Efraim "Effi" Wizen (born October 29, 1956, in Israel) is an Israeli computer animator and visual effects specialist.[1]

Effi Wizen
Born
Efraim Wizen

(1956-10-29) October 29, 1956 (age 67)
Occupation(s)computer animator and visual effects specialist

Biography

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Wizen graduated from ORT Israel, having studied architecture. He also earned a B.Sc. in architecture and city planning from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He is one of the first specialists in computer animation and visual effects, founding the first 3D animation company in Israel, “Dad_Pro”, in 1984.[2]

In 1987, Wizen created one of the first film digital compositing systems, called Toccata.[2][3] Wizen used the system in one of the first digitally composed movie Taxandria in 1989 and Neverending Story III in 1994.[2][4] He worked on both films as Digital Effects Supervisor. Also in 1994 he founded the post production house "Gravity VFX and Design", serving six years as the co-CEO.[5] He then opened Gravity VFX in Canada, aligning with "RhinoFX", and now known as "Gravity". In 1998, Wizen created the consortium[6] that was composed of Digital Domain, Kushner-Locke Company, Capitol Films of the United Kingdom, Israeli Financial Banking firm DLIN Ltd., and Israeli post-production facility Gravity VFX and Design (a VFX boutique with offices in Canada and Israel, of which he is CEO and creative director).[2][7][8]

In 1997, he handled digital effects for The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field.[9] In 2000/2001, he shared the Royal Television Society Craft and Design Award for Visual Effects – Digital nomination for Planet Storm.[10]

In 2010, he was the head of visual effects for São Paulo-based Estudios Quanta, a major regional film industry company.[11] In 2011, he combined with Brazilian producer Roberto d’Avilla and entrepreneur Perival Palesela to acquire Imarion, a Toronto visual effects and animation post-production company.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Central do Assinante – O mais antigo jornal em circulação na América Latina" (in Portuguese). Diário de Pernambuco. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d "Idea Factory; Effi Wizen" (in Portuguese). Cargocollective.com. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  3. ^ "Toccata"
    - Rauber, Heiko (October 23, 1994). "Special Effects: Kino-Toccata in D(igital) – Medien – Nachrichten". Focus Magazin (in German). Retrieved October 2, 2013.
    - "Die Unendliche Geschichte III – Rettung aus Phantasien (1994)". eofftv.com (in German). Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  4. ^ Taxandria on iMDB
    - Neverending Story III on IMDb
  5. ^ Gravity VFX
  6. ^ "Digital Domain Inc. Joins a New Consortium in Acquiring Premier Visual Effects Studio in Germany", December 17, 1998
  7. ^ "Digi Documentary". Computer Graphics World. October 10, 2006. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  8. ^ Von Schmitt, Jörg (September 17, 2005). "Der Spiegel – Die Alptraumfabrik" (in German). Spiegel.de. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  9. ^ "Effi Wizen – Filmography – Movies & TV". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  10. ^ "RTS Craft & Design Awards 2000/2001 | Royal Television Society". Rts.org.uk. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
    - Awards for Effi Wizen at IMDb
  11. ^ "The world's hottest production facilities; Brazil, Germany and others woo filmmakers". The Hollywood Reporter. May 6, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  12. ^ "Moonshot Pictures goes to MIPCOM 2011; After the acquisition of Imarion (from Canada), Brazilian producer goes multinational". Brazilian TV Producers. September 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2013.