beloFX opens for business

beloFX, a next-generation visual effects company, has opened for business in Canadian territories, British Columbia and Quebec, and the UK. Built on a core belief in creative talent empowered by technology, beloFX will harness the liberating potential of distributed working from its inception. 

The company is founded by Matt Holben, Alex Hope, Ellen Walder, Graham Jack and is backed by leading creative industry entrepreneur, Elisabeth Murdoch. 

The team have extensive and unrivalled experience in high-end visual effects and intend the company to be at the forefront of an era of dramatic change in moving image technology and process.   

Murdoch commented: “beloFX’s dynamism positions them perfectly to seize the exciting opportunities the global VFX industry offers. From personal experience, Matt, Alex, Ellen and Graham have a deeply held commitment to creativity and innovation which are critical to delivering exceptional partnerships with the world’s greatest film and television talent. I couldn’t be more privileged to be at the start of this revolutionary new company with them all.” 

Director of operations, Hannah Cook and managing director for VFX, Matt Plummer lead the VFX team alongside VFX supervisors Joel Green and Mike Brazelton, (the latter set to join the company in early 2022).  

Joel Green commented on why he’s onboard: “We are focussed on a more efficient and responsive way of working, collaborating with our clients early and at all stages of the process. We aim to offer the most creatively rewarding experience for filmmakers and for all the talent working at beloFX.” 

Alex Hope, beloFX Co-CEO said: “I loved working with this group of people for so many years at Dneg and I’m excited to have a fresh start with a fresh approach to how a vfx company can operate”. 

beloFX welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds with interesting ideas to join them as they actively build their artistic teams in Quebec, British Columbia and the UK. Artists can work from home and shape a career contributing to ground-breaking projects whilst benefiting from the flexibility needed in modern life.  

Hannah Cook expands “We want to work with talented people who love what they do and we want to have fun doing it. beloFX embodies the belief that diversity and inclusion are integral to creativity and innovation. We have many ideas and ambitions to support our commitment to a diverse work culture that we look forward to sharing in the coming months.” 

At the heart of their ambition are collaborative tools that unify and optimise creative excellence, operational efficiency and client service.  CTO Graham Jack explains the company’s innovative approach “Our focus is on talent and technology.  Without legacy to hold us back we can completely re-imagine the VFX pipeline.   We are uniquely placed to incorporate game engines at a fundamental level.  This allows us to create more interactive workflows which enhance the ability of our crew to express their creative skills at all stages while ensuring that their artistic intent is maintained throughout the process.  Realtime technology is just the beginning. There are a whole range of exciting technologies that we have been exploring and are looking forward to exploiting as we lead the fundamental change that our industry is poised to make.” 

COO Ellen Walder expands on the thinking behind the beloFX set up, “We are focused on creating a company for the future that is based on integrity, one that is genuinely forward-thinking, open-minded, and fully inclusive. A remote-first structure combined with advances in collaboration tools leads to far greater communication and breaks down traditional hierarchies. This combined with our ambitions for education and training sets beloFX apart.”