The Central-European visual effects and sound studio, Juice, has launched its base office in Shanghai, following the company’s recent merger with PixelBox. For years Juice has been serving China remotely and now the new studio will shorten that distance and allow for immediate response to client needs and facilitation of more hands-on collaboration. The new branch with huge investment aims to become the second-biggest office for Juice worldwide.
Juice founder and CEO Adam Tunikowski said, “We decided to open the studio in Shanghai for several reasons. We already have a long history with several clients here, and we believe the best way to serve our clients more, is to be in the city. China is the future and we, as Juice are thrilled to be a part of that.”
Simon Astbury was appointed as the managing director in Shanghai. Astbury is a colourist who holds above 20 years of experience in post-production and spent the last three years in the city working for Digital Domain and MPC.
Astbury said, “I’m really excited to get started on this new chapter heading up the Shanghai Studio for Juice, we have some amazing work, and I can’t wait to introduce it to clients old and new, here in China.”
The merger allows Juice to expand their capabilities with the support of the supervisors and directors from Europe, the studio is now all set to cater the needs of domestic agencies,productions and clients alike.
PixelBox managing director Chris Thorp said, “For over a decade PixelBox has been at home in China, building on experience and talent to gain trust and growth in the market. I’m impressed by Juice’s talent and work, plus their developed understanding and dedication to this market, combining will allow us to continue to grow and expand our toolset for a more future proofed studio. We will be able to provide enhanced capabilities in CG and VFX and new technology, for existing and new clients.”
The official merger took place on 16 April 2021 – both companies have been working on connecting pipelines and workflow in the months leading up to the launch.