Introducing Axio. in this exciting interview:
A cutting-edge VFX studio established in 2023 and
headquartered in London.
Visual Effects, Post Production and CG
How did it all begin? What inspired the Axio World creation?
After several years in the VFX industry, we decided to create our own studio to explore new possibilities for our work. It wasn't easy; it took time to find our identity and establish our roles within the studio. However, we remained patient, and after two years of development, things began to fall into place naturally.
Axio. Showreel
Founders and Co-founders
How and where did you meet?
We worked at various studios in London, but the VFX industry is a small world, and we crossed paths during our careers and studies. Before becoming co-founders, we were friends first. I believe the real beginning came when we collaborated on personal projects. Through those, we learned how to work together, and it just clicked. After reflecting on our careers and what we wanted for the future, we decided to take a leap of faith, channeling our energy into this new journey.
What led you to decide to create a studio?
We were satisfied with our work, but we wanted to venture into a different field. After working on several movies in the VFX industry like The Call Of The Wild, Pacific Rim, Lion King and so, we were drawn to smaller projects, like those in advertising. We also felt the need to explore new possibilities. In large VFX companies, you’re often confined to a single role, but we were curious about how the other positions functioned and wanted the opportunity to broaden our skills and perspectives.
Let’s talk about how to set up a studio during these challenging times. I’m sure many artists will be eager to learn.
I don’t believe there’s a guide titled "The Perfect Way to Create Your Studio" because every studio and every person is unique. However, there are key elements, like learning how to collaborate as a team, deciding what kinds of projects to pursue, and defining the studio's identity.
Before officially opening our studio, we spent a year building the foundation trying things out, experimenting, and figuring out what worked for us. Once you have some answers, you can dive in. The rest is just handling the administrative tasks.
Could you describe the initial ideas or concepts that came to mind before officially starting the project?
Choosing a name for a studio often marks the beginning of the journey, and for us, the choice was clear. That’s why we decided to call our studio Axio. (officially Axio World Ltd). The name reflects our desire to work across multiple "axes," to explore different possibilities, and to act swiftly. In a way, Axio. merges the concepts of "action" and "axes."
The “.” in our name holds special meaning for us. It symbolizes our curiosity and the idea that we can work in various fields. For us, the dot represents “World,” which hints at the broad scope of the industry and our ability to work in different areas.
Initially, Axio focused on commercial projects, and we’ve already worked with brands like Gillette, L’Oreal, and Xbox. Although we are French, we chose to base our studio in the UK, specifically in London. We love the city, it's where the studio began, and administratively, it made the most sense to start there.
Can you tell me about your experience during the early days of getting started?
Our first project was a spot for Gillette for the Movember event. It was a great experience because the project was fun, cool, and, most importantly, accessible. By "accessible," I mean that it wasn’t overly challenging, which made it the perfect starting point for us. This allowed us to ease into our new roles without being overwhelmed by complexity.
We were able to take on this project thanks to our connections. Like in the VFX industry, having strong networks on platforms like social media and LinkedIn is essential.
Building a studio also means building connections, and this played a key role in finding our first client.
Can you explain what you mean by "accessible"?
Certainly, it was our first job with Axio., our mission was to implement a CG mustache to the actor. According to this kind of effect we needed to ask for a few pictures and videos of the actor in order to create a CG Face to start the RnD for the Mustache itself and also for the face tracking. We made a few versions obviously, it was good tho because the client already knew what kind of Mustache he wanted so our Groom Artist could work smoothly. Our artist used Houdini to make the Mustache and we used Nuke with Kentool to make the CG Head and the Matchmove of the Actor. Also our VFX Supervisor Mao, had to go to the set in order to take all the information for the compositing and Lighting. What a VFX Supervisor does is to take all reference balls ( Chrome, Grey ), macbeth color and the Grid for the Lens Distortion. The VFX Supervisor talks with the director in order to let him know what kind of material we need in order to make the visual effect properly and all the constraints that we can avoid, ( Wrong lighting, Trackers, Green Screen checking ). It was a great project, because it help us to setting up our first workflow and it was only on one Mustache so it was certainly easier than Xbox.
What about Xbox?
