Oscar-nominated animation, film and interactive company to offer commercial, film and VR/AR services in the Los Angeles downtown arts district.
Nexus Studios announced the opening of a Los Angeles office that will offer film and immersive work for advertising and branded content as well as developing original IP in entertainment and digital products.
Nexus Studios is known for its animated film work including the Oscar-nominated short This Way Up and branded content companies like Google, Honda, Headspace, Facebook, Chipotle and Apple. The company won the Cannes Grand Prix for Honda “GRRR!” in 2005 and won a further two Grand Prix for its work for Chipotle in the U.S.
The studio’s Interactive Arts team focuses on developing experiential, interactive, VR and AR. Credits include a long-term collaboration with Google’s Made With Code, a series of projects that have allowed girls across America to code the White House Holiday Lights, pattern dresses on the runway at New York Fashion Week and code their own Snapchat Lens. The studio has used both its cinematic and
In VR, the studio created the two-time Annie nominated VR experience Rain or Shine for Google’s Spotlight stories. In augmented reality its extensive portfolio includes the 1,600 app, as well as an AR commission for President Obama’s office, which told the story of the White House, and a recent BAFTA-nominated AR experience for The Gruffalo.
“Nexus has always had a simple vision to make meaningful, heartfelt stories and experiences that positively add to the cultural conversation,” says Nexus Studios co-founder and ECD Chris O’Reilly. “Our experience not just in advertising, but also in entertainment, music, arts and culture gives us a deep understanding of how to engage people in a story. We think that will be important in the current converging media landscape. LA is a hub where entertainment, brands and technology meet and this is key to our work.”
Based in the downtown arts district, the new office is led by executive producers Luke Ritchie and Diego Rosner. Chris O’Reilly is currently based in L.A. and will continue in his role as executive creative director across all studio output.
Ritchie has led the Interactive Arts team at Nexus Studios for over five years, overseeing output across AR, VR, web, apps and live experiences for clients including President Obama's administration, IBM, Apple and The New Yorker. He will relocate to L.A. and continue in this role across both locations.
Rosner joined Nexus Studios this year with a background in business development and production that spans the branding, entertainment and technology sectors. As EP for the Cannes Gold Lion-winning Bitt animation and VFX studio, Diego oversaw work for brands and agencies including Y&R, Ford, BBDO, Google, The Guardian and The New York Times. Diego also oversaw a 500-strong team on the Goya award-winning animated feature film Metegol (Underdogs) directed by Academy Award-winner Juan José Campanella. He recently secured a series deal through Amazon Studios for the Emmy award-winning Little Big Awesome.
“There’s a breadth of opportunity in LA across all kinds of storytelling which broadens the opportunity for us to do what we do best – create beautifully engaging stories and experiences wherever those end up being experienced,” says Nexus Studios’ co-founder Charlotte Bavasso. “Our launch team includes key talent who understand this world and will work with our clients to facilitate a very joined up approach with our global roster of talent and 180-seat studio in London. We’re looking forward to being that much closer to some of our existing partners but also creating new opportunities to the benefit of clients and creative talent, wherever they are based. ”
To coincide with the opening, Nexus Studios has created “Hotstepper,” a real-time character animation wayfinding app made in AR and available for iOS, with an Android version coming soon.
Source: Nexus Studios
