HOLLYWOOD - Chainsaw (www.chainsawedit.com) has hired Boyd Stepan to head its newly-launched visual effects department. 

Formerly a lead visual effects supervisor at Prime Focus/Post Logic Studios, Stepan has contributed to Avatar, Inglourious Basterds, Desperate Housewives and the new AMC series The Walking Dead. 

At Chainsaw, he will be hands-on, working as a visual effects artist. He will also be responsible for growing and supervising the department, which complements its existing creative editorial, editorial finishing and color correction services.

Chainsaw has built a new VFX suite equipped with an Autodesk Flame system that has full stereoscopic 3D capabilities. The company expects to add further staff and technical resources. In addition to VFX, Chainsaw’s new department is capable of handling titles graphics, 3D integration, beauty work and digital clean-up.