Sessions focused on the people of visual effects, their experience and how they continue to promote and support a happy, healthy and thriving industry.﻿<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/ee1b1c336ff9ac1ee2cd0807ad99fadc.png">

Blockbuster films with stunning visual effects are one way to draw audiences back to movie theatres. But how many women are responsible for the imagery on screen? According to a new report, the number is very low. The report, titled “Invisible in Visual Effects,” is the second in a partnership between Stacy L. Smith, the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Women in Animation to explore women’s participation across industries. After a short presentation of the report from Dr. Katherine Pieper, join us as our panelists discuss the impact the report had on them personally and professionally. The surprises and the disbelief that came along the way and most importantly how we can implement the changes needed for lasting results.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/f9de6d42c9f0d3f48fc5f787a30a4f6e.png">SPEAKERS <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/cfc749d725f22c18ed3f8beac25e8963.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Audrea Topps Harjo COO // A44 Games(Raised by Wolves, The Wolverine, Man of Steel, The Hobbit) Audrea Topps Harjo has worked in the entertainment industry for over twenty-five years. With an undergraduate degree in Theatre Arts from The College of William and Mary and a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from Howard University, she first launched her film career by producing, directing, and writing two short films (Raw Intensity and Hard Candy) in her student years which garnered numerous awards including a Student Academy Award nomination in 1993. Shortly thereafter, she moved to Los Angeles, where she worked behind-the-scenes on various films to acquire a broad spectrum of experience in movie production. She has worked as a Digital Producer for Sony Pictures Imageworks (Contact), Cinesite (X-Men 2), Rhythm and Hues (Garfield), Development Director at Electronic Arts, (Medal of Honor), Creatures Production Manager at WETA Digital (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Coordinating Producer for James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment (Avatar sequels). She produced three independent films (Secrets, All In, and The Available Wife). She served as Mind &amp; Machine’s VFX Producer on Ridley Scott’s (Raised by Wolves). She is currently Chief Operating Officer at A44 Games and founder of InclusionFX, which is a platform designed to support and amplify underrepresented voices in the VFX for features, television and games industries in Wellington, NZ. <a href="https://www.a44games.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363075/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/InclusionFX" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/drebbie1/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/drebbie" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/atoppsharjo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/c24eb4e0b569783eb3545f20a2b77593.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/dc9800a1737398fa4320834638f0bc69.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Emma Clifton Perry VFX Supervisor/VFX Consultant &amp; Compositor // Independent Emma Clifton Perry is 1st Vice-Chair globally of the Visual Effects Society. She is a Freelance VFX Supervisor/VFX Consultant &amp; Compositor, with over 16 years of industry experience in Feature Film, TV Series, Commercials and over 35 artistic film credits including The Hobbit series, Children of Men and Australia. As a VFX Supe &amp; Consultant, Emma advises on smaller-scale feature and vfx projects around the world, managing the VFX throughput, overseas vendors, studio/director liaising as well as mentoring artists.&nbsp; For almost a decade Emma has been an active part of the VES leadership team joining the global Board of Directors in 2016. She was elected 2nd Vice-Chair globally in 2020 and has served as 1st Vice-chair since Jan 2021. Prior to joining the executive team she has served as Chair, Co-Chair and Secretary/Treasurer of the New Zealand section.&nbsp; As a tireless advocate of Visual Effects around the world, Emma founded the VES Health &amp; Wellbeing Committee, which she currently Co-Chairs.&nbsp; Emma is dedicated to improving &amp; strategising developments for better work-life balance, mental health and general wellbeing for the vfx industry.&nbsp; She strives to improve the overall industry experience for VFX professionals, vendors and studios worldwide through her work at VES and their initiatives.&nbsp; <a href="https://m.imdb.com/name/nm2226381/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaclifton" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/51bd72d7bd8184d8ae5b547b8336176f.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/bdc3e44065c727c88d1aa33c8dadbe79.