LIAF presents the 2024 UK Animation Industry Event – 8 panels giving insider access to some of the hottest topics of the year. We’ve gathered together some of the most passionate, honest and insightful experts from a wide range of different areas and backgrounds who are ready to cover all manner of vital topics to give you much food for thought.
Animation doesn’t stand still; and debates and discussions with animators and creative experts are the best way to get in touch with what’s happening. The panels will be chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire and Julian Scott, animation consultant at Film London.
For anyone currently working in the film and animation industry, thinking of working in the industry or just plain curious, these 8 events are indispensable. They are free to everyone and take place live and online on our streaming platform over the 2 days of Saturday November 30 and Sunday December 1.
Talks with the UK Animation Companies conquering the world: NEXUS STUDIOS
Come and hear about the UK’s best animation companies, what they do and how they consistently create such great work.
Nexus Studios is an award-winning global studio in film and experience design. Their world-class directors, producers, artists and technologists create ground-breaking works for entertainment, music, sports, and brands. Their prolific output includes Primetime Emmy Award-winning feature films, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning shorts, Cannes Grand Prix-winning commercials and ground-breaking spatial computing experiences, alongside Nexus Design Studio, a division dedicated to motion design. Clients include the likes of Netflix, Disney, BBC, Sony, Google, Apple, Headspace, Meta and more.
Curated and Chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire.
Panellists
Chair: Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire
Saint John Walker is the Programme Leader for postgraduate media at the UK’s University of Hertfordshire and a leading VFX educationalist with over 25 years of experience of teaching and training in the games, animation and VFX industries. Most recently Saint was Dean and Director of Industry Engagement at the UK’s Escape Studios and previous to that he designed, initiated and ran the VFX degree course at Norwich University of the Arts for four years. Saint is an active member of Access:VFX. Saint is also the convenor, designer and chair of the popular Industry panels at the London International Animation Festival each year. In 2024 he has chaired and taken part in panel discussions at the View conference in Turin, the Viborg Animation Festival and FMX, Stuttgart.
Chris O’Reilly, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer
Christopher O’Reilly is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Nexus Studios, a pioneering global studio at the intersection of film, animation, and experience design. He guides the creative vision across projects that redefine storytelling for entertainment, music, sports, and brands. Known for its multidimensional approach, Nexus Studios blends artistry and technology, producing animated feature films, immersive events such as ABBA Voyage and the ground-breaking work at the Sphere, and innovative real-time and AI-driven experiences across XR and digital platforms, as well as multi-Cannes Grand Prix winning short form work for brands.
Rachel Moss, Head of Production
Rachel leads the branded and short form production team at Nexus Studios. Throughout her career, she has overseen major campaigns and award winning work across advertising, television, online and experiential. She is intimately involved in every aspect of the production process, working hand in hand with world-class directors, creative and production teams to deliver results that exceed client expectations. Rachel brings her passion for quality and her dedication to fostering a positive work environment to every project she oversees, which has earned her respect and admiration across the industry. She previously worked as Head of Film at JWT London, where she established the social content studio PACE. Clients here included KitKat, Dove, Duracell, BBC, Grolsch, Peroni and BT Sport. She has also served on the board of Women in (Video) Games, is a judge for the AICP Post Awards, as well as contributing to various industry panels.
Fx Goby, Director
Double Emmy-nominated and Tribeca X-winning director, Fx Goby brings charm and elevated creative vision to every project he touches. His multidisciplinary expertise is unparalleled with extensive experience in 2D and 3D animation, live-action and everything in-between. Working closely with Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett, Fx was entrusted to give Gorillaz a super stylised new look in 3D as they burst back on the scene with a new album. He has worked on campaigns for Google, Smirnoff, Bose and Volkswagen, and co-created Google’s multi award-winning Back to the Moon project, the only ever cross-platform Google Doodle made in 2D, 360, AR and VR. Fx is a sought after speaker at events, having featured at events including Annecy, Playgrounds: In Motion, Pictoplasma, and See No Evil.
Deborah Caswell, Executive Creative Director
As the Executive Creative Director at Nexus Studios, Deborah Casswell is passionate about using creativity and technology to enhance people’s lives. Her projects range from a game that empowers kids through play, like Right Runner for UNICEF, to art installations that let you explore uncharted futures, such as AI: More than Human at the Barbican. She’s also crafted a storytelling installation for the World Economic Forum, celebrating AI’s positive impact on communities for Google Cloud, and launched the first-of-its-kind virtual playground for the mind, the Headspace XR app, recognised by the likes of APA, Anthem Awards, and Tribeca X. Furthermore, she is a founding Partner of the ADCAN – a community and award celebrating creatives using creativity as a force for good.
Delfina Maria, Creative Director
As Creative Director at Nexus Studios, Delfina Maria is driven by great ideas, talented people, and work that is both impactful and ambitious. She’s recognised for her broad and honest approach to creativity, and for being a champion of exceptional talent. She’s on the pulse of what’s new and upcoming, leading teams with a sharp creative and strategic centred foresight. Her background spans classical music, fashion, and illustration, while previous credits include Locksmith Animation and Passion Pictures. In her role at Nexus Studios, Delfina works across departments on multi-disciplinary projects, including the award-winning design-led campaign for Postmates, spellbinding launch film for the BBC’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games coverage and Meta’s poppy promo for Coi Leray. Delfina regularly sits on awards juries such as Shots, D&AD and Creative Circle.
