Director Neil Huxley Joins Lord Danger
Neil Huxley, the Emmy-nominated filmmaker known for his mastery of cinematic storytelling and ‘world-building’ visuals that seamlessly blend live action with visual effects and 3D animation, creating highly immersive and emotionally engaging experiences, has joined the creative production company Lord Danger (part of the Monstera Group) for US commercial representation. Neil joins a roster that includes Cache Bunny, MP Curtet, Mike Diva, and Parker Seaman.
“I've watched these guys grow, they're hungry, they're tenacious,” Neil says of the Lord Danger leadership of Josh Shadid, Michael Bennett, and Anthony Ficalora. "It feels like everyone's geared towards sales, and they understand my work, so there's no disconnect with the sales team. I love the ‘cyber-punk’ vibe of some of their best work; it’s exactly what I want to be doing.”
A Filmmaker First And Foremost:
Although known for his ground-breaking work in visual effects – he did after all, spend 18 months working alongside director James Cameron on 'Avatar' as Visual Effects Art Director, leading a team of 80+ artists, contributing to more than 300 shots – but Neil prefers to see himself as a filmmaker first and foremost.
"Digital production is a second skin for me, but at my core, I see myself as a filmmaker dedicated to serving story and emotion through every medium I use," Neil explains. "On the surface, much of my work appears visually effects-driven, but when you look closer, some of my most significant projects are a seamless blend of live-action and visual effects, always crafted to enhance the narrative and deepen the emotional connection.”
Neil points to his viral Emmy-nominated, nearly three-minute long live-action, emotionally narrative-driven promo for the famed UFC fight featuring Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm and his intimate and powerful spots about supporting veterans of all ages for the Royal British Legion.
Of course, Neil is a master of the video game universe – whether it’s blending live-action and CG for video game trailers for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Iron Man VR, and multiple DLC expansion trailers for Dead By Daylight, including the reveal of the Stranger Things Demogorgon, which accumulated over seven million views in 24 hours; or writing and directing video game cinematics for such games as Rise of the Tomb Raider, directing over 90 minutes of full performance capture with multiple actors, and serving as DP using a VCAM (virtual camera) system.
Working In Middle Earth:
Perhaps his biggest assignment, showcasing the full scope of Neil’s talents, was the multi-million dollar live-action Lord of the Rings interactive film, Middle Earth: Shadow of War for Warner Bros Interactive. Braving the Ukrainian winter, he oversaw a team of hundreds in bringing to life an epic battlefield of warring Orcs and fire-breathing dragons, which garnered millions of views and praise from die-hard fans for being the best depiction of Middle Earth since the original LOTR trilogy.
The entire interactive eight-minute film can be seen here.
“I'm a filmmaker, but I feel very comfortable in whatever environment you want to stick me in, whether on a sub-zero location in Eastern Europe or a mocap stage in LA. For me, it’s all about creating something that connects with people on a deeper level. I want to make them feel something, to move them in some way. At the end of the day, it’s those emotional truths that resonate and drive people to take action.”
Anthony notes, “One thing that's consistent in all of Neil’s work is the emotional cinematic storytelling, whether that be live action, CG effects, he's a visual world builder, and there aren’t many that can do what he does.”
