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Go behind the scenes with the talented artists and creative teams behind today’s most celebrated animated features, shorts, and series.
Production Sessions offer an in-depth look at the artistic processes, technical challenges, and creative decisions that bring these projects to life. Gain exclusive insights and firsthand knowledge from the minds shaping the future of animation.
In January 2024, Cinesite announced the launch of its Immersive division, based in London. Head of CG Andrew McNamara will present two landmark works within the wider context of evolution within the digital entertainment industry, the changing face of VFX and how Cinesite is adapting its approach.
From Rembrandt to Monet and Van Gogh, Cinesite’s team has created immersive experiences for UK multi-sensory gallery Frameless. In expanding the visual language of the masterpieces across 6 surfaces, retaining the integrity of the original work is essential. Cinesite’s work on a powerful Rembrandt seascape won the Visual Effects Society award for Outstanding Special Venue Project earlier this year.
Partnering with Roland Lane, Cinesite also created the short film Forsaken, which played at Outernet’s breathtaking wrap-around screens in central London. The work exists as both as an ambitious, immersive digital artwork and as a call-to action. Inspiration is taken from the remarkable Immortal Jellyfish, able to regenerate and begin its life cycle over. The work contains a somber warning about the increasing destruction of life on our planet.
Image Credit: Frameless (Rembrandt) © Frameless. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKER
Andrew McNamara
Head of CGI // Cinesite London
(True Detective, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thor: Love and Thunder, Spectre)
Andy is an award-winning and versatile CG Artist/Supervisor with over 30 years of experience in the field of CGI and VFX across Film, Broadcast, Commercials, Immersive and Experiential.
He began his career at IBM in R&D in the nascent days of CGI in the late 80’s, developing new CGI tools and techniques along with a fascination for the cross-over between art and technology. Since then, he’s worked across a diverse range of projects utilizing a range of creative, technical and leadership skills in Film (inc. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Spectre), Commercials & Brands (inc. EE, BT, Nike, Versace, Burberry, VW, McDonalds, P&G ), Broadcast (for the BBC, ITV, CH4, Nat Geo, Discovery, Disney), Theatre (Stephen Sondheim, Broadway) and cutting edge Immersive & Experiential projects for CRUK, EE, V&A and many others — a number of which have won awards.
With strong, pragmatic leadership and management skills, he’s creatively and technically led CGI departments at the BBC, Rushes and at Publicis and is currently Head of CGI at Cinesite in London — one the of leading VFX and Animation studios in the world, working across shows for Marvel, Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV amongst others.
With a passion for creativity and innovation, he’s always keen to push new developments in the industry using novel, bleeding-edge technologies and techniques to solve complex production problems in areas such as real-time rendering, virtual production, immersive experiences, AI and beyond…
MODERATOR
Marina Antunes
President // Spark CG Society
Marina has been writing and discussing film for over 15 years, first on a personal blog, followed by a decade-long tenure on the now retired Row Three. In 2008, she joined the writing staff at Quiet Earth, becoming Editor-In-Chief in 2014, a role she still holds. Over the years, she has also produced and hosted a number of podcasts including Before the Dawn, a long-running podcast on the Twilight franchise, Girls on Pop, a podcast on film and popular entertainment from women’s perspective and After the Credits, bi-monthly film podcast with nearly 300 episodes.
Marina is a member of ACM and ACM SIGGRAPH, the Online Film Critics Society, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society. She is the President of Spark CG Society and the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter. She has also served on juries for several film festivals including DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. She joined the Spark CG Society in 2014.
Go behind the scenes with the talented artists and creative teams behind today’s most celebrated animated features, shorts, and series.
Production Sessions offer an in-depth look at the artistic processes, technical challenges, and creative decisions that bring these projects to life. Gain exclusive insights and firsthand knowledge from the minds shaping the future of animation.
In January 2024, Cinesite announced the launch of its Immersive division, based in London. Head of CG Andrew McNamara will present two landmark works within the wider context of evolution within the digital entertainment industry, the changing face of VFX and how Cinesite is adapting its approach.
From Rembrandt to Monet and Van Gogh, Cinesite’s team has created immersive experiences for UK multi-sensory gallery Frameless. In expanding the visual language of the masterpieces across 6 surfaces, retaining the integrity of the original work is essential. Cinesite’s work on a powerful Rembrandt seascape won the Visual Effects Society award for Outstanding Special Venue Project earlier this year.
Partnering with Roland Lane, Cinesite also created the short film Forsaken, which played at Outernet’s breathtaking wrap-around screens in central London. The work exists as both as an ambitious, immersive digital artwork and as a call-to action. Inspiration is taken from the remarkable Immortal Jellyfish, able to regenerate and begin its life cycle over. The work contains a somber warning about the increasing destruction of life on our planet.
Image Credit: Frameless (Rembrandt) © Frameless. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKER
Andrew McNamara
Head of CGI // Cinesite London
(True Detective, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thor: Love and Thunder, Spectre)
Andy is an award-winning and versatile CG Artist/Supervisor with over 30 years of experience in the field of CGI and VFX across Film, Broadcast, Commercials, Immersive and Experiential.
He began his career at IBM in R&D in the nascent days of CGI in the late 80’s, developing new CGI tools and techniques along with a fascination for the cross-over between art and technology. Since then, he’s worked across a diverse range of projects utilizing a range of creative, technical and leadership skills in Film (inc. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Spectre), Commercials & Brands (inc. EE, BT, Nike, Versace, Burberry, VW, McDonalds, P&G ), Broadcast (for the BBC, ITV, CH4, Nat Geo, Discovery, Disney), Theatre (Stephen Sondheim, Broadway) and cutting edge Immersive & Experiential projects for CRUK, EE, V&A and many others — a number of which have won awards.
With strong, pragmatic leadership and management skills, he’s creatively and technically led CGI departments at the BBC, Rushes and at Publicis and is currently Head of CGI at Cinesite in London — one the of leading VFX and Animation studios in the world, working across shows for Marvel, Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV amongst others.
With a passion for creativity and innovation, he’s always keen to push new developments in the industry using novel, bleeding-edge technologies and techniques to solve complex production problems in areas such as real-time rendering, virtual production, immersive experiences, AI and beyond…
MODERATOR
Marina Antunes
President // Spark CG Society
Marina has been writing and discussing film for over 15 years, first on a personal blog, followed by a decade-long tenure on the now retired Row Three. In 2008, she joined the writing staff at Quiet Earth, becoming Editor-In-Chief in 2014, a role she still holds. Over the years, she has also produced and hosted a number of podcasts including Before the Dawn, a long-running podcast on the Twilight franchise, Girls on Pop, a podcast on film and popular entertainment from women’s perspective and After the Credits, bi-monthly film podcast with nearly 300 episodes.
Marina is a member of ACM and ACM SIGGRAPH, the Online Film Critics Society, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society. She is the President of Spark CG Society and the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter. She has also served on juries for several film festivals including DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. She joined the Spark CG Society in 2014.