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Genevieve Camilleri Visual Effects Supervisor // Cumulus Visual Effects(Lost in Space, Love and Monsters, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mad Max: Fury Road) Genevieve Camilleri is a Visual Effects Supervisor with over 12 years of industry experience. Her career began back in 2009 in Melbourne, Australia where she was granted an internship after graduating from University to work as a motion graphics designer for a small TV commercial studio. After completing the one-year internship she then swiftly made her way into the film industry specialising as a Compositor. Camilleri has spent many years working in Canada as well as Australia and worked her way up from Junior Compositor to Visual Effects Supervisor. She has worked on over 38 high-end feature films at various studios such as Love and Monsters (Mill Film), Peter Rabbit (Animal Logic), Doctor Strange (Industrial Light and Magic), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Industrial Light and Magic) and Mad Max: Fury Road (Method Studios). In addition to the above, she has also spent several years working as a Compositing Mentor for CG Spectrum College of Digital Art and Animation as well as an Academic Sessional Staff member for Victoria University. In 2021, Camilleri was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for her work as the Visual Effects Supervisor on the feature film Love and Monsters. Camilleri currently resides in Australia working as a Visual Effects Supervisor. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3784934/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevieve-camilleri-a9822157/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/9bfb7f0b35a6bd3d303d7bb7e8e08829.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/a69fbcddd26184546d4b93f8bd13138f.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Katherine PieperProgram Director, Annenberg Inclusion Initiative // University of Southern California Katherine Pieper, PhD is the Program Director at the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, where she oversees the day-to-day operations of the Initiative’s research and advocacy efforts. As the leading global think tank studying inclusion in media, the Initiative examines the prevalence and portrayal of girls/women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and mental health conditions on screen across film, episodic, and short film content. Behind the camera, the Initiative has examined the barriers and opportunities facing women and people of color behind the camera in film, the animation and visual effects industries, and the music business In her work with the Initiative, Dr. Pieper has co-authored and contributed to more than 40 studies on diversity and inclusion across entertainment and media industries, including quantitative and qualitative investigations. Dr. Pieper graduated with a BA in communication from Michigan State University and completed her MA and PhD at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Between 2007 and 2011, she worked in communication and resource development, including proposal writing, reporting, and design of monitoring and evaluation activities for a non-governmental organization based in Phnom Penh. She joined the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in 2012. <a href="annenberg.usc.edu/aii" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/inclusionists/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/Inclusionists" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/518de39fda594f794bb5a776a89c2223.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/714de0e2768df25fc1329ae028e44cf9.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Peter BowmarSenior Pipeline Developer // Quixel(Dune, Jungle Cruise, Wonder Woman 1984, The New Mutants) Peter has had the good fortune to combine his love of movies and games with a passion for technology over a 30+ year career. Starting off in live-action special FX, he quickly discovered he hated being on set but loved sitting in front of a computer. Originally from Vancouver, BC, various twists and turns resulted in him living and working in Toronto, Singapore, Los Angeles, London and then back to Vancouver. He’s worked variously for SideFX Software, Rhythm and Hues, Framestore, Method Studios, DNEG, and now Quixel. For fun he enjoys movies, games and travelling, ideally with his family. <a href="https://quixel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1095463" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbowmar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/ce7193906eae502d323ad0ad93058b32.png">MODERATOR <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/50d79170cb6811d2d2bed347dc9c0023.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Zoe CranleyHead of CG, Canada // beloFX(Wonder Woman, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Godzilla) Zoe currently is the Head of CG, Canada for beloFX. She started her career in 2005 at Double Negative London, subsequently working in the Singapore and Vancouver studios. She was in Artist roles such as Generalist TD, Lighting TD, Sequence Lead &amp; Supervisor before taking on the role of CG Supervisor. From then, at DNEG, Zoe took the role of Head of Department: Assets, followed by Head of CG. <a href="https://www.belofx.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2602770/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cranley-a122722/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

Expanding Gender Visibility Within VFX

