AI Production Studio Asteria Continues to Grow; Hires VFX Vet Benjamin Lock (EXCLUSIVE)
Generative AI film and animation studio Asteria, founded last fall by filmmaker and entrepreneur Bryn Mooser, is growing its team with the addition of VFX pro Benjamin Lock, who has been hired to lead the development of AI-driven workflows and advise on building the company’s proprietary AI model.
Lock brings more than 20 years of experience in VFX and animation, including stints at Framestore, Aardman, and Lucasfilm/ILM. He was a VFX producer on titles including “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and “Ready Player One.” Lock also won a BAFTA children’s award for stop-motion short-form program “Purple and Brown.”
Asteria is focused on producing fiction and nonfiction film and TV projects using its AI tech. “Ben’s expertise in visual effects and passion for innovation make him the perfect fit for Asteria. As we continue to develop cutting-edge AI tools for artists, his leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of animation and VFX,” said Mooser.
Asteria owns documentary studio XTR and houses streaming platform and FAST channel Documentary+, which reaches over 120 million American households. Asteria was formed last fall after XTR acquired AI studio and tech developer Late Night Labs.
Said Lock in a released statement, “The intersection of AI with animation and VFX is one of the most exciting areas in filmmaking, and Asteria is leading the charge. I’m excited to collaborate with this visionary team to develop tools that elevate artists and expand what’s possible in storytelling for global audiences today.”
Asteria also recently hired AI innovator and DreamWorks Animation alum Don Allen Stevenson III as its creative AI pipeline director.
Lock brings more than 20 years of experience in VFX and animation, including stints at Framestore, Aardman, and Lucasfilm/ILM. He was a VFX producer on titles including “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and “Ready Player One.” Lock also won a BAFTA children’s award for stop-motion short-form program “Purple and Brown.”
Asteria is focused on producing fiction and nonfiction film and TV projects using its AI tech. “Ben’s expertise in visual effects and passion for innovation make him the perfect fit for Asteria. As we continue to develop cutting-edge AI tools for artists, his leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of animation and VFX,” said Mooser.
Asteria owns documentary studio XTR and houses streaming platform and FAST channel Documentary+, which reaches over 120 million American households. Asteria was formed last fall after XTR acquired AI studio and tech developer Late Night Labs.
Said Lock in a released statement, “The intersection of AI with animation and VFX is one of the most exciting areas in filmmaking, and Asteria is leading the charge. I’m excited to collaborate with this visionary team to develop tools that elevate artists and expand what’s possible in storytelling for global audiences today.”
Asteria also recently hired AI innovator and DreamWorks Animation alum Don Allen Stevenson III as its creative AI pipeline director.