Digital Domain - History

History

The company began producing visual effects in 1993, its first three films being True Lies, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, and Color of Night in 1994.

It has produced effects for more than 90 films including Titanic, Apollo 13, What Dreams May Come, The Fifth Element, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Armageddon, Star Trek: Nemesis and The Day After Tomorrow. More recent films include I, Robot, Flags of Our Fathers, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Transformers, Speed Racer, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, 2012, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The A-Team, Avatar, Tron: Legacy, Thor, X-Men: First Class and most recently, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Real Steel.

In October 2002, Digital Domain launched a subsidiary, D2 Software, to market and distribute its Academy Award-winning compositing software, Nuke. The move was partially motivated by Apple's acquisition of a similar program, Shake.

In May 2006, Digital Domain was purchased by an affiliate of Wyndcrest Holdings, LLC, a private holding company whose principals then included Wyndcrest founder John Textor, director Michael Bay, former Microsoft executive Carl Stork, former NFL player and sports television commentator Dan Marino, and Jonathan Teaford. However, in 2009, Carl Stork sold his shares in the company to parent company Digital Domain Media Group, Bay sold his shares in the company in or around March 2010, and on September 8, 2010, Stork filed suit against Textor and Digital Domain Holdings, Inc. (referred to in the pleadings as "DD California") seeking to rescind the sale of his stock. The case, Carl Stork vs. John Textor, Digital Domain Holdings, Inc. et al. (U.S.D.C., Central District of California Case No. 2:2010-cv-07631-JHN-PLA), was settled on August 2, 2012 (while the jury was deliberating).

Wyndcrest acquired The Foundry in 2007, which then also took over the development of Nuke. This business was then subject to a management buy-out in 2009.

In 2009, DDMG launched Tradition Studios in Florida to develop and produce original, family-oriented CG animated features. The studio moved on January 3, 2012 to the new 115,000-square-foot (10,700 m2) facility in Port St. Lucie, built with the city's incentives. The studio attracted many talents, including Aaron Blaise, the director of Brother Bear, and Brad Lewis, the co-director of Cars 2, and had in development an animated feature film The Legend of Tembo for a 2014 release with Aaron Blaise and Chuck Williams directing it.

In November 2011 DDMG conducted an IPO and the company was listed on the NYSE under the symbol DDMG. In 2012 DDMG announced initiatives to open VFX studios in Beijing China and Abu Dhabi.

Also in 2012, Digital Domain Productions created a virtual likeness of the late rap star Tupac Shakur for Dr. Dre's and Snoop Dogg's show at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that gained worldwide recognition. Digital Domain also announced that the company would create virtual Elvis Presley in partnership with CORE Media Group. Digital Domain also embarked on its first co-production, the live-action feature film Ender's Game.