With the industry at an all-time high, what's ahead for VFX? Will this boom continue and if so, where might it lead? And what's ahead for individual artists, vendors and the industry overall? Join long serving VFX professionals as they explore transitions and advances within technology, budgets, production cycles, and artistry. They discuss how the changes within the industry may affect what the future of VFX might look like and what they envision it to be. Along the way, they’ll examine what is needed for impactful, long-lasting change.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/2bb8c6b5246d9dd47749f55eb1f3ba7f.png">SPEAKERS <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/5c80e866380dd3a2be76e04ea78fec65.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Cindy KhooVice President, Strategy &amp; Global Production // Scanline VFX(Don't Look Up, The Adam Project, Godzilla vs Kong, Free Guy) Cindy Khoo is VP, Strategy &amp; Global Production of Scanline VFX, responsible for strategy alignment across the business, global production operations &amp; management. Scanline VFX mostly recently completed Oscar-nominated Free Guy, as well as Godzilla vs Kong, Don’t Look Up, The Adam Project and many more. Cindy spent her early VFX days at Double Negative Singapore where she held roles from production assistant, VFX Coordinator to Line Producer. Since joining ScanlineVFX Vancouver 8 years ago, she also performed as both VFX Producer &amp; Executive Producer in multiple projects, while managing the studio’s production team &amp; general operations. In addition to managing the Vancouver team, Cindy was also responsible for the multiple new ScanlineVFX studio setups, namely Montreal, London &amp; Seoul, as well as the studio's growth to a total of 1300 in 2022. <a href="https://www.scanlinevfx.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4149592/#visual_effects" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-khoo-pmp%C2%AE-02a63a20/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/5b7f1eab2e5d6c6c23e618cbfd4dc715.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/4088a85796399c8853996e85ce27d90d.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Kathryn BrillhartVirtual Production Supervisor // Independent(Black Adam, Rebel Moon, Camille, Light In Dark Places) Kathryn Brillhart is a Cinematographer, Director, and Producer who leverages volumetric capture, visualization techniques, and supervising visual effects to enhance projects. For the past decade, she has helped to redefine best practices and standards in virtual production and has advocated for diversity in the film industry through her role on the Global Board of Directors for the Visual Effects Society. Kathryn is a member of the Virtual Production Committee within the ASC Motion Imaging and Technology Council. Her recent work and role as Virtual Production Supervisor, incorporates real-time game engine and virtual production techniques to achieve in-camera visual effects, including such projects as Warner Bros. Black Adam (2022) and Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon (2023). <a href="www.kathrynelisebrillhart.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3200113/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katie.brillhart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brillliantb/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/ktbrillhart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/97ba6cb33e6b760d3a008b54453a7b79.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/6779652109163db1c5fdebb8b43c24c7.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Paul BeckerHead of Business Development // DNEG Coming from a background in independent filmmaking,&nbsp;Paul&nbsp;worked himself into the industry through editorial then comp and finally production management. He was a founder of a stereo conversion company that went from 6 artists to well over 250 until being purchased by DNeg. He was then promoted into Business Development and is now leaving his Global Head of Business Development role for an exciting adventure in real-time 3D. In his spare time he has been developing IP and mentoring a new generation of producers. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-becker-9a649b14/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/57103fb1a07b1c7e52a9cdf9e442c1c5.png">MODERATOR <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/96fcbbcef6602ff70e9cfad20d8015e0.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Chris Van DyckVFX Supervisor &amp; former Head of Studio // Crafty Apes, Vancouver(Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Stranger Things, The Hobbit Trilogy, TRON, Harry Potter, Iron Man, Thor: The Dark World) CVD VFX founder, Chris van Dyck is a Vancouver-based VFX Supervisor in the commercial, film, and television industry. Starting as a visual effects artist in 2003, Chris pursued project-based work, specializing in Compositing at an international level. Holding several roles, from Sr. Artist to Supervisor, Chris worked in New Zealand for Weta Digital on The Hobbit Trilogy; US: Industrial Light &amp; Magic (Transformers &amp; Warcraft); Australia: Animal Logic (300), Rising Sun Pictures (Harry Potter &amp; the Half-Blood Prince); and in Vancouver studios Canada: MPC (Life of Pi), Method (Thor: The Dark World), The Embassy (Ironman), Prime Focus (TRON). Chris has a passion for education and the vfx community - he's conducted lectures for the VES, SIGGRAPH, taught at several schools in Vancouver and currently holds a scholarship at Capilano University. Most recently, CVD VFX's brand and client base (Netflix, HBO, AMC, EA, Microsoft) drew the attention of larger studios. Chris brokered multiple deals in 2019 and successfully sold the studio in early 2020 to Crafty Apes. Currently, he is enjoying a professional sabbatical, focusing on education and his family. He's also proud to have been awarded BIV's top 40 under 40. <a href="https://www.chrisvandyck.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1661128/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisvandyck/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

The Future of VFX; Is There Magic Up Ahead or Is There a Monster Lurking Around The Corner?

