MPC to open in LA

MPC plans to open a Santa Monica-based visual effects facility in late 2008. MPC LA will initially focus on the U.S. commercials VFX market, and it will also provide a front-end presence to MPC’s Los Angeles-based studios features VFX business.

MPC LA is to be headed by VFX executive producer Mark Tobin. Tobin was most recently managing director and executive producer at A52, and he was previously a producer at Method.

According to Graham Bird, director of Commercials Production at MPC, “The MPC brand is all about creativity and quality. The combination of our state-of-the-art facility in Santa Monica, coupled with Mark Tobin’s extensive knowledge and insight, provides a powerful creative alternative for Los Angeles and U.S.-based advertisers and commercial production companies.”

Tobin, who has overseen jobs for Daniel Barber, Sam Bayer, Frank Budgen, David Frankham and Phil Joanou, among many other prominent commercial directors, noted, “I am excited by the proposition of transporting the strong MPC brand to our new West Coast location. MPC is seen as a serious brand backed by today’s VFX industry pre-requisites of the highest-level talent, R&D and technology. To me, MPC’s competitive edge comes from the inspiring in-house creative and production talent and is undoubtedly further enhanced by an extensive R&D effort.”

“With all this expertise housed in a boutique environment, we believe the MPC LA offering is perfect for us and our clients’ creative expectations,” added Tobin. “In addition, I anticipate MPC LA being able to call upon relevant local Technicolor resources and services to add further value to our creative and production management offer.”

MPC will transfer a core talent group from its London base to Santa Monica, which will be further complemented with home-grown local talent in the telecine, VFX and 3D disciplines.

MPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Technicolor. Recent advertising work includes projects for high- profile brands, including: Guinness, Bacardi, Sony Bravia, Coca Cola and Audi. 2008 feature releases to receive treatment at MPC include Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Roland Emmerich’s 10,000 BC, and Andrew Adamson’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.