Gorilla creates a VFX division expanding on its investment in the acquisition of Bait VFX

Wales’s leading post-production company, Gorilla, is expanding its current offering with the creation of Gorilla VFX, building upon the talented team at Bait VFX, whose previous work includes films Apostle, Roald & Beatrix and Dream Horse, as well as Channel 4 series Somewhere Boy and Netflix drama Heartstopper.

Gorilla has seen an increasing demand for High-end TV post-production services, including VFX, as the global market continues to grow. This expansion is the natural next step in Gorilla’s evolution, and the new division will focus on episodic High-end TV and film.

Gorilla VFX is gearing up for this next phase with the addition of Jack Phillips as 2D Supervisor and Tom Tatchell as VFX Supervisor joining their leadership team.

Jack Phillips (Chernobyl, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Black Mirror) previously worked as Roto/Prep Supervisor for DNeg TV before becoming VFX Course Leader at the University of South Wales. He will continue his relationship with the university to nurture the next generation of local talent.

Phillips said: “I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing team, based in Wales and working on the global stage, as we grow our offering. This expansion will draw on all my experience ofoverseeing a scalable workflow in High-end TV productions whilst also providing a strong supporting framework to foster the new wave of VFX talent.”

Tom Tatchell, formerly VFX Supervisor at Buzzbox joins from the University of South Wales, where he was Senior Lecturer in VFX. Tatchell commented “I feel privileged to be joining this award winning team at such a pivotal time of growth and opportunity. I’m very excited to bring with me my skills and experience to add to the raft of talent and creative ability at the Studio, as we drive forward and continue to make our mark in the industry.”

Gorilla VFX has also developed an ongoing relationship with on-set supervisor Joe Batten (War of the Worlds, The Crown, The Witcher, Star Wars: The Last Jedi), who is currently representing Gorilla on the set of the second series of Heartstopper.

Gorilla VFX is headed up by former Bait Studio MD Pete Rogers, who said: “It’s a very exciting time to be working in visual effects. This launch means we are ideally placed to broaden our offering and work even more closely with directors and productions as their go-to creative partners.”

Gorilla MD Rich Moss commented: “There has never been more demand for VFX alongside High-end TV scripted episodic productions. The synergies from having an in-house VFX division on shared infrastructure means that we can be incredibly efficient. We deliver a massive amount of HETV productions, and with our core post facilities, we will be able to complement and enhance a VFX pipeline with our colour science, HDR grading and QC as well as huge storage capacity and VFX pull and distribution.”