Tippett Studio, founded by two-time Academy Award winning artist, animator and filmmaker Phil Tippett (whose VFX work can be seen in legendary films such as STAR WARS, JURASSIC PARK, ROBOCOP, STARSHIP TROOPERS, and many more) has announced that current Director of Technology for the studio Michael Root has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Additionally, Dale Taylor has been promoted to Head of Production.
Root began at Tippett Studio in 2007 as a Compositor/Pipeline Engineer/Graphics Software Engineer before being promoted to Head of Research and Development in 2010, and then Director of Technology in 2015. He has used his experience as both an artist and a programmer to modernize Tippett’s infrastructure and pipeline at every level while ensuring that multiple concurrent productions all finish on schedule. Before joining Tippett Studio, Root helped start Tweak Films/Tweak Software in 2001 (sold to Autodesk in 2015). Root also worked at Weta Digital on the filmsLord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) and King Kong (2005) as a Compositor and Lead Lighting Technical Director, respectively.
Taylor was previously VFX producer at Tippett Studio. Prior to Tippett, Dale worked for ILM and Atomic Fiction on projects including Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars: Episodes 2 & 3, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and War of the Worlds.
Recent Tippett projects include THE MANDALORIAN Season 2 on Disney Plus, LOCKE AND KEY Season 2 on Netflix, and Marvel Studio’s FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER. The studio has recently moved into content production for themed entertainment and partnering with international brands in addition to their leading role as one of the industry’s post production houses.
“I can’t believe it’s been 15 years since I started at Tippett Studio. It’s been a fun challenge keeping an independent shop with a commitment to tradition up-to-date with the rapidly evolving tools of modern filmmaking. I’m looking forward to using my new role to continue making us better, faster, and more flexible as we take on new ventures,” said Root.
“Michael Root has been the engine keeping Tippett Studio artists like me able to make pretty pictures. And grotesque ones too. He’s a huge asset to us and I’m proud to have him in this role. The joint might not work without him,” said Phil Tippett.
“Dale is the most solid VFX producer I’ve ever worked with. He’s a one man show, from a producing standpoint, with a great work ethic. He recognizes our clients’ needs and is creative and flexible in adjusting schedules and budgets as needs change,” said Gary Mundell, COO.
Phil Tippett is the visionary behind some of cinema’s most iconic characters such as Jabba the Hut and the Rancor Monster in RETURN OF THE JEDI, the Tauntauns and Wampa in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, the Raptor and T-Rex stop motion puppets in JURASSIC PARK, and the ED-209 from ROBOCOP.
Tippett’s film MAD GOD recently world premiered to rave reviews at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival and was showcased at other festivals including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Fantasia Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival, among many others. The movie is an experimental animated project that is 30 years in the making and showcases the visionary’s brilliant mind as it has evolved over the decades.
The company recently announced the promotion of Sanjay Das to CEO and Gary Mundell to COO. They also rolled out a series of NFT’s based on Tippett’s portfolio of artwork on his SuperRare profile page.