LIAF presents the 2024 UK Animation Industry Event – 8 panels giving insider access to some of the hottest topics of the year. We’ve gathered together some of the most passionate, honest and insightful experts from a wide range of different areas and backgrounds who are ready to cover all manner of vital topics to give you much food for thought.
Animation doesn’t stand still; and debates and discussions with animators and creative experts are the best way to get in touch with what’s happening. The panels will be chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire and Julian Scott, animation consultant at Film London.
For anyone currently working in the film and animation industry, thinking of working in the industry or just plain curious, these 8 events are indispensable. They are free to everyone and take place live and online on our streaming platform over the 2 days of Saturday November 30 and Sunday December 1.
Talks with the UK Animation Companies conquering the world: NEXUS STUDIOS
Come and hear about the UK’s best animation companies, what they do and how they consistently create such great work.
Nexus Studios is an award-winning global studio in film and experience design. Their world-class directors, producers, artists and technologists create ground-breaking works for entertainment, music, sports, and brands. Their prolific output includes Primetime Emmy Award-winning feature films, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning shorts, Cannes Grand Prix-winning commercials and ground-breaking spatial computing experiences, alongside Nexus Design Studio, a division dedicated to motion design. Clients include the likes of Netflix, Disney, BBC, Sony, Google, Apple, Headspace, Meta and more.
Curated and Chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire.
Panellists
Chair: Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire
Saint John Walker is the Programme Leader for postgraduate media at the UK’s University of Hertfordshire and a leading VFX educationalist with over 25 years of experience of teaching and training in the games, animation and VFX industries. Most recently Saint was Dean and Director of Industry Engagement at the UK’s Escape Studios and previous to that he designed, initiated and ran the VFX degree course at Norwich University of the Arts for four years. Saint is an active member of Access:VFX. Saint is also the convenor, designer and chair of the popular Industry panels at the London International Animation Festival each year. In 2024 he has chaired and taken part in panel discussions at the View conference in Turin, the Viborg Animation Festival and FMX, Stuttgart.
Chris O’Reilly, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer
Christopher O’Reilly is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Nexus Studios, a pioneering global studio at the intersection of film, animation, and experience design. He guides the creative vision across projects that redefine storytelling for entertainment, music, sports, and brands. Known for its multidimensional approach, Nexus Studios blends artistry and technology, producing animated feature films, immersive events such as ABBA Voyage and the ground-breaking work at the Sphere, and innovative real-time and AI-driven experiences across XR and digital platforms, as well as multi-Cannes Grand Prix winning short form work for brands.
Rachel Moss, Head of Production
Rachel leads the branded and short form production team at Nexus Studios. Throughout her career, she has overseen major campaigns and award winning work across advertising, television, online and experiential. She is intimately involved in every aspect of the production process, working hand in hand with world-class directors, creative and production teams to deliver results that exceed client expectations. Rachel brings her passion for quality and her dedication to fostering a positive work environment to every project she oversees, which has earned her respect and admiration across the industry. She previously worked as Head of Film at JWT London, where she established the social content studio PACE. Clients here included KitKat, Dove, Duracell, BBC, Grolsch, Peroni and BT Sport. She has also served on the board of Women in (Video) Games, is a judge for the AICP Post Awards, as well as contributing to various industry panels.
Fx Goby, Director
Double Emmy-nominated and Tribeca X-winning director, Fx Goby brings charm and elevated creative vision to every project he touches. His multidisciplinary expertise is unparalleled with extensive experience in 2D and 3D animation, live-action and everything in-between. Working closely with Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett, Fx was entrusted to give Gorillaz a super stylised new look in 3D as they burst back on the scene with a new album. He has worked on campaigns for Google, Smirnoff, Bose and Volkswagen, and co-created Google’s multi award-winning Back to the Moon project, the only ever cross-platform Google Doodle made in 2D, 360, AR and VR. Fx is a sought after speaker at events, having featured at events including Annecy, Playgrounds: In Motion, Pictoplasma, and See No Evil.
Deborah Caswell, Executive Creative Director
As the Executive Creative Director at Nexus Studios, Deborah Casswell is passionate about using creativity and technology to enhance people’s lives. Her projects range from a game that empowers kids through play, like Right Runner for UNICEF, to art installations that let you explore uncharted futures, such as AI: More than Human at the Barbican. She’s also crafted a storytelling installation for the World Economic Forum, celebrating AI’s positive impact on communities for Google Cloud, and launched the first-of-its-kind virtual playground for the mind, the Headspace XR app, recognised by the likes of APA, Anthem Awards, and Tribeca X. Furthermore, she is a founding Partner of the ADCAN – a community and award celebrating creatives using creativity as a force for good.
Delfina Maria, Creative Director
As Creative Director at Nexus Studios, Delfina Maria is driven by great ideas, talented people, and work that is both impactful and ambitious. She’s recognised for her broad and honest approach to creativity, and for being a champion of exceptional talent. She’s on the pulse of what’s new and upcoming, leading teams with a sharp creative and strategic centred foresight. Her background spans classical music, fashion, and illustration, while previous credits include Locksmith Animation and Passion Pictures. In her role at Nexus Studios, Delfina works across departments on multi-disciplinary projects, including the award-winning design-led campaign for Postmates, spellbinding launch film for the BBC’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games coverage and Meta’s poppy promo for Coi Leray. Delfina regularly sits on awards juries such as Shots, D&AD and Creative Circle.