Vision Crew Unlimited
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Visual effects, CGI |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Key people | Evan Jacobs, Jon Warren, Douglas Miller |
Number of employees | 20-50 |
| Website | VisionCrew.com |
Vision Crew Unlimited (VCU) was a motion picture and TV commercial visual effects company founded in 1994 by visual effects artists Evan Jacobs, Jon Warren and Douglas Miller.[1] The company later expanded into a full service visual effects firm.
In 1996, VCU contributed miniature effects to James Cameron's film Titanic. While they were initially hired as a subcontractor to lead effects house Digital Domain, VCU was ultimately hired directly by 20th Century Fox to build miniatures for the engine room sequence as well.[2][3][4] In an interesting coincidence later that same year, the company was contracted to work on a CBS TV miniseries with the same name.[5]
While the company worked on many feature films, they were much more prolific in the television commercial market, and worked on over forty spots in eight years.[6] Their work was featured in ads for the majority of car brands[7] as well as Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut, and Geico.
In 1998, Jacobs and John Hoffman were nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries representing VCU's work on HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon".
Vision Crew closed in April 2002. The company attributed its shutdown to a difficult business climate and the founders' interest in pursuing other projects and opportunities.[8]
Credits
Feature films
- The Mummy
- Dinosaur
- Jack Frost
- Armageddon
- Species II
- Mortal Kombat Annihilation
- Flubber
- Dante's Peak
- The Fifth Element
- Titanic
- The Arrival
- Kazaam
- Space Jam
- Sometimes They Come Back...Again
Episodic and long-form television
- Monday Night Football graphics
- Star Trek: Voyager episode "The Killing Game"
- From The Earth To The Moon
- The Outer Limits "To Tell the Truth"
- Tower of Terror
- Tempting Fate
- A Wing and a Prayer
- Titanic (miniseries)
Television commercials
| Saint Paul Insurance "Boat" | Dodge "Truckville" | Buick "Igor" |
| Ford Explorer "Geyser" | Evolution Trailer | Chrysler "Bridge" |
| Oscar Meyer "Kid Kong" | UUNet "Tower" & "Train" | Motomaster |
| Dodge "Diesel" | Anti-Smoking "Stereo Kid" PSA | Sony PlayStation "Access Granted" |
| Hyundai "Expand" | Mercedes print ad | Jeep "Hand"[9] |
| Toyota "Tundra" | Lexus "Fly" | Dodge "Saw" |
| Land Rover print ad | Zyrtec "Apartment" & "Attic" | Garlic Tabasco "Vampire" |
| Mercedes "Performance" | Anti-Smoking PSA "50 Ways"[10] | Lexus "High Bank" & "Hanger"[7] |
| Mazda "Transmission" | Zyrtec "Power" | Mighty Mighty Bosstones "Royal Oil" |
| Diet Dr. Pepper "Shuttle" | Nissan "Toys II" | Geico "Lake" |
| Geico "Alternate Transportation" | Hi-C "Blast" | Pizza Hut "Bread Subs" |
| Jeep "Recognize It" | Duracell "Fishing" | Plymouth "Shakers" |
| New York-New York Hotel & Casino | Jeep "Ice Fishing" | Plymouth "Mighty Mouse"[11] |
| Coca-Cola "Things We Know" | Broken Arrow teaser trailer | Acclaim NFL Quarterback Club |
References
- ^ Goldrich, Robert (August 1995). "Visual Effects House Wraps Its First Spot: Coke For CAA". Shoot magazine. p. 1.
- ^ "VIFX jumps aboard project to add convincing details". ASC.com. American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ^ Speier, Michael (1997-07-01). "Coming to the Aid of a Sinking Ship". DigitalContentProducer.com. Penton Media. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ^ "Vision Crew Unlimited artisans help Digital Domain lay scale-model keels for TITANIC". DigitalContentProducer.com. Penton Media. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ^ Yanover, Neal (1997-07-01). "That Sinking Feeling" (reprint). Variety On Production.
- ^ Nightingale, Margot (1995-08-01). "New Effects Studio". Screen: The Chicago Production Weekly. p. 46.
- ^ a b Martel, William (1998-12-04). "Simon says - visual effects artist Simon Brewster" (reprint). Shoot Magazine. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ^ "Vision Crew Unlimited Closes Its Doors" (Press release). VFXPro. 2002-05-07. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ^ DeSalvo, Kathy (1999-10-08). "Divine "Hand" Of Guidance Steers Jeep Wrangler" (reprint). Shoot magazine.
- ^ Takaki, Millie (1998-06-12). "Calif. ups the anti-smoking ante, unveils 11 spots". Shoot magazine. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ^ "Regional Roundup". Post Magazine. 1996-02-14. p. 133.