Neill Blomkamp

Neill Blomkamp is a South African, Vancouver-based director of short films and advertisements. He is known for directing three short live-action films collectively known as Halo: Landfall for Halo 3.

Blomkamp's directorial debut, District 9, was released on August 14, 2009. His second film, Elysium, was released on August 9, 2013.

Background
Blomkamp works with RATEL VFX in Vancouver, a small studio specializing in TVC VFX. He is represented by RSA Films in Los Angeles, and Spy Films in Toronto. Blomkamp employs a documentary-style, hand-held, cinéma vérité technique, blending seamlessly with naturalistic and photo-realistic computer-generated imagery effects.

Halo film
In August 2006, he was selected by Peter Jackson and hired by Microsoft to direct the film adaptation of Halo, which was due for release in summer 2008 prior to its indefinite hiatus.

While the film production was put on hold, Blomkamp directed three short live-action films collectively known as Halo: Landfall to promote the release of Halo 3.

When plans for the film eventually fell through, Jackson and Blomkamp instead started production on District 9. Many elements from the cancelled Halo film were re-used or adapted for District 9, including the basic Warthog and Flood infection form designs.