Viskefi — All Creatures Great and Small
When you first meet Manmohan and Danu, it doesn’t take too long before you realise how strikingly different they are. On first impression you might think the only thing they have in common is their country of birth. But then you hear the way they speak about Viskefi — the product of their mutual passion — and you realise they aren’t that different after all. They are two people utterly obsessed with what they do and how they do it. In fact, it’s their very differences that make for an unstoppable team.
Manmohan started his career in IT as a software developer where he spent 20 years in the industry. But coming from a business family, he too wanted to work for himself. Even from his college days he’s been running businesses on the side. His main goal has always been to create an eco-space of opportunity and employment for communities; with a keen focus on ‘giving back’ in a way that resembles the idea of a circular economy. He’s travelled most of the world and has been incredibly successful.
Now flashforward to the pandemic. Manmohan, like everyone else at that time, was glued to the TV. He slowly developed a fascination with streaming content, which led him to extensive research into how surreal effects were achieved. It was then he decided that he wanted to start his own VFX venture. Whilst Manmohan had the business side of things covered, he was missing a vital element: the creative talent. At that point, he was introduced to Danu through a mutual friend. From the beginning, their working relationship was electric. Mamnohan recalls chatting for at least five hours every time they met up to discuss the idea and their vision; “we decided if we both joined hands it would be a beautiful combination.”
Danu’s creative toolbelt is one that many would be envious of. He’s been in the game for around 17 years, with the most recent ten being dedicated specifically to VFX. He’s worked for many of the big players and on shows including the Jungle Book, Transformers, Ready Player One, Jurassic World, Star Wars, the Avengers and Aladdin. This is a man with a truly gleaming portfolio.
The Evolution of Creatures
So how did Viskefi end up specialising in creatures; it's quite niche afterall. Those of us who exist outside of the world of VFX may not know that within the industry, creature-making is considered one of the most advanced areas one could aspire to. As far as Danu is concerned, if you can master creature animation, everything else in terms of quality and complexity will fall into place. But how did this love story begin?
“I picked up this love of creatures from my work in Jungle Book. I created over 18 characters. I then went to Fantastic Beasts where I was animating huge creatures for eight months. Meanwhile, I had developed quite a good fan following on my work. Sometimes I’d give people advice and eventually I was asked if I trained people. So I thought, let me try. That became the brain seat for making my own creature animation workshops.”
Danu has now been teaching his creature animation workshop successfully for 5 years, but he doesn’t just train anyone. He’s very specific about who he trains. He’ll do his digging beforehand; finding out what their reasons are for wanting to pursue this avenue, and if their goals aligned. It’s important for him that these individuals approach the topic with a true and unwavering passion.
“If You’re Nice to People, They’re Nice Back”
Viskefi’s UK offices are based in Milton Keynes where Danu and Manmohan have both been locals. Manmohan wanted to start something where nothing like it existed. Making them MK’s first ever VFX studio. They’ve also partnered with local universities and colleges offering internships for students and educational programmes in MK. This solidifies Viskefi as another example of community centricity trickling through all of Manmohan’s ventures.
Danu has spent a long time working in places that have no regard for mental health, so it was important for him to ensure Viskefi was different “people are what makes a company, not the other way around.”
“We are asking ourselves, what kind of culture do we need to create for our staff in order to showcase their creativity. We want to build a community where people can actually have their creative voices heard. We want them to be able to sing. We want to make sure that we give them freedom, because if you don’t, you can’t expect to extract any creative output.”
This was Danu’s main takeaway from working with so many VFX studios throughout the course of his career. He recalls with fondness times when companies treated him with respect as an artist, but what is more, “human to human”.
“Most of this is common sense,” says Danu , “if you’re nice to people they are nice back to you.” It’s a simple maxim, but one that holds its own.
Viskefi is an unusual name. Vis refers to ‘Visual’, whilst Kefi translates to ‘joyfulness and passion’. That’s what their ethos comes down to. These guys know that true joy can only be achieved in kind and sustainable environments. This concept isn’t limited to the western side of the water. That’s why they are providing their employees with the top technologies available to enable them to work with that little bit more ease. “We want artists to be able to focus on their art rather than struggling with the manual side of things.”
Viskefi’s team now stands at 28 in the UK and 85 in India, and it is only now continuing to grow; especially now that they have just secured land for new office bases.
The Plug-In Creature Department for Any Studio
Daniel joined Viskefi in January after a varied career working for some of the biggest names in the industry. What stood out to him right away was the sheer quality of talent that the company was offering. “Meeting these gentlemen and seeing the talent within the company, not to mention the fact they’re both so humble.”
Daniel recognises that having a creature department is one of the most difficult parts of any VFX setup — “a lot of VFX studios and other studios don’t have creature departments because it is just so specialised. But with Viskefi, we basically have a plugin creature department, which can work with any studio.”
This kind of offering almost sounds too good to be true; but these guys mean it. They have made it so “any studio can now say that they’ve got a creature department by working with us.” This is about complete collaboration, which in an industry of competition, feels like a breath of fresh air.
Daniel explains, “one of the studios we spoke to told us that two weeks ago they’d received a script containing a grizzly bear and we had to turn it away. Now, we know we don’t have to.” It’s interesting to learn that the Viskefi business has two heads. Specialised creatures isn’t all it does. The company also covers all of the prep elements as well as rotoscoping; meaning it covers everything from pre-production, production itself, and the creature photorealism. “As someone working in business development, it’s wonderful. It’s like a box of chocolates, because we have this amazing product and we can work with anyone.”
It’s an extremely exciting prospect for studios who want to expand their offerings. But their style of work is sure to make those relationships flourish. “Viskefi has those ingredients” says Daniel, “It’s honest, it’s transparent, it’s humble, and it has the artistry to back it up.”
A Library of Animals?
Yep, you read that right. Sounds weird, we know. But it’s actually pretty brilliant. Creating animals is an especially involved and intricate process. There is a painstaking amount of detail that goes into creating believable beings that move, breathe, jump, turn, run or pounce, in the way we might expect them to.
Every muscle matters, right down to the millimetre. Viskefi has done something that will help to expedite this process for film, TV and commercials, without sacrificing any of the quality, of course. Quality is never up for debate with this team.
The Creature Animal Asset Library now consists of 51 assets (from different animal family groups) which are ready to be adapted to whatever they are needed for. And it’s only continuing to grow. “We can pick them up and understand the director's vision and purpose, and use the basis of these animals to achieve that rather than starting completely from scratch.”
Looking Ahead
In only two years, the team has managed to create a company that is ready to take on the creative world, with exquisite talent, and an outright refusal to compromise on respect and kindness. Manmohan’s business experience has meant they have built the most solid foundations possible to take on any challenges that come their way. Really, there has been no stone left unturned.
When looking towards the future, you can hear the excitement all three of these guys share. The opportunities seem limitless in a lot of ways. They want to be the go-to studio for all things creature related. And looking at what they’ve constructed already, in such a short period of time, it really does seem like a tangible reality.
With rotoscoping, VFX, the Asset Library and their own specialism, Viskefi is ready to take on the creative world, and to do so with creative partnerships, delivering all creatures, great and small.