As audience demand for more content increases, the VFX business is bigger and busier than ever before. There’s a lot to be excited about in 2022. The industry is bursting with new work and new opportunities. Studios large and small are actively hiring and growing their teams with the abundance of work rolling in. With virtual production and new technologies taking a big leap forward, so does the learning curve. Bringing new creative and technical challenges; there’s no better time than now for a VFX artist to thrive! An exciting time for many, but for some, potentially quite daunting. We discuss the positive and negative effects this boom has had on studios, talent and education &amp; training.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/4889e57ecf7a801d405048c62c820c2f.png">SPEAKERS <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/6056b4ccec7b39ed926277e8ffdae093.png" style="max-width: 100%; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Hugo GuerraDirector &amp; VFX Supervisor // Hugo's Desk(Sniper Elite 5,&nbsp;Vermintide 2,&nbsp;Homefront the Revolution,&nbsp;Just Cause 3) Hugo Guerra is an award-winning Director and VFX Supervisor. After finishing his Fine Arts degree, he worked in Portugal and Sweden before moving to the UK where he was a freelancer for several years. In 2010 he joined The Mill London as a VFX Supervisor and as Head of the Nuke Department where he worked with clients like Audi, Adidas, Nike, IKEA, Panasonic, Discovery Channel, Sony, Activision, Ubisoft, to name a few. In 2014 Hugo joined Fire Without Smoke as a Director and Visual Effects Supervisor, working on trailers for games studios like CCP, Ubisoft, Deep Silver, Square Enix, Sony, Warhammer, etc. Most recently Hugo worked as a VFX Supervisor for Sony Playstation and worked as a Film Director for Rebellion Studios directing the cinematic trailer for&nbsp;Sniper Elite 5. He is also very active as a teacher and lecturer of Visual Effects, making keynotes in festivals all over the world in partnership with BenQ, Foundry, ActionVFX and Ftrack. Hugo is also a content creator on YouTube and Twitch with his channel Hugo's Desk and he is the co-host of the VFX Notes Podcast with Ian Failes from Befores &amp; Afters. <a href="https://hugo-guerra.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1512412/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hugo.c.guerra/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hugocguerra/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/HugoCGuerra" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugoguerra/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/da34f7f6bfa0ebc498c70bbbe110a8c6.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/9260369b29691056370c6fe56311defb.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Jahirul AminComputer Animation and Visual Effects Trainer and Consultant // CAVE Academy(Avengers: Endgame, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Bohemian Rhopsody) Jahirul Amin is a Computer Animation and Visual Effects Trainer and Consultant specialising in designing and delivering courses to create solid and diverse production-ready skills. His background in working with and for world-renowned studios such as DNEG, Framestore, Clear Angle Studios, ILM, BBC Tunisia, and academic institutes such as NCCA Bournemouth, Arts University Bournemouth, Filmakademie and The Animation Workshop, feeds into his ongoing connections with industry bodies which provide Computer Animation and Visual Effects training and courses. <a href="https://caveacademy.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cave_academy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahirulamin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/2d139235f5f570104b26b84dd7159980.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/6e23388da6df2454f8654505742d2519.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Laurie BlavinGlobal Head of Talent Acquisition // Scanline VFX(Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman, How To Train Your Dragon, Super 8, Iron Man, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End) Laurie Blavin recently returned to Scanline VFX as Global Head of Talent Acquisition. With over 15 years' experience in recruiting and talent acquisition roles within the industry, Laurie's expertise lies in building and managing creative and technical teams. Based in Los Angeles, Laurie has spent the past decade building and running her own recruitment consultancy business, VFX Scout, delivering full-cycle recruitment across global clients in VFX, games and interaction design. Notable clients included Dreamworks Animation, MPC, and Blue Sky. Laurie is no stranger to the digital production process having previously worked in production and managerial roles at companies such as Phillips Interactive Media, Lucasarts Entertainment and AOL. Laurie has been an active member of the Visual Effects Society for over 9 years, serving on the Executive Committee and the Bay Area Board of Managers. <a href="Scanlinevfx.