iWorld
DNEG appoints Academy Award, Bafta winner Janek Sirrs as visual effects supervisor
Sirrs’ list of production VFX supervisor credits to his name includes Marvel movies like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022), “Spider-Man: Far from Home” (2019), “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017), “The Avengers” (2012), and “Iron Man 2” (2010). Other client-side VFX supervisor credits in his filmography include “Terminator Genisys” (2015), “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (2013), and “Batman Begins” (2005).
In 2000, Sirrs received the Academy Award and the Bafta Award for Best Special Visual Effects for his work on “The Matrix” (1999). He has subsequently received two additional Academy Award nominations, for his work on “The Avengers” and “Iron Man 2,” and two additional Bafta nominations, for his work on “The Avengers” and “Batman Begins.”
“I am proud to announce that Janek Sirrs is joining DNEG’s creative leadership team. I have admired Janek’s work for many years, and he is a truly outstanding creative leader who pushes the boundaries of what is possible on all of his projects. There are huge opportunities ahead for DNEG, as we drive our company forward in a world of technological advancement and new creative possibilities, and I am delighted that Janek is onboard as an important part of the DNEG creative team that is helping to lead that charge,” said DNEG chairman and CEO Namit Malhotra.
Sirrs said, “As a client-side supervisor, I have worked with DNEG for more than twenty years, all the way back to Batman Begins and Mission: Impossible II. I am a big fan of the company’s work and its ethos. This new extension of my relationship with DNEG is incredibly exciting for me, as it allows even closer collaboration with DNEG’s talented teams, and the opportunity to develop groundbreaking and unconventional ideas, concepts, and approaches. One of my goals in designing and world-building for movies is to create something that has never been seen before, and I am looking forward to working with interesting and esoteric filmmakers to help bring a different take and a unique approach to the craft of storytelling.”
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
