Award-winning VFX Supervisor and Flame Artist, Les Umberger, sets up Visual Effects and finishing shop at West Post Digital in Santa Monica
and flame artist, is the most recent addition to the West Post Digital collective. His arrival is
followed with the announcement of the newly opened VFX division which Umberger helped create.
Elicit Effects’ focus is on the growing commercial business at West Post Digital, and the unique
workflow, high level of service, and quick turnaround demands of this creative segment.
that, Riot Santa Monica. Les Umberger has spent his entire career in the artist chair perfecting his
craft and racking up awards with noted luminaries. Now, Umberger has capitalized on what he terms
an “ideal opportunity” by plugging into West Post Digital’s highly-evolved infrastructure and talent
pool.
“My experience as an artist has given me great insight into the client’s perspective; ELICIT Effects
is defined by that perspective and supported by this technically brilliant facility-engineered and run
by fantastic people who are extraordinarily dedicated to client service,” Umberger states.
Being housed in an established facility with the latest technology frees Umberger to fully focus on
building his dream shop: “It enables me to be totally creative on any given job and cater to my
client’s specific needs without having to be concerned with the technical side of things,” he says,
“We just invested in a Flame 2007 system that runs on Linux hardware and is lightning-fast; which
once again, allows the sessions to be based more on the creative-no sitting around waiting for
renders. We also have a large effects stage which opens up a world of options to meet production
needs; allowing us to shoot and therefore tailor, our own effects-and that’s priceless.”
Umberger has worked on a host of prestigious projects; garnering an Emmy, an MVPA for Best
Special Effects, a Golden Flame Award, and a Telly. Some of his more recent credits include:
“Reflections”-the first commercial done for Ray Ban; Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back” and Christina
Aguilera’s “Hurt” music videos; the “Find Me” campaign for Sony PSP and Holiday Inn’s “Robbie”
spot.
Todd Brown, WPD CEO, adds, “Having Les on board is a giant milestone for West Post Digital, as
we’ve only been at our new location for one year. His creative expertise is a welcomed adjunct to our
new business model and expanded services.”
About ELICIT Effects
ELICIT Effects combines the vision and artistry of award-winning VFX supervisor and Flame artist,
Les Umberger, with West Post Digital’s nearly 10-year track record, expertise in HD, high-end
technologies and exemplary client service to provide a smooth, confident workflow from shoot to
post. ELICIT’s powerful capabilities and technical expertise offer clients a creative partnership
through services including: pre-production consultation, VFX supervision, an integrated 6,000+-foot insert/VFX stage, visual effects
post.
Did you enjoy this article? Sign up to receive the StudioDaily Fix eletter containing the latest stories, including news, videos, interviews, reviews and more.