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0087929/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurieblavin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/059e0d251562a4c0b505cc47eaa54efa.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/16c45533792a9d47c489f777db51073d.png" style="max-width: 100%; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Roula LainasMarketing and Business Development Executive // Versatile Media Ltd. Roula has spent over 25 years in the post-production and visual effects industry in areas that include producing, sales, marketing and business development for film, television, commercials and gaming cinematic projects for several markets including Latin America. More recently, she has joined the virtual production realm as Marketing &amp; Business Development Executive for Versatile Media. She has been part of the Women in Animation board for Programs for 3 years where she has had the honour of working alongside talented and strong individuals making a real difference for our entertainment sector. <a href="https://en.versatile.media/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/roula_yvr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/roula-l-7113a75/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/82a61e96ae09606c12891db2f8aca5c0.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/77e0fc4ceb44465b6ca1d44255386e56.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Tracy VezinaHuman Resources Manager // Image Engine Design, Inc.(The Book of Boba Fett) Tracy Vezina is a self-proclaimed HR geek with two decades of experience helping people love their work and excel in their careers. Whether through job placement, leadership development, coaching, or candid conversations, her goal is to figure out what makes individuals shine and help them do it every day. Her career started in financial management and accounting before transitioning to human resource management in the high-tech industry in the early 2000s which took her through start-ups, mergers and acquisitions, and an IPO. Next, Tracy ventured into the visual effects and animation industry where she found HR happiness working at local Vancouver studios Rhythm &amp; Hues and Image Engine. For the past few years, Tracy’s been leading employee wellness initiatives as the HR Manager at Image Engine, where she’s navigating the ever-evolving remote/hybrid work model and discovering what company culture and engagement looks like when some staff have long-standing relationships while others have never met colleagues in person. Tracy thrives in organizations whose leaders rely on the connection between top-notch people practices and competitive success. She believes in a back-to-basics approach to leadership and authentic connections to help organizations succeed. <a href="https://image-engine.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyvezina/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/a0482ccfe7010ccdc3f7023cf0cf7d92.png">MODERATOR <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/bf144e10e634607877652e5229ec10ca.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Victoria LongVFX &amp; Animation Talent Consultant // PXL Talent Victoria began her career as an Actor’s Agent, helping build careers for actors straight out of drama school, as well as finding casting opportunities for established TV and West End actors. Victoria transferred her agenting skills to recruitment moving into specialist media and arts recruiting, sourcing talent for leading UK TV and Film Production companies. Victoria ventured into the VFX industry in 2013 joining DNEG London as a VFX Recruiter and later transferring to Vancouver as Senior Recruiter, then Talent Acquisition Manager. She helped grow new studios in Vancouver, Los Angeles and Montreal, managing large scale recruiting and company growth. She was instrumental in the restructuring of the global Talent Acquisition team; managed teams of recruiters and TA Managers, and eventually headed up Talent Acquisition across North America. Having hired a wide range of creative, technical, leadership and executive roles during her time at DNEG she now brings this industry knowledge and experience to her current role as a Talent Consultant at PXL Talent. At PXL Victoria partners with VFX, Animation and Virtual Production studios across the globe finding the best talent for their teams, and supports talent with finding the right role and the right company to enhance their career. Victoria was an active member of the DNEG Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, leading new initiatives, programs and training to help build a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Victoria continues to be a passionate advocate for EDI. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-j-long/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

How to Navigate Your Way Through the Big VFX Boom!

