Sony Pictures Imageworks, the Academy Award-winning visual effects and animation company, having recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, is expanding its presence to Montreal, Canada. Leading the new office will be new promoted executive Laura Fitzpatrick, who joined the company in 2022 as VP, New Business.
With the company’s head office remaining in Vancouver, the expansion into Montreal will initially see an additional 150 employees based at the new location. Imageworks currently employs over 1,000 employees across their Vancouver and Los Angeles offices.
“The growing VFX and animation industry coupled with the established talent base makes Montreal the perfect location for expansion and will allow Imageworks to continue to execute the diverse creative visions of our clients,” said Michelle Grady, Executive Vice President, Sony Pictures Imageworks.
Doug Oddy, previously Senior VFX Producer at Imageworks, will be promoted to Vice President VFX, New Business, responsible for third-party VFX business development, strategic planning for long-term growth, and client engagement. Based out of the Vancouver office, Oddy recently served as VFX Producer on In Vaulted Halls Entombed, an episode of Netflix’s animated anthology Love, Death + Robots, Jumanji: The Next Level and Men In Black: International.
Both Fitzpatrick and Oddy will report to Grady. “We are thrilled that Laura has agreed to lead our Montreal office and Doug has accepted the role of Vice President, VFX, New Business. Both are strategic, forward-thinking executives with decades of industry experience, and we welcome them into these new leadership roles,” said the EVP.
The new office will be located in a permanent, state-of-the-art space in the Old Montreal area. The studio is recruiting for all roles, including production professionals, artists, and technology experts.
Celebrating their expansion into Montreal, Imageworks is participating in CAFE VFX 2023, a premiere animation and VFX industry conference, where artists will present a behind-the-scenes look at Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse two weeks prior to release.
Imageworks most recently completed work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and the Academy Award-nominated Netflix animated feature The Sea Beast. They are currently in production on, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, The Marvels and In Your Dreams.
