Sony  Pictures  Imageworks  Relocates  Headquarters  to  Vancouver  

New  Imageworks  facility  will  mark  largest  footprint  for  a  Vancouver  visual  effects  company  

CULVER  CITY,  Calif.,  May  30,  2014  –Sony  Pictures  Imageworks,  the  Academy  Award   ®

winning  visual  effects  and  digital  character  animation  company,  is  relocating  its  
headquarters  to  Vancouver,  B.C.  The  company  is  moving  into  a  new,  state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art  
facility,  capable  of  accommodating  up  to  700  employees,  which  will  be  the  largest  
footprint  for  a  visual  effects  company  in  Vancouver.    

The  Vancouver  team,  which  recently  completed  work  on  Edge  of  Tomorrow  (Warner  
Bros.)  and  The  Amazing  Spider-­‐Man  2  (Columbia  Pictures),  will  lead  Sony  Pictures  
Imageworks’  current  and  future  projects,  including  Guardians  of  the  Galaxy  
(Disney/Marvel),  Pixels  (Columbia  Pictures),  Angry  Birds  movie  (Rovio),  Hotel  
Transylvania  2  (Sony  Pictures  Animation)  and  the  untitled  Smurfs  movie  (Sony  Pictures  
Animation).    

The  move  builds  on  Sony  Pictures  Imageworks’  growing  presence  in  Vancouver.    In  
2010,  the  company  opened  a  production  office  in  Vancouver  with  a  staff  of  80  artists.  
Last  year,  during  the  production  of  The  Amazing  Spider-­‐Man  2,  Sony  Pictures  
Imageworks  staff  in  Vancouver  topped  350  people.      

“Vancouver  has  developed  into  a  world-­‐class  center  for  visual  effects  and  animation  
production,”  stated  Randy  Lake,  Executive  Vice  President  and  General  Manager,  Digital  
Production  Services  at  Sony  Pictures  Digital  Productions.  “It  offers  an  attractive  lifestyle  
for  artists  in  a  robust  business  climate.  Expanding  our  headquarters  in  Vancouver  will  
allow  us  to  deliver  visual  effects  of  the  highest  caliber  and  value  to  our  clients.”      

Jason  Dowdeswell  will  continue  to  lead  Sony  Pictures  Imageworks’  operations  in  
Vancouver  as  Vice  President  of  Production  Operations.  A  native  of  British  Columbia,  
Dowdeswell  joined  Sony  Pictures  Imageworks  in  2013  after  a  lengthy  career  as  a  visual  
effects  artist,  supervisor  and  manager.    
The  company  is  deepening  its  Vancouver  leadership  with  the  addition  of  Mark  
Breakspear  as  Visual  Effects  Supervisor  and  Shauna  Bryan  as  Vice  President,  New  
Business  and  Production  Executive.  Both  arrive  from  similar  roles  at  Method  Studios  in  
Vancouver.  Breakspear  brings  more  than  60  feature  film  credits  as  visual  effects  
supervisor  or  artist,  including  Seventh  Son,  Thor:  The  Dark  World,  Elysium  and  The  
Twilight  Saga:  Breaking  Dawn  –  Part  2.  Bryan’s  background  includes  10  years  with  
Rainmaker  in  Vancouver,  including  three  years  as  Executive  Producer/Head  of  Business  
Development.    

“Shauna  and  Mark  are  both  well-­‐respected  in  this  market,  and  throughout  the  industry,”  
said  Dowdeswell.  “They  will  help  us  continue  to  attract  top  talent,  broaden  our  client  
outreach  and  compete  at  the  highest  level.”  

Sony  Pictures  Imageworks’  new  74,000  square  foot  production  headquarters  will  be  
located  at  the  Pacific  Centre,  a  Cadillac  Fairview  property,  in  downtown  Vancouver,  near  
many  of  the  city’s  most  popular  restaurants,  hotels  and  cultural  attractions,  and  close  
access  to  main  railway  and  rapid  transit  lines.    

ABOUT  SONY  PICTURES  IMAGEWORKS  

Sony  Pictures  Imageworks  is  the  Academy  Award®-­‐winning  visual  effects  and  animation  
unit  of  Sony  Pictures  Digital  Productions  known  for  live-­‐action  visual  effects,  dynamic  
creature  and  character  animation  and  all-­‐CG  animation.  The  company,  headquartered  in  
Vancouver,  B.C.,  recently  completed  work  on  the  THE  AMAZING  SPIDER-­‐MAN  2  and  22  
JUMP  STREET  for  Columbia  Pictures,  the  Warner  Bros.  feature  EDGE  OF  TOMORROW  
and  Disney/Marvel’s  CAPTAIN  AMERICA:  THE  WINTER  SOLDIER.  Sony  Pictures  
Imageworks  is  currently  in  production  on  Disney/Marvel’s  GUARDIANS  OF  THE  GALAXY,  
Columbia  Pictures’  THE  INTERVIEW  and  PIXELS,  and  the  ANGRY  BIRDS  movie  for  Rovio.  
The  studio  is  also  working  on  the  animated  features  HOTEL  TRANSYLVANIA  2  and  the  
untitled  SMURFS  movie  (working  title)  for  Sony  Pictures  Animation.  Other  recent  credits  
include  Disney’s  OZ  THE  GREAT  AND  POWERFUL,  THE  AMAZING  SPIDER-­‐MAN,  MEN  IN  
BLACK  3,  Sony  Pictures  Animation’s  CLOUDY  WITH  A  CHANCE  OF  MEATBALLS  2,  and  
HOTEL  TRANSYLVANIA  as  well  as  Disney’s  ALICE  IN  WONDERLAND.    

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CONTACT:      
Steven  Argula  
Director,  Publicity    
Sony  Pictures  Imageworks  
310-­‐815-­‐5233  
sargula@imageworks.com