The Xbox project was a significant challenge for our studio, perhaps one of the most demanding live-action advertising campaigns we've worked on. Compared to the Gillette project, where we only had to visit the set once, this required two visits. The first was to collaborate with the agency on preparation, identifying objects we needed to create, as well as those we could remove to streamline the workload, all without compromising the integrity of the video. This balancing act was complex, as we aim to work with the team, not against them, so we couldn’t make drastic changes. Instead, our role was to find practical solutions that served both creative and technical needs. We also conducted several scans of objects to optimize our pipeline and workflow, taking all necessary reference photos for texturing. We measured the dimensions of the bedroom set to ensure our work was to scale. The extensive preparation was demanding, but essential to the project's success. On the day of shooting, we set up a green screen to composite the actor into the CG room for the destruction shot. We also placed trackers for matchmoving. Matchmoving was crucial because it generates a CG camera based on the live-action footage, ensuring the visual effects stick to the scene without sliding, effectively translating a 2D camera into a 3D environment.The CG process itself, while it may sound simple, involved meticulous work cleaning up the scans, recreating the room in CG, and then destroying it and finally Lighting the scene for the render. It may sound easy, but it certainly wasn’t.
Can you share a few details about the education section that you are offering?
We’ve already conducted a few masterclasses, such as the one at Inov Nantes. All of us started as students, whether in school or learning at home. Every artist begins that way. Our goal is to share key insights about mindset, work ethic, workflow, and the latest technologies. Students need this kind of information to successfully transition into the industry. If we can help by offering masterclasses or interviews, it's a win for the students. We're always happy to share our experiences, and we’re beginning to think more about our role in education. Let’s see where it leads in the future.
What are you looking for and hoping to achieve in the future?
Right now, we continue to explore new possibilities, which we believe is essential. Staying curious and being explorers is a core value we aim to maintain. We’ve also started exploring Unreal Engine. It's one of the new tools we're diving into because real-time rendering opens up exciting possibilities for CG artists. It’s fast and delivers impressive visuals. However, we still rely on traditional render engines like Arnold or Karma, as Unreal isn’t quite there yet when it comes to advanced features like advanced AOVs and detailed lighting. But it’s getting closer and the Epic team is still working on this software and few tools are already improved. For the time being, we’ve chosen to work remotely, and we’ve developed a solid workflow that allows us to collaborate effectively and share files seamlessly. This setup has enabled us to stay flexible while continuing to push boundaries in our work.
Axel Blin
Born in France, Axel currently resides in Montpellier. With a background in character animation, he is now a CG Supervisor at Axio World School. His educational journey began with a 3D Bachelor's degree at Brassart Grenoble, followed by a year at the prestigious Gobelins in Annecy. Axel's career includes notable experience working at MPC in Montreal and London, as well as O2o in Saint-Malo, France, contributing to his expertise in the field of computer graphics and animation.
What has been one of your most memorable experiences in your career?
When I started my career, I had the chance to work on The Call of the Wild, which was my first and perhaps my favorite experience. Throughout my career, I’ve loved moving to different locations to work on various projects, which is a great opportunity as an artist. Working in the VFX industry has given me the chance to discover many new roles within the industry and the experience of collaborating with different people. This has helped me develop not only my workflow as an animator but also grow personally.
What initially inspired your career path to become an artist in the film industry?
Even though I chose to pursue a career in the film industry, my initial goal was to become an artist and eventually transition into the game industry. Video games have always fueled my passion for creating.
Can you share some insights about the early days of your career and the journey that led you to where you are today?
I began my career at MPC working on live-action films, where I started by animating cycles like walk and run cycles for dogs on The Call of the Wild. It was my first experience with a professional pipeline and tools, which completely transformed my approach to animation and teamwork.
After many projects in my career, I decided to start a new journey. As an Animator the only task is to animate which is already a big thing don't let me wrong but I was had the feeling to explore more possibilities as an Artist. Meet Maoris and Loris was a chance because it gave me the the little spark that I needed to start to explore this new idea. Then after few projects together we decided to open our own studio Axio World Ltd
Can you describe some of the most special or interesting shots you've worked on and what made them stand out?
I'll talk about my most recent work as an animator on Snow White. It was a challenging project because we had to animate many characters in the same scene across just a few shots. Unfortunately, many animators don’t know how to optimize scenes effectively. For me, this was a great challenge to find technical solutions that allowed me to animate properly without dealing with an overly heavy scene. I utilized techniques like creating GPU caches, using proxy characters, and employing baking locator methods.
When you have 20 characters interacting in a scene, finding solutions is crucial!
