Formerly an industry leader, now just about hanging on – Digital Domain, James Cameron‘s VFX house this week staved off bankruptcy…
It’s something of a conundrum – visual effects work is the life-blood of summer blockbusters, tv shows, music videos and commercials, but the business behind it is utterly cut-throat and increasingly parlous – witness this week’s near-bankrupt Digital Domain.
Once the brainchild of Billion Dollar King of the World, James Cameron, and the late, lamented Stan Winston, the latter-day Digital Domain expanded from its core effects business to producing a now on-hold animated feature, “The Legend of Tembo” and just this week avoided going to the wall entirely – and it’s by no means alone.
Chances are that you’ve seen D.D.s contributions to Cameron’s “Titanic“, , the J.J. Abrams “Star Trek”, the “Transformers” series, Fincher‘s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button“ & “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo“ or “Thor”.
An excellent story by Bill Desowitz, over at the always illuminating Thompson on Hollywood, relates just how tough it is to keep your head above water in the business of painting digital dreams…
Related articles
- James Cameron’s Digital Domain Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (tampa.cbslocal.com)
- Searchlight Capital acquires Digital Domain (variety.com)
- 2Pac hologram makers file for bankruptcy (theverge.com)
- Deadly dull vfx undermining the biz (variety.com)
