Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter is an Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and co-founder of New Deal Studios (NDS). A renaissance man with multiple talents in many disciplines, Hunter has overseen the production of many complex sequences of some of the great blockbusters of our time.

From pre-visualization to miniature build, practical effects photography, and all the way through digital effects, including matte painting, 3D digital animation, and compositing, Hunter has the rare gift of having a hands-on approach to directing and creating effects while keeping a solid business sense. A visionary in the field of motion picture visual effects, Hunter has worked on many feature films and commercial projects over a 20-plus-year career that has garnered him recognition from the Visual Effects Society (VES).

In 2006, Hunter was nominated for a VES Award for the Living Tree Walgreens ad campaign. In 2008, Hunter was nominated for a VES Award for the freeway sequence for the movie Live Free or Die Hard. In addition, that same year, he was nominated for a VES Award for the destruction of the miniature building and crane in the movie Spider-Man 3. In 2009, Hunter won 2 VES Awards. One for the garbage truck crash for the movie The Dark Knight, and the other for the Love/Hate Anthem New Balance ad campaign. In 2010, Hunter won another VES Award for the National Air and Space Museum escape scene from Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. In 2011, Ian was nominated for a VES Award for the Elastic TV Nature’s Fix Arrowhead ad campaign. In addition, that same year, Hunter won a VES Award for the hospital fortress destruction scene in Inception. The following year, Hunter was nominated for another VES Award for the airplane heist scene in the movie The Dark Knight Rises. 

For Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014), under the supervision of Ian Hunter, New Deal Studios helped create large-scale spaceship miniatures (Ranger, Lander, and Endurance), which were used in 150 special effects shots and won the Oscar and BAFTA for Best Visual Effects.

Looking toward the future, Hunter plans to parlay his experience in visual effects and film design into other areas of filmmaking, including writing and directing. He has completed several short films and is currently packaging a project he developed with business partner Matthew Gratzner. Hunter is a member of the Visual Effects Society and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Visual Effects branch.