In our latest Tenant Spotlight, we meet Grant Hewlett (below left) and Howard Jones (below right), the men behind visual effects studio axisVFX, who describe how their first year in business has exceeded expectations…
1. Who are you and what do you do?
We are Grant Hewlett and Howard Jones, owners and VFX Supervisors at axisVFX, a boutique visual effects studio producing high-end CGI and Visual Effects for film and television. The studio is owned and run by craftspeople providing a design led approach to visual effects and was established as a sister company to the Glasgow based animation studio Axis.
We provide a full range of services from VFX supervision, on-set supervision, pre-viz and concept design all the way to creature animation, natural phenomena & destruction FX and invisible compositing.
2. What do you like about being based at The Bottle Yard Studios?
The Bottle Yard is great as we are right on the doorstep of a range of exciting productions that are shooting here. We get to meet people face to face and make new contacts and relationships with a wide range of crew from Directors to Production Designers and SFX specialists. Bristol is also especially great for accessing the two main locations of our clients, London and Cardiff.
3. How’s business?
We’ve had an amazing first year in business, it has exceeded our expectations which has been fantastic. We’ve completed VFX work on the Doctor Who episode ‘Flatline’, finished over 270 VFX shots on BBC series Wizards versus Aliens and have been working with Aardman Animation on their new feature Shaun the Sheep the Movie.
We’ve also been adding to our team with recent hires Joe Thornley Heard and Laetitia Beaujard Ramoo. Joe joins us as FX Lead from Double Negative having worked on a range of feature films including Captain America and Thor. Laetitia is our new London based Executive Producer and was previously at the Mill and BUF Compagnie.
4. What’s your favourite thing about working in film and TV?
The chance to work with passionate and interesting people who want to challenge us creatively and technically, so together we can make something really exciting and entertaining. It’s rare to have a career where so many people truly love what they do, this is one of them.
For more information about axisVFX, visit www.axis-vfx.com, call 01275 894969 or email Laetitia Beaujard Ramoo on laetitiabr@axis-vfx.com