Gorilla Group Expands Graphics Operation

Wales' largest TV facilities, group Gorilla, has announced a major expansion of its graphics operation to include new services, staff and skills.
Headed up by a new managing director and a creative director as well as a brand new creative team of award-winning individuals, its graphics company will now be called Bait Studio and will offer a fully comprehensive, enhanced motion graphics service. The venture is a result of Gorilla's continuing evolution as Wales' largest television facilities group.
Based in Cardiff, Bait Studio will offer a unique graphics solution which will now include the design supervision and co-ordination of VFX, CGI and animation as well as its previous creative design and execution of motion graphics.
It hopes to attract productions looking for a single solution for their graphics' needs - one that offers comprehensive support from the pre-production stage through pre-visualisation, on set supervision and effects direction up to the finishing and delivery stages.
The very latest technology will be paired with the best in creative design and industry-honed skills. Bait Studio's clients will also benefit from Gorilla's extensive facilities including online & offline editing, grading, compositing, dubbing and studios.
Award-winning film-maker, animator and visual effects artist, Jon Rennie, will lead the new venture as its Managing Director while Paul Nicholas will be Bait Studio's Creative Director.
Jon and Paul will be supported by a strong, creative team of well-established graphics & visual effects artists and supervisors including Lee Hallett as Creative Project Manager, Christian Lett and Llyr Williams as VFX producers and the Time Team designers, Alex Holowood and Martyn Western.
The core team of 11 staff members will be bolstered on projects by highly skilled and known freelance staff. The company's design base will be at Cardiff Bay while its administration operation will sit alongside Gorilla's at its Cathedral Road headquarters.
Richard Moss, Managing Director of Gorilla Group, said: "We are very excited about this latest venture. Ever since the motion graphics company, Bait, became part of the group we were keen to further develop our graphics services and Bait Studio is the result. We had already employed new staff to provide all Time Team graphics and visual FX for Tidy Productions' Stella.
"They will now be working as part of this new venture. The talent and breadth of experience of the new team leading Bait Studio is second to none: combined with the very latest in graphic technology, we are confident that Bait Studio offers an unparalleled graphics production service."
Jon Rennie, Managing Director of Bait Studio, commented: "Bait expanding into the VFX market is exciting news for us and hopefully for our clients. It means we can offer the VFX capability that large scale productions need.
"In addition to Bait's design and motion graphics expertise, we can now tackle anything from basic 'quick fix' shot repairs up to full blown VFX project management. Our links to Gorilla’s editing, grading and dubbing will mean less headaches for Production Managers and Post Supervisors."
Prior to the expansion, Bait had recently completed projects for MTV and Oxford Scientific Films. Bait Studio will now be working on major projects already commissioned by international clients as well as ones closer to home.
(BMcC/GK)