EXCLUSIVE: Tenet and Dune VFX firm DNEG has promoted 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, he 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 members of DNEG Animation’s team and the studio’s expanding slate of new feature film and episodic animation productions.
The five hires comprise: Freddy Chaleur (Sherlock Gnomes) and Yancy Lindquist (The Boss Baby) joining DNEG Animation’s team of VFX Supervisors, which includes Philippe Denis, Archie Donato and Taylor Moll; Animation Director Jay Boose (Up) joining the team’s animation leadership group, which includes Kapil Sharma, Troy Saliba and Dave Lowry, all led by Ted Ty; and Head of Look Development Sonja Burchard (Rise of the Guardians) and producer Audrey Ford (Tangled).
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DNEG Animation’s recent projects include Ron’s Gone Wrong, DNEG’s first feature animation project. DNEG Animation’s production slate also includes Under the Boardwalk for Paramount Animation, animated short Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat with Oscar-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.
DNEG employs about 7,000 worldwide. The firm plans to expand global headcount to around 10,000 with 500 added in Canada, including around 100 in Vancouver for animation, 200 in Toronto at a new site and 200 in Montreal or Vancouver between VFX, animation and tech.
The news follows the August 18 announcement that DNEG parent company Prime Focus has raised $250M from investor Novator Capital Advisors.
DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra said: “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. 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.”
The DNEG Animation’s original animated short Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat will get its North American premiere at Spark Animation Festival in Vancouver, which runs from October 28 to November 7, 2021.