Stormborn Studios

Stormborn Studios is an independent boutique visual effects studio based in Vancouver, Canada. Founded in 2017 by visual effects artists Goran Pavles and Manuel Tausch, it specializes in complex simulations, dynamics and photorealistic computer-generated environments for film and episodic television. Its markets also include commercials and game cinematics.

The founders previously worked at facilities including Scanline VFX and Method Studios. Drawing inspiration from classic Hollywood blockbuster effects, they established a focused production company built around technically demanding simulation work. The studio combines a compact core team with specialist freelance and contract artists engaged for individual productions.

Simulation and production capabilities

Stormborn's work encompasses large-scale destruction, fluid dynamics, volumetric effects and procedural particles. Its destruction capabilities include collapsing structures, earthquakes and train derailments. Water work ranges from open oceans, tidal waves and ship wakes to surface foam and smaller, art-directed liquids. Fire, smoke, explosions and cloud simulations form another substantial part of its practice.

The studio offers services across the visual effects production process, from supervision and on-set consultation through previsualization, postvisualization and final compositing. Its capabilities include modeling, texturing, rigging, animation and lighting, alongside custom pipeline and tool development. These disciplines support the integration of simulated effects and digital environments into live-action footage.

Selected production work

Stormborn created catastrophic seawall breach and flooding effects for The Penguin, and photorealistic water and storm simulations for Five Days at Memorial. Other work includes hero ocean simulations and UFO sequences for Project Blue Book, train derailment and destruction simulations for The Man in the High Castle, and dynamic effects for Yu Yu Hakusho and Locke & Key.

Its feature-film contributions include pyroclastic explosion simulations for 12 Strong, interior fire effects for Skyscraper, and ocean and cargo-ship water simulations for Bharat. Across these productions, the studio's central focus is the creation of complex physical phenomena that can be shaped to meet a sequence's visual and storytelling requirements.