London-based VFX studio DNEG has launched a new division to focus on creating immersive gaming, location-based entertainment and live event experiences for brand owners and partners. 

DNEG IXP will be headed up by managing director Josh Mandel, who has more than 20 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry. He is already spearheading the production of several projects, with an initial focus on licensed gaming, virtual concert and theme park ride experiences.

Mandel has spent the last four years working at British advertising agency The Mill, where he oversaw the company’s business development strategy and global network of 10 VFX studios. Over the course of his career, he has spearheaded collaborations with high-profile companies including Google, Apple, Activision, EA and Nike. 

DNEG delivered four immersive entertainment projects before launching the IXP division, including a Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure ride for Universal Studios in 2019 and an Ocean of Light VR experience for Meta Quest last year. But it’s best known for its TV and film VFX work on projects such as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, The Muppets Mayhem and Netflix’s live-action reboot of Avatar: The Last Airbender.