Studio In Sydney, First Project Is George Miller's 'Furiosa'". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  32. [32]
    Bevir2013-04-25T08:37:00+01:00, George. "Double Negative plans to buck trend with TV VFX arm". Broadcast. Retrieved 18 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  33. [33]
    "DNEG TV is Open for Business!". DNEG. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  34. [34]
    Barraclough, Leo (10 April 2014). "Elisabeth Murdoch, Double Negative Back Sarah Smith's New U.K. Animation House Locksmith (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  35. [35]
    "Welcome DNEG Feature Animation!". DNEG. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  36. [36]
    Macnab2021-09-16T12:33:00+01:00, Geoffrey. "DNEG exec explains decision by UK VFX company to introduce overtime pay". Screen. Retrieved 18 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  37. [37]
    "'Ron's Gone Wrong' Wins Best Feature at British Animation Awards 2022". 10 March 2022.
  38. [38]
    "How DNEG Animation gave 'Entergalactic' its stylized look". befores & afters. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  39. [39]
    "ANIMATING TO THE RHYTHM OF ENTERGALACTIC". VFX Voice Magazine. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  40. [40]
    Lang, Jamie (11 April 2022). "'Nimona' Lands at Netflix, Annapurna Producing, DNEG Animating". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  41. [41]
    "Under the Boardwalk and The Tiger's Apprentice Get Dated". Paramount Animation. Archived from the original on 7 April 2021.
  42. [42]
    "Under the Boardwalk". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  43. [43]
    "Paramount Will Give 'Under The Boardwalk' A Limited Theatrical Release On October 27". Cartoon Brew. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  44. [44]
    Welk, Brian (1 November 2021). "Chris Pratt to Voice Garfield in Animated Film". Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  45. [45]
    televisual.com (17 May 2019). "DNEG launches vfx service for Chinese, Indian markets". Televisual. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  46. [46]
    Team, AnimationXpress (30 June 2021). "ReDefine hires noted visual effects supervisor/producer Eric J Robertson as Executive Vice President". AnimationXpress. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  47. [47]
    Team, AnimationXpress (10 March 2021). "ReDefine doubles down on VFX and CG Character and Creature capabilities with experienced new European team". AnimationXpress. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  48. [48]
    em_pfguser (9 January 2015). "Creative Services". www.primefocus.com. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  49. [49]
    "Dimension Takes Us Behind the Scenes of DNEG's Virtual Production Service | LBBOnline". www.lbbonline.com. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  50. [50]
    "The Fast and the Curious: DNEG Shoots the Works in 'Bullet Train' VFX". Animation World Network. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  51. [51]
    "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Production Notes". Warner Bros. 9 June 2005. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014 – via HollywoodJesus.
  52. [52]
    "Man of Steel vfx milestones". FX Guide. 24 June 2013. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019.
  53. [53]
    Desowitz, Bill (15 October 2018). "Beyond Christopher Nolan: 'First Man' Redefines In-Camera VFX". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  54. [54]
    "'Aladdin' Reviews Are Mixed — But Far Less Catastrophic Than Originally Expected". Cartoon Brew. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  55. [55]
    Frei, Vincent (25 April 2019). "Men in Black International". Art of VFX. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  56. [56]
    "Animal Friends and The Gorge in production at DNEG". DNEG. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  57. [57]
    "Avatar: The Last Airbender". DNEG. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

51.521114°N 0.141841°W / 51.521114; -0.141841
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article DNEG, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.