“The Book of Life” animation studio Reel FX launches VR firm

PanARMENIAN.Net - Reel FX Animation Studio (The Book of Life, Free Birds) has launched a sister company, Flight School, aimed at developing projects for virtual reality and other emerging platforms, The Hollywood Reporter reveals.

Flight School will be led by Reel FX co-CEO Kyle Clark, serving as CEO; former Moonbot Studios CEO Lampton Enochs as executive vp; and Moonbot alums Brandon Oldenburg as chief creative officer and Limbert Fabian as executive creative director.

Oldenburg won an Academy Award as co-director of the animated short The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, and he and Fabian won Emmys for Silent and Scarecrow.

“As the idea behind Flight School took shape, we realized the need to build a strong creative brain trust to guide this new initiative," said Clark. "Bringing this already-established team on board accomplished that goal beyond our greatest expectations.” Reel FX and Flight School will operate in Dallas, effectively as one company with separate divisions, each with its own leadership and creative teams, though they will also share resources. Reel FX has already produced several VR projects, including an activation for Lionsgate's Power Rangers.

Flight School plans to publish its first entertainment project this summer, an interactive experience titled Manifest 99.