Crafty Apes Taps Craig German to be CEO

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --  Crafty Apes, a full-service visual effects powerhouse, is excited to announce Craig German has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. German will be based at Crafty Apes' Los Angeles headquarters with a mandate that includes the expansion of global activities, technological innovation, and operational excellence across seven production facilities in North America.

Alana Newell, Crafty Apes' Chief Operating Officer notes that, "Craig's wealth of post-production experience make him a valuable leader and, coupled with his proven track record of working with artists and customers, we're confident he is poised to take Crafty Apes to the next level – in impeccable service for clients and growth and opportunity for our team."

German joins Crafty Apes with nearly 30 years of media and post-production experience, including his recent position as Head of Worldwide Post Production Operations for Amazon Studios. Previous executive management roles include top positions with NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, and Technicolor. He also serves on the Board of the Hollywood Professionals Association, an organization dedicated to advancing the arts, science, and business of the media and entertainment industry. German comments that, "In this unprecedented era of content proliferation, Crafty Apes offers some of the best storytellers in the visual effects industry. It is not only thrilling, but a real honor to lead this elite team to greater growth and innovation, supporting our clients around the globe." 

As Crafty Apes continues to promote rapid growth through the use of innovative technology for its global clients, German will prioritize expansion of the company's footprint, leveraging technology to remain on the forefront of the industry, and maximizing operational scale. Geoff Broglio, Managing Director at Gemspring Capital, adds, "We're proud of Crafty Apes' growth and success and particularly pleased by the team's ability to attract world class talent. We are confident that Craig is the right leader as we continue our growth, investment in technology, industry-leading culture for artists and inventive visual effects – all of which are highly valued by the marquee studios and streamers we support."

About Crafty Apes
Crafty Apes, a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital, is a full-service visual effects company started in Los Angeles, with additional studios in Atlanta, New York, Baton Rouge, Albuquerque, Montreal and Vancouver. Beginning as a VFX studio for film and TV, Crafty Apes has grown to include a talented roster of creative and production supervisors that offers AI and machine learning research, development and production, virtual production consultation and asset creation, set supervision, plate photography and scanning, concept design and direction for broadcast commercials, 3D CGI previs, environment creation and effects, and high quality 2D compositing. Crafty Apes' blockbuster film credits include The Batman, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as well as critically acclaimed TV and streaming shows Star Trek: Picard, The Orville, Barry, Westworld, Stranger Things, The Staircase and many more. For more information, visit www.craftyapes.com.

About Gemspring Capital
Gemspring Capital, a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm with $1.5 billion of capital under management, provides flexible capital solutions to lower middle market companies. Gemspring partners with talented management teams and takes a partnership approach to helping drive revenue growth and value creation. Target companies have up to $500 million in revenue and are in the aerospace & defense, business services, consumer services, financial and insurance services, healthcare services, industrial services, media services, software and tech-enabled services, or specialty manufacturing sectors. For more information, visit www.gemspring.com.

Contact: Geoff Broglio, [email protected]

SOURCE Gemspring Capital