Ferrand, Bainum Open Hatch: Digital Matte Painting and Concept Design Studio

Los Angeles -- Deak Ferrand, a multiple award-winning visual effectsdesigner and digital artist, recently departed post-production facilityR!ot, to launch an independent studio called Hatch with his long-timevisual effects producing partner, Cheryl Bainum.

Hatch (www.hatchfx.com) designs and produces digital visual effectsfor films, television, commercials, and interactive projects by usingthe latest techniques in digital matte painting, compositing andcomputer graphics. The studio specializes in concept design anddesigning, and creating 3D matte paintings in which cameras havenear-complete freedom of movement. The studio's low overhead allows itto maintain a competitive edge while employing the latest Softimage,After Effects, and Photoshop software.

Ferrand's specialty is 3D matte paintings. His feature film creditsas a visual effects designer and matte painter include "TitusAndronicus," "Mystery Men," "What Dreams May Come" and "X-Men." He iswell known for his imaginative, often surreal and futuristic conceptdesigns and digital matte paintings. Ferrand's artistic creations arecomposited into live action plates by blue screen compositors.

"Digital matte paintings have taken on a wider scope: they'rereplacing location shoots and introducing larger camera movements,"comments Bainum, who has produced for Ferrand since 1995. "Filmmakersare recognizing this, yet what's been achieved so far in this realmrepresents the tip of the iceberg. Hatch plans to realize the potentialof digital mattes and leverage Deak's expertise in the field."

Hatch, which is currently contracted through December, is alreadyvery busy. At a time when travel, budget, and other productionconstraints exist, matte paintings represent a cost-effective, viablealternative to large-scale physical sets and location shoots, and theycan vastly enhance production design aesthetics and solve majorlogistical problems.

Since launching Hatch, Ferrand has been sub-contracted by R!ot tocontinue collaborating with visual effects producer Juliette Yager anddirector Chuck Russell on approximately 20 shots for Universal's "TheScorpion King." Ferrand is a visual effects designer/supervisor andlead matte painter on "The Scorpion King." Additionally, Ferrandcontinues to work as a visual effects designer/supervisor and mattepainter on "Blade 2."

Ferrand was also a matte painter on "Lord of the Rings," andrecently was visual effects designer/supervisor and lead matte painteron "The One." He was also a Visual Effects Designer and Lead MattePainter on "Pluto Nash."

Ferrand, a sculptor and fine artist trained in Trompe L'Oeil, is oneof the few digital matte painters who got his start by way of Softimageschooling, not traditional matte painting.

Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, Ferrand, who most recently heldthe title of Senior Matte Painter and Designer at R!ot, began hiscareer in visual effects in 1994 at Buzz Image Group in Montreal,Canada, which he joined as a visual effects designer, digital matteartist and CG animator after studying Softimage technology at theNational Animation and Design Center in Montreal. In 1995, Buzz ImageGroup launched Buzz F/X studio in Los Angeles. Ferrand and Bainum werepart of a small team of promising young 3D artists that relocated toL.A as part of the studio's expansion.

As part of the move to Los Angeles, Bainum, who joined Buzz ImageGroup in 1993 as a production coordinator, was promoted to executiveproducer and visual effects producer. Ferrand was promoted to seniormatte artist, visual effects designer and CG animator. Ferrand andBainum's credits at Buzz F/X include "Warriors of Virtue" and "TheSilent Trigger."

In 1997, Buzz F/X's talent was snapped up by the post productionfacility Pacific Ocean Post (POP) and Bainum was promoted to VisualEffects Executive Producer. Bainum and Ferrand are part of a core teamcredited with establishing POP's reputation as leader in CGI anddigital matte paintings for feature films and commercials. In 2000, POPmerged with R!ot, formerly known as Encore.