Cafe FX

History

After founding the company in 1993 as Computer Café, Jeff Barnes and David Ebner kicked off their part-time hobby in a small 10-by-10 room inside a local print design studio in Santa Maria. Their initial tools included two Amiga 2000 computers, a VHS deck and video toaster. They used Lightwave 3D, D-Paint and Imagine 3D as part of their initial arsenal of software creation. Over the next 17 plus years Computer Cafe would change its name and grow to one of the world top visual effects studios in the world. Their first official employee was Ron Honn who acted as the company Designer and Storyboard artist. Soon to follow was vfx supervisor Tom Williamson, who's connection in the LA make-up effects industry helped to launch the group to the feature film market.

The team worked their way up from local to regional and then national commercial and broadcast assignments. “Our first job was to show how a product called Shoe Goo worked.” said David "and then SLIME tires, some crazy projects back then". As their commercial reputation grew, so did their client base. Starting with an initial campaign on 24 spots for Foster's Freeze to their first national contract for Shasta Soda. Shasta was the first US nation spot to be fully rendered on a desktop PC. The team next steered its focus on broadcast work being repped by Our Gang Productions and studios such as Pittard Sullivan. During that time they produced various opens and TV station packages for both regional and nation clientele. Some projects include, NBC, TNT, Nickelodeon, NBC, CBS, Dateline, Entertainment Tonight and the long running HBO Feature Presentation. Still under the banner of Computer Café, Jeff and David moved into motion picture effects by first tackling Clive Barker’s 1995 feature, Lord of Illusion. Yet even then, notes Jeff, “Everything we made, we put back into the company.”

In the late 90's, Jeff and David were in a position to expand their operations. Interest in a Los Angeles outlet for their CG feature film work, together with a plan to expand stronger commercially led them to first open their first LA location inside in Virgin Entertainments 525 Post in Hollywood. A year later they expanded into their own space in Santa Monica where they opened a boutique CG and compositing studio which housed a staff of 8. In early 2002 they purchased Santa Monica based telecine company (then own by Neil Feldmen called Pacific Data Post) added CG effects and compositing and renamed the company 'The Syndicate'. The Syndicate quickly become an award-winning short form visual effects company, providing Flame finishing suites, full CG services, and one of the industries top telecine studios led by the management team of Kenny Solomon, Leslie Sorrentino and Beau Leon.

In 2005, Jeff and David also launched Sentenia Entertainment, a live action production company. “We are very excited about this division.” Stated Jeff, “It helps us to further diversify our group, and also provides an additional creative outlet for our talent.” Their first project with Sententia was as Associate Producers for Guillermo Del Toro's Academany award winning "Pans Labryinth". The following film was "Danika" starring Marisa Tomei which David and Jeff served as Executive Producers for the film.

In 2006 after the success of Sin City, the Santa Maria office park they had called home for eleven years soon became cramped, leading to the 2005 purchase of the new CafeFX studio. “This has been a dream of ours since the beginning. We wanted to create the ultimate workspace for clients and staff alike, and believe we have “ smiles Jeff. The new studio includes room for over 200 artists, as well as such amenities as a café, fitness center, game areas, a 60-seat film and 2k digital theater, and even a two-lane bowling alley. The eight-acre campus leaves plenty of room for outdoor activities and future expansion.. notes Jeff.

Out of business

Closed 2010.

Complete list

Extra information

CafeFX was also the sole provider of visual effects for Seven Pounds, a Sony Pictures Entertainment film starring Will Smith, which opens on December 19, 2008.

CafeFX completed work on approximately 100 shots for the film adaptation of the classic comic book, Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes. The studio was called on to introduce the film's main villain—Blackheart—during a storm featuring fire rain and clouds with demon faces.

Snakes on a Plane- As the lead visual effects studio, CafeFX created more than half of the 500 VFX shots, including some 100 photoreal snake shots as well as all of the airline exteriors. CafeFX also handled all the airplane inflight exteriors shots and the Boeing's climactic emergency landing at LAX.

Pan's Labyrinth- Tasked with 300 shots and five months of post-production, the VFX crew embarked on a journey that required both artistic and technical inspiration to bring director Guillermo Del Toro's visions to life. The production had very detailed storyboards and the team stuck to those designs "religiously".

2009 releases

• Dragonball Evolution - 20th Century Fox, release date April 8, 2009

• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - 20th Century Fox, release date May 22, 2009

• Land of the Lost - Universal Pictures, release date June 5, 2009

• Public Enemies - Universal Pictures, release date July 1, 2009

• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - Paramount Pictures, release date August 7, 2009

• The Final Destination - New Line Cinema, release date August 21, 2009

• Whiteout - Warner Bros., release date September 11, 2009

• Shutter Island - Paramount Pictures, release date October 2, 2009

Theme park attraction

A major project underway at CafeFX for the past year is an attraction for “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” the world’s first fully immersive Harry Potter themed environment slated to open at Universal Orlando theme park in 2010.