Atomic Fiction, a visual effects studio from Oakland has brought in animation guru Marc Chu to lead the studio’s animation efforts across its Oakland and Montreal locations.
Chu joins Atomic Fiction from ILM (Industrial Light & Magic), where he most recently served as animation director, bringing more than 20 years of experience animating and supervising the creation of everything from aliens and spaceships to pirates and superheroes.
“Animation is only as good as the creative team behind it, so we wanted someone with the right talents to grow and direct our team in this next stage of our company’s evolution. Marc is one of the best in the industry and an incredible guy to match, with a widely respected skill set and eye. His personality is perfect for the Atomic Fiction vibe, and we’re stoked to have him in the family,” said Atomic Fiction president of visual effects Marc Sadeghi.
Based out of Atomic Fiction’s Oakland office, Chu will oversee animation company-wide and serve as the principal architect of initial studio production, including the expansion of Atomic Fiction’s previs and digital creature offerings. He’s already begun work on The Predator and is ramping up activity on an upcoming Robert Zemeckis feature.
“Atomic Fiction is already well-established and known for its seamless work in environments, so this is an amazing opportunity to be a part of their journey into doing more animation-driven work. My goal is to help grow an already-strong animation department to the next level, becoming a force that is able to tackle any challenge, notably high-level creature and character work,” Chu shared.
Before taking the animation reins at Atomic Fiction, Chu established and built his career at ILM, creating and supervising work for some of the most recognisable film franchises of the last two decades. He helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2009’s Iron Man, working to define the characters and animation through the sequel and first two Avengers films. His extensive credits also include Star Wars franchise continuations The Force Awakens and Rogue One and the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, which earned Best VFX Oscar nominations, and won for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men’s Chest. Chu also has two VES Award wins for his Davy Jones CG character work. In addition to offering up his sharp professional chops, Chu will also continue in his role as a mentor, identifying and developing upcoming talent.
