Preymaker Opens A Studio In Cape Town; Julie Brown, Byron Tofas Take On Key Roles
This article originally appeared in SHOOT, September 17, 2024.
Creative + technology studio Preymaker, founded in New York in 2020 by industry veterans Angus Kneale, Melanie Wickham and Verity Grantham, has opened a studio in Cape Town.
Leading the day-to-day business at the new South Africa outpost are industry veterans Julie Brown, serving as head of operations, and Byron Tofas, creative lead.
Brown has recently held leadership positions at Engage Video Group as the head of production and delivery while also playing a key role in the strategic leadership of the business through a five year growth phase. At Ogilvy & Mather SA, she oversaw and led delivery for some of the agency’s biggest client portfolios.
Tofas, a creative whose honors include multiple Loeries and PromaxBDAs, was previously VFX supervisor at BlackGinger overseeing teams on commercials, series and feature films. His credits include Hollywood blockbusters such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, along with the 2023 VFX Craft Gold Loerie-winning “Ya’ hunga forever,” a hilarious Black Panther parody for Big John.
“South Africa has a rich creative community. The society has high appreciation for the arts-from music to design and photography to animation and filmmaking in general,” enthused Preymaker’s Chief Creative, Angus Kneale.