Framestore has announced Ahmed Gharraph and Grant Walker as joint heads of CG, London. The two will sit alongside head of Animation, Ross Burgess, in the leadership of the creative studio’s highly successful advertising, television and immersive entertainment work.
The appointment marks the return of Gharraph to Framestore after two years at ILM, where he served as the lead FX Artist on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, for which he received a VES nomination in Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature. His credits as CG Supervisor include Sainsbury’s highly successful and award-winning 2015 festive campaign, Mog’s Christmas Calamity and Shell V-Power Shapeshifter directed by Carl Erik Rinsch.
Walker joined Framestore in 2009 and during this time the company has worked across film, advertising and television, building a noteworthy portfolio as a CG artist with campaigns like the VES-nominated Freesat’s Sheldon. He was also instrumental in Framestore’s digital recreation of Audrey Hepburn in Galaxy’s 2013 campaign ‘Chauffeur’, for AMV BBDO. Most recently, he was BAFTA-nominated for his creature work in Black Mirror episode, Playtest.
Integrated Advertising Worldwide MD Helen Stanley said, “It’s a pleasure to welcome Ahmed back to Framestore and to have such a strong joint leadership in place for our rapidly growing VFX team working across Advertising, Television and Immersive Entertainment. The breadth and depth of projects we are currently working across is not only exciting, but continually pushes us to raise our creative game in brilliant ways. With Grant, Ahmed and Ross at the fore, I’m confident that the quality of our output will go from strength to strength.”
Drawing on their shared experience the duo will lead a fast-growing team, upholding the highest quality standards in visual effects across multiple media platforms. Working closely with Ross Burgess they will push to create more award-winning work for Framestore, in a period of increasing project diversity and range.