The Adelaide studio of award-winning visual effects company, MR.X, has augmented its experienced senior management team with three internal promotions, along with three notable new hires.

Head of Studio, Alexandra Daunt Watney joined MR.X in early 2020, bringing over 17 years’ experience in VFX production and management across both the UK and Australia. Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel and Ford vs. Ferrari are just a few of her producing credits. Head of Creative Operations, Simon Maddison, whose credits include VFX Supervision on Cowboys and Aliens, Iron Man 2 and 3 and Peter Rabbit, arrived early in 2021 alongside Executive Producer, Gill Howe who has been VFX executive producer on many productions, including X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Dumbo and Thor: Ragnarok. The creative management team is rounded out by Head of Production, Thandiwe Philips who has produced at a number of high profile VFX studios and whose credit highlights include Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga and Mortal Kombat.

In a move that illustrates MR. X Adelaide’s ongoing commitment to character-driven work, Oscar nominated Animation Supervisor, Matt Everitt has been appointed the new Animation Director, alongside Paul Nelson from Head of Build into the role of CG Supervisor. Overseeing the technical side of the Adelaide operation is Technicolor veteran and former Head of Editorial, Nick Murphy who is an experienced natural for the role of Head of Technology.

Notable new hires include Ilona Blyth as VFX Producer, Turea Blyth as Production Manager, and Matthew Hoang as the newly welcomed Resource Manager.

Matt Everitt

Matt Everitt brings over 25 years of animation experience to MR. X’s Adelaide facility. His expertise has seen him create and develop complex animation performances, while introducing new techniques to streamline workflow.

Matt recently led the MR.X team to an Academy Award nomination for the widely acclaimed Love and Monsters for its VFX. His history of animation experience has encompassed both animated and VFX features, from Supervisor and Lead Animation roles on Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Skyscraper, Outlaw King, The Lego Batman Movie, to being an Animation Director on The Lego Ninjago Movie.

Paul Nelson

Starting out in freelance illustration, Paul has worked in the creative arts for over 20 years. His foray into VFX began in 2005 where he worked for Sony Computer Animation before moving on to MPC, where he was made Asset Supervisor in 2014. He then went on to DNEG as Head of Assets, before moving to Australia and taking up the role of Head of Build at Mill Film, and then MR. X.

Paul’s extensive career in character asset work has seen him step seamlessly into the CG Supervision role on two projects at the facility whilst simultaneously maintaining his hold of the reins as Head of Build.

Paul’s credit highlights include Guardians of the Galaxy, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Christopher Robin, Love and Monsters and Mortal Kombat.

Nick Murphy

Nick Murphy has worked within Technicolor’s Creative Studios since 2011, when he joined the MPC Vancouver team as Head of Editorial. As Nick moves into the role of Head of Technology for MR.X, he brings with him a wealth of experience across both Editorial and Technology, developed over a 14 year career within the VFX industry.

A selection of Nick’s most notable roles includes the Head of Infrastructure Operations for Vancouver and LA, as well as the Project Manager for the studio fitout of Mill Film Adelaide. Nick then moved on to Head of Editorial at Mill Film in 2019. Nick’s expertise will continue to bolster the Adelaide senior management team.

Ilona Blyth

MR.X welcomes Ilona Blyth as VFX Producer to the production team. With a background in digital filmmaking, Ilona began her career as a VFX Editor for Framestore. This allowed her to develop a vast understanding of the entire visual effects pipeline. Ilona has been continuously recognised within the industry for her skilled approach to project management, producing a number of high-profile titles such as Spider-Man: Far From Home, Captain Marvel and Candyman.

Turea Blyth

With a career that has spanned over 10 years and 3 countries, Turea Blyth joins the Adelaide team as Production Manager. Although her experience began within Editorial, Turea’s breadth of knowledge across the VFX industry resulted in an established career within Production Management. Turea’s most notable projects include production manager on Mortal Kombat, Black Widow and X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

Matthew Hoang

Matthew Hoang brings a dynamic approach to the MR.X team, with a comprehensive background in workforce planning across varying sectors. As the newly welcomed Resource Manager, Matthew’s experience will enhance the planning and scheduling functions, with a focus on the deployment of resources in conjunction with show production schedules.

Featured Image Credit: (L-R) Gill Howe, Alexandra Daunt Watney, Simon Maddison, Thandiwe Philips. Courtesy of MR. X

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