We LOVE what we do.
Muse VFX is a team of artists and industry veterans with a long track record of successful productions. We foster a flexible and collaborative work environment because we know happy teammates make happy clients. With our robust pipeline as the backbone; we achieve great results.
Meet the Team
Founders
Creative Director - VFX Supervisor
John Gross
John Gross is a pioneer in the creation of visual effects for television. He began his career in 1992, The Year of the Jean Shorts when he was recruited to Hollywood to train and prepare the visual effects team for Steven Spielberg's new series SeaQuest. After his experience on the crew of the first series to commit to CGI, he saw a need for computer-driven vfx for television, commercials, music videos, and film. John started his artist-driven visual effects company, Digital Muse, in 1996 to fill this need. Over the years, John has created client-friendly vfx companies that are collaborative and employee-driven. This has earned him an impressive track record and a loyal following with both clients and the vfx teams alike.
Chief Technology Officer/VFX Supervisor
Fred Pienkos
A Columbia graduate, Fred came to VFX via Chicago advertising and post. A visual effects wizard with a deep understanding of pipeline, color and post production technologies, Fred constantly fine tunes the powerful technological engine on which our creativity thrives. Instilling team and individual loyalty as a leader and supervisor, Fred is a cornerstone of our success and happiness at here at Muse.
Meet the Team
Hollywood
VFX Executive Producer
Samantha Mabie-Tuinstra
Samantha is an experienced visual effects Project Manager for film and television. Besides having produced countless visual effects for high level tv series and films, she is also a visual artist/fine art painter with extensive artistic training. Driven to continuously improve the work, the work environment, and individual career and creative goals, she has earned Leadership Certification from the Arbinger Institute and is a Certified Transformational Life Coach. (Yep, we don't know what that is either). Knowing it is possible to have the trust and satisfaction of both clients and artists, Sam helps Muse VFX build and create visual effects teams and work environments where collaboration, innovation, satisfaction, and purpose thrive.
CG Supervisor
Stefan Bredereck
Stefan is the CG Supervisor for Muse VFX and is German. So, this bio is going to be serious.
With over twenty years as a visual effects professional, Stefan's strengths include team leadership, training and utilization, complex problem solving and non-stop innovation. He is known for incredible smoke and explosion effects as well as look-development, lighting and compositing. As Muse's mad professor, Stefan is always cooking up something in the fx lab. We never quite know what he's sinking about doing next!
Visual Effects Producer
Fabian Barreto
Fabian Barreto also holds some fancy pants college type degree. With ten years visual effects experience under his belt, he does a bang up job producing like it's a cake walk (it's not) and keeps his sanity via yearly Coachella infusions.
Controller
Steve Calderon
Steve has years of finance, accounting and administrative experience in the media and entertainment industry and that makes him a certifiable gangster. His illustrious career in breaking hearts and balancing books includes stints at Orion Pictures, Embassy Home Entertainment, Nelson Entertainment, Pierson Television, Broadband Sports, Method Studios, Artists Management Group, The Firm and most importantly, Muse VFX.
Visual Effects Producer
Shane Wise
Shane Wise holds a Bachelors in Communications & Media Studies. An experienced editor and vfx producer, his ten plus successful years in the field of visual effects for film and television makes him verifiably bonkers.
Meet the Team
Atlanta
Atlanta Studio Mgr/VFX Supervisor
Steven Benjamin
Steven Benjamin is such a humble and lovely human, he was officially asked to leave Hollywood. Steven brings a diverse range of vfx experience to projects and is knowledgable in pre and post visual effects production. Over the past decade, he has served as a visual effects Generalist, Compositor, TD, and Supervisor. He relishes absorbing new information, discovering advanced techniques & tactics, and helping teams and crews discover and achieve solid creative solutions to visual effects conundrums.
Atlanta VFX Executive Producer
Katie Jacobs
As Muse VFX Executive Producer in Atlanta, Katie Jacobs works alongside the Head of Studio and VFX Supervisor, Steven Benjamin, and VFX Coordinator Stephanie Sagastume developing and expanding the company’s Atlanta presence. Before joining Muse, Katie held the position of Senior Producer at Crafty Apes, Inc. where she built a client list of high-end media conglomerates such as Netflix, HBO, Apple, Disney, Amazon, Starz, Paramount, Warner Bros., and Hulu. She has an extensive creative production background, having worked as a Screenwriter, Director, and Producer on several low-budget short film projects through, Get A Clue Productions, LLC. In New York City.
Clientele
TPN GOLD CERTIFIED