The last two years have seen rising demands for content and accelerated a large amount of growth in the VFX industry. Creatives across the globe have been thrust into new environments to accommodate the demand for deliveries. New Leaders have stepped up to the occasion, juggling increasingly challenging projects, the influx of junior talent and learning to manage remotely. This has impacted our industry from many levels, and to compound the impact, our working environments are more segregated than ever and exposure to hands-on training is at an all time low. Many people are finding themselves logging off and questioning, “am I a fraud?”, or “do I have what it takes to do this role?” Imposter Syndrome is common amongst high achieving individuals and defined by an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. Working from home certainly exacerbates this feeling. But are these feelings unique to the pandemic? In this panel, we’ll take a tongue-in-cheek perspective to reveal the imposters, pairing new leaders with industry veterans to take a peek behind the curtain of Imposter Syndrome. We’ll examine who is more likely to suffer from this feeling in our industry and how we can collectively shape our working cultures to shift feelings of fraud and self-doubt towards humility and psychological safety.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/b00cc3636f8772031a95c4af8b79363e.png">SPEAKERS <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/c10394fd4d4f7aaebf253246b7fda49e.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Abishek NairAssociate VFX Supervisor&nbsp;&nbsp;// Industrial Light &amp; Magic Coming from TV Advertising background, Abishek Nair joined ILM in 2009 at the inception of the Singapore Studio as a Compositor, with IronMan as his first feature project. After spending close to 7 years at the studio in Singapore and moving up the ranks within the compositing department, Abishek joined ILM Vancouver in 2017 as a Compositing Supervisor with the opportunity to supervise projects such as Thor: Ragnarok, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Jungle Cruise and most recently Space Jam: A New Legacy. In 2021, Abishek moved into a VFX supervision role working with Amblin Entertainment and NASA to tell the story of the Spirit and Opportunity Mars Missions on the yet-to-be-released Amazon Prime special Goodnight Oppy and followed that up with a yet-to-be-announced Netflix Project. When Abishek isn't spending time with the creative team at ILM, you will find him at an airfield training for aerobatic competitions as a licensed pilot.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/a278fa83ea0a9154aa311bcb02cb6dba.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/5ccd6f4b8c07841085414757084e9954.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Jessica TeachVP Operations&nbsp;// Industrial Light &amp; Magic Jessica Teach is VP, Operations, reporting to General Manager of ILM, Janet Lewin. Teach is a member of ILM’s Executive Team and spearheads the operational, diversity and inclusion, and talent strategies across ILM’s five studios globally. Working with Lewin and the other members of the Executive Team, she also helps guide the company as a whole. Teach joined Industrial Light &amp; Magic in 2001 as a Production Assistant and has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility throughout the years. As a member of ILM’s executive team, Teach works closely with her team of talent managers and operational experts, producers and VFX and Animation supervisors to staff diverse artist resources across the company’s studios and global portfolio of shows. In addition to her management responsibilities, she founded ILM’s Diversity &amp; Inclusion Steering Committee (ILM DISCo) to provide leadership for the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts, and shaping strategy that spans internal and external communication, training, recruitment practices and casting and crewing decisions to forward the company’s commitment in this very important area. Jessica has also served as a member of the Technical Advisory Group at ILM. In this capacity she was an advisor on ILM facility-wide technical issues in the R&amp;D, I.T., and I.S. departments and liaised with representatives from other Lucas divisions to facilitate a cohesive and strategic approach to technical development and implementation across Lucasfilm. Prior to joining ILM, Jessica was a producer at Mondo Media, in San Francisco, California, leading a team responsible for creating flash animated internet content.&nbsp;Jessica is originally from New London, New Hampshire.&nbsp;She is a graduate of Colby-Sawyer College with a bachelor’s degree in writing. She and her husband currently reside in San Francisco, California.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/c8311e664757d483ca3f07aa812da8d3.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/49d08a766cacd1701d6ecf2a8498a6fb.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Lauren EllisSenior VFX Producer&nbsp;// Industrial Light &amp; Magic Lauren F. Ellis joined Industrial Light &amp; Magic in 2021 as Senior Visual Effects Producer, bringing with her a diverse background of entertainment production from commercials and series to virtual reality and film. Throughout her experience, Ellis has served as Executive Producer over series and features for Zoic Studios and as the VFX Executive Producer for The Molecule where she also managed&nbsp;operations and new business acquisitions for the Los Angeles studio. Over the years, she has built an extensive portfolio with a variety of television and film projects, having most recently produced for top series like Marvel’s WandaVision, and HBO’s Ozark. Ellis has also contributed to several film projects like Let Him Go, Horrible Bosses 2, and Fruitvale Station – an award-winning film produced, written and directed by Black Panther director, Ryan Coogler – which had a major impact on her personal and professional growth. Ellis earned her Master of Fine Arts in Animation and Visual Effects from the Academy of Art&nbsp;University and her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Hampton University. Originally from Alexandria, Virginia – the hometown of Remember the Titans – Ellis strives to educate and inspire those seeking to pursue a career in the industry, especially young women.