TORONTO — VFX studio Trixter (www.trixter.de), which has worked on Iron Man 3, Captain America: The Winter Solider, The Avengers and the upcoming sequel,
Avengers: Age of Ultron, is launching a new studio in Toronto. Trixter already has facilities in Santa Monica, Berlin and Munich. The new Trixter brand was launched by Michael Coldewey and Simone Kraus, who appointed Ken Mandeville and Michael Gianfriddo as owners, along with Christian Sommer. The studio brings 16 years of experience in international animation and visual effects to Canada.
Trixter Inc. is a new, diversified entertainment holding company. It will operate as a hybrid company, offering high-caliber animation and visual effects services, in addition to developing, producing and co-producing original content with partners worldwide. The new entity will also invest and control subsidiary companies involved in the financing, production, animation and visual effects of commercials, feature films and TV content.
Gianfriddo has been appointed as chief financial officer, while Mandeville will serve as chief executive of business development and CEO of Trixter Inc. Both bring expertise and relations in international, corporate and leveraged finance and production, specifically structuring mergers and acquisitions domestically and internationally.
"I'm very pleased to be involved in expanding the global brand of Trixter with the pioneering founders,” says Gianfriddo. “Trixter Inc. is the culmination of innovative thinkers and artists utilizing intelligent financial modeling and driving cutting-edge business to worldwide markets."
"I am truly excited to be working beside such creative individuals as Michael Coldewey, Simone Kraus and Christian Sommer as we build this brand globally,” adds Mandeville. “Trixter will be creating exciting career opportunities for Canadian filmmakers and VFX professionals.”
"We’ve been looking for possibilities in Canada for a while now,” notes Michael Coldewey. “Partnering with Ken and Michael is strategically the best choice, because now we will be closer to our US clients and also offer the advantages Ontario provides to our international co-productions.”