LOS ANGELES - Alkemy X (alkemy-x.com) has added four leaders to its visual effects division. Joining the studio are executive vice president, VFX, Tom Kendall; senior VFX supervisor Adam Avitabile; senior VFX producer, Jon Howard; and vice president of strategic growth, Juliana Sparks. The move is designed to reshape its team, expand the studio's creative capabilities and position itself for long-term growth.
Photo (L-R) Kendall, Avitabile, Howard and Sparks
“Great visual effects companies aren't built by chasing projects – they are built by assembling exceptional people,” says Justin B. Wineburgh, president & CEO of Alkemy X. “Tom, Adam, Jon and Juliana have each built remarkable careers. What made this opportunity most compelling was the chance to bring them to Alkemy X as a team. Together, they have built trust over many years, solved incredibly difficult creative challenges, and earned the confidence of clients and filmmakers time and time again. That kind of proven chemistry is hard to build – and even rarer to find. This is a home run where we have landed on something so much greater than the sum of its parts.”
As EVP, VFX, Kendall’s appointment marks the beginning of a new chapter for Alkemy X’s visual effects business. He brings more than three decades of executive leadership across business development, production and studio operations, and will lead strategic direction and long-term growth. Kendall helped lead the visual effects on projects that include Star Trek: Discovery, The Mandalorian, NCIS, The Walking Dead and The Hurt Locker.
“I am ecstatic to lead the visual effects team at Alkemy X and look forward to contributing to its legacy of storytelling and innovation,” says Kendall. “There is a great team in place already, and a history of excellence which has persevered for over four decades. As a whole, Alkemy X continues to evolve with purpose and confidence to remain at the forefront of the entertainment industry.”
Senior VFX supervisor Avitabile will oversee the creative and technical execution of projects. He has spent his career helping filmmakers execute ambitious creative visions at the highest level and has a list of credits that includes Criminal Minds, Fear the Walking Dead, Carnival Row, Black Swan, Fast Five, Apocalypto and Lost.
Senior VFX producer Howard will lead production operations and client collaboration across a growing slate of entertainment work. He has a reputation for leading complex, large-scale projects through creative and technical challenges while fostering long-term relationships with filmmakers, studios and production teams. He has extensive production leadership experience on acclaimed television series, including
Ponies, Narcos, Narcos: Mexico, Wednesday, Orange Is the New Black, Castle, NCIS, Extant and Weeds.
Rounding out the team as VP of strategic growth, Sparks will deepen relationships with studios, streamers and production companies to accelerate the continued expansion of Alkemy X's VFX division. Sparks will also work to expand the company's integrated creative, production, editorial and visual effects offerings to position Alkemy X for long-term success in new markets and industries.