Connect with the artists behind-the-scenes, and get insight into the making of some of today’s greatest animation features, shorts, and series.
Join artists from Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation for an exclusive behind-the-scenes presentation of The Mitchells vs. The Machines, now streaming on Netflix. Artists will discuss the artistic and technological challenges of creating a visual style that has never been seen before through the lens of the story of an everyday family’s struggle to relate, while technology rises up around the world!
Image © 2019 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKERS
Michael Lasker
VFX Supervisor // Sony Pictures Imageworks
(The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)
Michael Lasker is a VFX supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks with over two decades of experience working on live-action and animated features. His recent credits include The Mitchells vs. The Machines, from director Mike Rianda and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and the Academy Award®-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Lasker is currently working on the much-anticipated sequel to Spider-Verse, coming to theatres in October 2022.
Valuing teamwork and collaboration, Lasker previously served as a computer graphics supervisor on Smurfs: The Lost Village, Cloud With a Chance of Meatballs, and Hotel Transylvania.
He began his computer graphics career in New York City working on commercials for leading advertising agencies. Lasker received a BFA in computer graphics from Syracuse University.
Lindsey Olivares
Production Designer, Lead Character Designer // Sony Pictures Animation
(The Mitchells vs. The Machines, The Emoji Movie)
Lindsey Olivares is the production designer and lead character designer on Sony Pictures Animation's original animated comedy The Mitchells vs. The Machines, streaming now on Netflix.
Before joining Sony Pictures Animation, Olivares worked as a freelance visual development artist and illustrator with a focus on character design and caricature.
Her freelance clients have included Disney Television Animation, DreamWorks Animation, Locksmith Animation, Nickelodeon, Google, Furry Puppet Studio, Titmouse, Hornet Inc, Psyop, Airbnb, Pinterest, and Facebook. Her film credits include DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Penguins of Madagascar, and Trolls, as well as Sony Pictures Animation’s The Emoji Movie.
Alan Hawkins
Head of Character Animation // Sony Pictures Imageworks
(The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania)
Alan Hawkins is a Head of Character Animation at Sony Pictures Imageworks, most recently completing work in his role on Sony Pictures Animation’s The Mitchells vs. The Machines, and Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, for which he also serves as Associate Producer. Hawkins most recently served as animation supervisor on Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, Smurfs: The Lost Village, and Hotel Transylvania 2.
Hawkins previously served as animation supervisor on the Popeye animation test and as a lead animator on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, and Arthur Christmas. His other credits include the Academy Award®-nominated Surf’s Up, Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf and the original Hotel Transylvania. Alan joined Sony Pictures Imageworks in 2004 to work on Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature film, Open Season.
Hawkins is a graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design and grew up in Littleton, Colorado.
Nicola Lavender
Look Development CG Supervisor // Sony Pictures Imageworks
(The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Smallfoot, The Angry Birds Movie)
Nicola Lavender served as Look Development CG Supervisor on Sony Pictures Animation’s The Mitchells vs. The Machines. Previously, Lavender served as CG supervisor on Smallfoot, overseeing the lighting team. She also served as look development team lead before being promoted to CG supervisor on The Angry Birds Movie.
Lavender joined Imageworks in 2005 and has worked on numerous projects including the Academy Award®-nominated Surf’s Up and Alice in Wonderland, I Am Legend, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Hotel Transylvania and Edge of Tomorrow. Prior to Imageworks, Lavender served as a technical director at Framestore on the features Underworld, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire.
Lavender is a graduate of Bournemouth University with a degree in computer animation and visualization.
Connect with the artists behind-the-scenes, and get insight into the making of some of today’s greatest animation features, shorts, and series.
Join artists from Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation for an exclusive behind-the-scenes presentation of The Mitchells vs. The Machines, now streaming on Netflix. Artists will discuss the artistic and technological challenges of creating a visual style that has never been seen before through the lens of the story of an everyday family’s struggle to relate, while technology rises up around the world!
Image © 2019 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKERS
Michael Lasker
VFX Supervisor // Sony Pictures Imageworks
(The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)
Michael Lasker is a VFX supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks with over two decades of experience working on live-action and animated features. His recent credits include The Mitchells vs. The Machines, from director Mike Rianda and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and the Academy Award®-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Lasker is currently working on the much-anticipated sequel to Spider-Verse, coming to theatres in October 2022.
Valuing teamwork and collaboration, Lasker previously served as a computer graphics supervisor on Smurfs: The Lost Village, Cloud With a Chance of Meatballs, and Hotel Transylvania.
He began his computer graphics career in New York City working on commercials for leading advertising agencies. Lasker received a BFA in computer graphics from Syracuse University.
Lindsey Olivares
Production Designer, Lead Character Designer // Sony Pictures Animation
(The Mitchells vs. The Machines, The Emoji Movie)
Lindsey Olivares is the production designer and lead character designer on Sony Pictures Animation's original animated comedy The Mitchells vs. The Machines, streaming now on Netflix.
Before joining Sony Pictures Animation, Olivares worked as a freelance visual development artist and illustrator with a focus on character design and caricature.
Her freelance clients have included Disney Television Animation, DreamWorks Animation, Locksmith Animation, Nickelodeon, Google, Furry Puppet Studio, Titmouse, Hornet Inc, Psyop, Airbnb, Pinterest, and Facebook. Her film credits include DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Penguins of Madagascar, and Trolls, as well as Sony Pictures Animation’s The Emoji Movie.
Alan Hawkins
Head of Character Animation // Sony Pictures Imageworks
(The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania)
Alan Hawkins is a Head of Character Animation at Sony Pictures Imageworks, most recently completing work in his role on Sony Pictures Animation’s The Mitchells vs. The Machines, and Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, for which he also serves as Associate Producer. Hawkins most recently served as animation supervisor on Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, Smurfs: The Lost Village, and Hotel Transylvania 2.
Hawkins previously served as animation supervisor on the Popeye animation test and as a lead animator on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, and Arthur Christmas. His other credits include the Academy Award®-nominated Surf’s Up, Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf and the original Hotel Transylvania. Alan joined Sony Pictures Imageworks in 2004 to work on Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature film, Open Season.
Hawkins is a graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design and grew up in Littleton, Colorado.
Nicola Lavender
Look Development CG Supervisor // Sony Pictures Imageworks
(The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Smallfoot, The Angry Birds Movie)
Nicola Lavender served as Look Development CG Supervisor on Sony Pictures Animation’s The Mitchells vs. The Machines. Previously, Lavender served as CG supervisor on Smallfoot, overseeing the lighting team. She also served as look development team lead before being promoted to CG supervisor on The Angry Birds Movie.
Lavender joined Imageworks in 2005 and has worked on numerous projects including the Academy Award®-nominated Surf’s Up and Alice in Wonderland, I Am Legend, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Hotel Transylvania and Edge of Tomorrow. Prior to Imageworks, Lavender served as a technical director at Framestore on the features Underworld, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire.
Lavender is a graduate of Bournemouth University with a degree in computer animation and visualization.