Maoris Creantor
Born in France and currently residing in London, Maoris is a seasoned Visual Effects Supervisor at Axio, working both on set and in post-production. With four years of formal education in Visual Effects and 3D Animation at ESMA Nantes, France, Maoris has built a diverse career. He has previously worked as a Lighting Artist and gained valuable experience at notable studios, including Mac Guff Ligne and Studio 100 Animation in Paris, as well as MPC, Jellyfish Pictures, DNEG, Misc Studios, Dupe VFX, and Black Kite Studios in London.
How has supervising VFX on set changed your approach to post-production?
Since 2021, I have had the opportunity to supervise VFX on set for music videos, commercials, and short films. This experience has given me a new perspective on the post-production workflow, allowing me to approach the work I've been doing for years with a fresh outlook. Additionally, I am now aware of the various problematics encountered during shoots, such as camera setups, location constraints, and lighting conditions.
What has inspired you to become an artist?
I always say that it was my passion for cinema and art in general that brought me into this job. As for Visual Effects, I see it as a way to express my artistic skills and contribute to the projects I'm working on, regardless of the project's scale.
Can you share what your early days as an artist were like and explain the key challenges you are facing today?
When I first started, I was doing surfacing (shaders and textures), but after seeing the lighting I did on my graduation short film, MPC asked me to work on the Lion King Remake as a Lighting Artist. That's how I got into Lighting.
It's quite obvious, but I believe the most important decision I've made in my career was starting Axio with Axel and Loris. There are so many new things you have to learn when running a VFX company, and it has been a major turning point for me.
What tools do you use?
Houdini, Solaris, Maya, Katana, Clarisse, Arnold, Renderman, Vray, Nuke
How have mistakes and recognition from peers influenced your growth, and how do you apply those lessons now?
You always learn faster by making mistakes, which I have throughout my career. However, when your peers (sometimes with a lot more experience than you) recognize the quality of your work, it boosts your confidence and you get better at what you are doing. So if you want to get the best out of someone, cheer them up. That's what I am trying to do now that I supervise a team.
As a Lighting Artist, I always thought "the simpler, the better". We are doing Computer-Generated Imagery, and it's easy to get caught up in adding too many tricks and patches to make things work, which can lead you away from the realistic / aesthetic look you're aiming for. In such cases, going back to the original setup and making just a few subtle tweaks (if needed) is often the best solution. As a Supervisor, I still think the same.
Loris Mantello
Loris Mantello is a highly skilled FX TD and Creative Executive based in London, UK, with seven years of experience in the visual effects industry. Loris has contributed to a range of renowned projects, including Avatar: The Last Airbender Invasion, Prehistoric Planet, Spirit Untamed, Pinocchio, and Watchmen. He has also been involved in The Lion King, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Avengers: Infinity War, and Pacific Rim: Uprising.
Having studied at Brassart Grenoble, where he earned his 3D Bachelor’s degree, Loris has honed his expertise across top-tier companies such as DNEG, MPC, One of Us, Jellyfish, and Framestore.
His diverse experience, spanning projects both large and small, has shaped his creative approach and positioned him as a rising leader in the field.
What has inspirated you to become an artist?
My journey as an artist began when I first saw Batman: The Dark Knight. I wanted to participate in projects like that, which evoke passion and emotion in people. Initially, I aspired to be a modeler, but then I discovered FX, and that's where I found the greatest excitement in this world
Can you briefly describe your early days as an artist and the key steps in your career path?
Working as an FX artist has always been my dream, and I spent several years doing that in various studios. During COVID, I wanted to try new things, and when Axel, Maoris, and I started working on projects together, we discovered the great chemistry between us. It became clear that we would create something together, which is why we started Axio World. Now, I'm no longer doing FX at Axio World and am more focused on other tasks—things I had been eager to do!
Have there been any particularly challenging moments in your artistic career that significantly contributed to your growth and development in the field?
I've had many great and challenging moments in my career. One of the highlights was my first participation in a movie. I will never forget seeing my name in the credits for the first time—it was like a dream come true! As for tough experiences, COVID was definitely the hardest. It was a difficult time finding work, and I had to switch to CFX to stay employed. I even started to doubt myself. But without that experience, I don't think Axio World would have come to life. Sometimes, even bad moments can lead to something great in the future!
When I worked on Invasion, we had to create an alien entity that had never been seen before and then give it emotion. It was a challenging task, but from an artistic perspective, I had so much fun working on it!
What tools do you use?
Houdini, Maya, Nuke, Karma
By: GridMarkets marketing