Deak Ferrand, visual effects designer and digital artist with credits on Mystery Men, What Dreams May Come and X-Men has parted ways with Santa Monica-based R!ot to launch Hatch with his producing partner, Cheryl Bainum.

Ferrand was born and educated in Switzerland and later spent three years in Montreal where he combined his training as a sculptor and Trompe L'Oeil artist with Softimage schooling.

He began his career in visual effects in 1994 at Buzz Image Group in Montreal as a visual effects designer, digital matte artist and CG animator. That same year, Ferrand and Bainum relocated when Buzz launched Buzz F/X studio in Los Angeles. In 1997, Buzz F/X's talent was annexed by Pacific Ocean Post (POP) and Bainum was promoted to Visual Effects Executive Producer. In 2000, POP merged with R!ot, formerly known as Encore.

Hatch will be the antithesis of a big effects corporation. Ferrand is renovating his home in Marina Del Rey to provide a 400-square-foot studio for he and Bainum. Of course this will keep overhead low but he admits to a more heart-felt motive; his two-year-old daughter named Loon. "This way I'm as close to her as possible."

On the genesis of his tiny but very busy new company Ferrand says, "One of the problems when you work for a big company is a lot of overhead. I was approached by a lot of people that wanted to work with me, but I couldn't help them at R!ot because it was maybe one or two shots. That's not enough for a big company. So I though it would be easier for me to step out and work on more projects but on a smaller scale, which I think is more interesting."

Ferrand points out that the split with R1ot was, "Absolutely friendly."

"R!ot has supported me for everything I want to do like directing commercials. They rehired me through Hatch to finish the Scorpion King. I still need them. Every time I get a project that is too big I go to them and we work together," he says.

Cheryl Bainum, who has produced for Ferrand since 1995, says Hatch specializes in concept design and creating 3D matte paintings in which cameras have near-complete freedom of movement. She believes that, "What's been achieved so far in this realm represents the tip of the iceberg."

A glance at Ferrand's recent spot work indicates his particular chunk of that ice may be larger than most: Gillette "Ice" with Eugenio Zanetti, Volkswagon "Dream" with Kinka Usher and Titleist "Elevator" directed by David Kellogg as well as "Little Red Men," which he directed for Budweiser. His current feature projects include design and matte work for The One, Lord of the Rings, and Blade 2.