After Alaric McAusland signalled his departure from the Australian Directors’ Guild at the end of last month, DNEG has officially announced it has hired the executive as managing director of its new Sydney studio.
The visual effects and animation company, to be located in the Tech Central district in Pyrmont and employ around 500 artists, is set to open in early next year with its first project George Miller’s Furiosa.
DNEG will mark a return to post-production and VFX for McAusland, having previously been the MD of Deluxe in Australia – owner of Illoura and Method – for almost a decade. Earlier in his career, he was also general manager of Atlab and foundation team member, VFX producer and general manager of DFILM.
Prior to his role as executive director of the ADG, where he worked for two years, McAusland was the COO of the LA-based Grace: A Storytelling Company. He has also served as the chair of Ausfilm, as well as an AACTA board director and Screen Producers Australia councillor.
DNEG president global production and operations, Merzin Tavaria, welcomed McAusland on board to lead the Sydney team.
“Alaric has an impressive history of significant contributions to the film industry, including his most recent work as executive director for the Australian Directors’ Guild. His wide industry experience and extensive list of contacts will be a much-valued asset to DNEG as we continue to establish our local presence in Sydney and integrate our new studio into our global network. I look forward with great anticipation to what we will achieve together over the coming years.”
McAusland looked forward to bringing DNEG’s “filmmaker-focused, collaborative approach” to projects based in Australia.
“Off the back of a record year for the Australian visual effects industry and with the filmmaking industry in Australia going from strength-to-strength, attracting more international tentpole movies and series, in addition to fostering a slate of amazing homegrown projects such as Furiosa, I cannot think of a better time for DNEG to be opening its latest global studio in Sydney,” he said.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be part of the foundation team, and I cannot wait to start helping to establish DNEG’s tenth global facility in this wonderful city of ours.”
Other leaders within DNEG Sydney include creative director Andrew Jackson, who won an Oscar for his work on Christopher Nolan’s Tenet in 2021, and VFX supervisor Dan Bethell.
DNEG’s opening in Sydney has been supported by the NSW Government’s Job Plus Program, which provides training and infrastructure rebates support and payroll tax relief, as well as the provision of free or subsidised government spaces and accommodation.
Sydney will mark the company’s tenth studio globally, with others in London, LA, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Mumbai, Chennai, Mohali, and Bangalore.
McAusland begins in January.