Venice, CA — Digital Domain Productions has named David Lipman vice president of features visual effects production. The 30-year industry veteran, a former executive at DreamWorks Animation, Framestore and USAnimation, brings expertise in visual effects, animation, production and development to the company. He will be based in Digital Domain’s Venice, California studio reporting to Jody Madden, who has been promoted to senior vice president of global studio operations, overseeing production, technology and operations for all of Digital Domain’s worldwide studios.

Digital Domain Media Group CEO and Chairman John Textor said, “Digital Domain has grown significantly in the past few years — from a single studio to now seven locations worldwide. Our talent base and digital production services have expanded, and we’ve expanded our leadership team accordingly to drive all areas of our feature film business. I am thrilled to have Jody and David leading visual effects, and Cliff Plumer, who is now an executive producer on Ender’s Game, leading our efforts in co-productions.”

Lipman joins Digital Domain to drive the features visual effects business, curating and guiding talent and working closely with studios. Lipman was managing partner at Framestore, where he founded the feature animation division, built the studio’s animation pipeline and crew, and executive produced the company’s inaugural project, The Tale of Desperaux. He served as co-head of production at DreamWorks Animation for many years before moving to PDI/DreamWorks to become the co-executive producer on the Academy Award®-winning feature Shrek. He wrote and produced the stereoscopic attraction Shrek 4D for Universal Theme Parks and produced the blockbuster Shrek 2. Prior to DreamWorks, Lipman served as executive in charge of production and supervising producer at Hanna Barbera. He was also vice president and executive producer for USAnimation, producing many television commercials and digital epiosdes of The Ren and Stimpy Show, Beavis & Butthead and The Simpsons. He has worked extensively in visual effects and animation as well as live action, having been both an assistant director and second unit director on a number of feature films. Lipman is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild. He spent the last several years in London developing live action and animated film projects.

“Digital Domain is exciting to me because of the combination of extraordinary talent and opportunity,” said Lipman. “Our goal is to expand our talent base and bring it to studios in new ways as Digital Domain becomes even more of a filmmaking partner to studios, directors and producers.”

Chris Arrant

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