Will Help Helm Digital Matte Painting and Feature-Film Operations

Zoic Studios confirmed today that it is welcoming visual effects luminary Syd Dutton to help helm the company’s digital matte painting and feature film endeavors. Zoic Studios’ relationship with Syd began during Zoic’s filming of the feature film Serenity and the founders of Zoic have always been fans of Syd and his incredible body of work.
“Zoic is very fortunate to have this opportunity,” says Zoic CEO/Creative Director Chris Jones. “Syd is a wonderful artist who also loves to share his talents with those around him. As a mentor he will be able to bring classic ideas and techniques to a whole new guard of visual effects visionaries. Zoic Studios has always embraced new technology while continuing to evolve the classic techniques of visual effects creation and we feel that Syd Dutton is the perfect complement to this philosophy.”

Emmy-Award winning Syd Dutton co-founded Illusion Arts in 1985, which has performed visual effects magic, creating thousands of shots and matte paintings for over 200 feature films. The company’s credits include the just-released Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, John Adams, Milk, Aeon Flux, Narnia, The Bourne Identity, The Fast and the Furious, X-Men, Batman, Total Recall and Mad Max, among others. Syd Dutton worked for the matte department at Universal Studios where he learned the technique of motion-picture matte painting from resident matte artist Albert Whitlock. Following the retirement of Whitlock, Dutton and visual effects cinematographer Bill Taylor set up the independent effects studio Illusion Arts. When Taylor and Dutton decided to close Illusion Arts, both Dutton and Zoic embraced the opportunity to collaborate, with Dutton becoming a part of the Zoic team.

“Illusion Arts is a family and I see many of the same qualities at Zoic,” says Dutton. “They are constantly exploring new ways of creating and I find their enthusiasm for new developments and a respect for the process, and the people behind it, a great match for me and my work.”