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/d104e0ff561a5876f9f7e54a1c849eb4.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/f719659850dd993ee94b3760749d5b4b.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Lies VeldemanCompositing Supervisor // Industrial Light &amp; Magic Lies Veldeman started her career in London as a generalist before deciding compositing was her passion. Her road to compositing first began in her home country, Belgium where she studied Interactive Multimedia Design. She moved to the United Kingdom in 2008 to study 3D Computer Animation at Bournemouth University. She has worked at several VFX houses in the United Kingdom, starting at Cinesite, Framestore and DNEG where she was the alignment supervisor on DNEG’s Exodus: Gods and Kings. In 2015, she continued to build her career in compositing at DNEG Vancouver. After a stint at Weta in New Zealand, she joined MPC as a key artist on Aquaman. In 2019, she joined ILM and has since worked on projects such as The Irishman, Terminator: Dark Fate, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Jungle Cruise, and Space Jam: A New Legacy. Lies recently wrapped work on the Amazon documentary Goodnight Oppy.&nbsp;<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/b82270f3737eddc245ad2c11cff53840.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/763e7bac6bbd85f5caef0822298c09b4.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Solene Chan LamSenior Texture // Industrial Light &amp; Magic With over 15 years of experience in the CG industry, Solene Chan-Lam joined the Industrial Light &amp; Magic Vancouver studio as Senior Texture artist in 2021 and has recently been promoted to Texture Lead. Prior to ILM, Solene was a Lead Texture artist at Weta Digital and MPC London, working on shows such as Lion King, Alien Covenant, Jumanji Next Level and Suicide Squad 2. From 3D Modeling to DMP and Lookdev, Texturing has remained her focus since the beginning with contributions on feature films, commercials, video games, cinematics and VR projects (Cinesite, Ubisoft, Passion Pictures). Solene specializes in creature/character realism, and also has experience in animation stylised projects such as Riot games Arcane series at Fortiche Prod in Paris amongst others. She also enjoys traditional and digital illustration too.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/solenechanlam/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/c141b45c7c3806b0ba3f114912f9ea45.png">MODERATOR <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/1f732ac4319a28a5beb57ac51323bc83.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Kate Kazokas Studio Production Manager // Industrial Light &amp; Magic(Super Pets, Mulan, John Wick 3, Overlord) Kate Kazokas is the Studio Production Manager for the Industrial Light &amp; Magic Vancouver studio where she focuses on talent management of the Production team and partnering with studio leadership to help provide capacity assessments for new and existing work. Relocating to Vancouver in 2018, Kate’s passion and experience reflect the cross-sections of business and art, where she leans on her education and project management skills to influence the culture and dynamics of the creative teams she works with. Creative minds excite her. Kate specializes in the organizational psychology of creative environments and is pursuing a career in making sense of art. During her career in visual effects, Kate’s experience has spanned across Animated Feature Film and Visual Effects studios in both production and talent management positions. She holds a Masters of Screen Business and Leadership degree from the Australian Film Television and Radio School and is very slowly completing her postgraduate bachelor of Psychology. <a href="https://www.ilm.com/locations/vancouver/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5615273/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katekazokas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katekazokas/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

Imposter Syndrome: Meet the Imposters

A panel of podcasters and YouTubers, who all have a VFX-related channel of some description, will come together to discuss their work and their journey, and their experience of casting in the current climate.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/7932257fe1f4aa82e26d938e2e62e2da.png">SPEAKERS <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/31c5b234f676942d672f144fdf70462f.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Ben KousholtAnimator // Vice Versa Games(Game Of Thrones, Ghostbusters, Antman and The Wasp, Godzilla) Animation-wise, Ben grew up in vfx and has since switched to games. With his conversations at Framethrower, he aims to inspire and mobilize creatives and curious minds, unpack the realities of the animation industry and explore the creative process in general. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_O2RZmAmMEIPWGiYVxKtEg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4482971/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/framethrowerio" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/framethrower" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/a6792f036f2c10ab8ebaf43f3801e00f.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/6e8a82be80926c17131650baa25943b2.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Daniele TostiManaging Director // Independent(Avatar, Iron Man 3, Planet of the Apes, The Jungle Book) Daniele Tosti is a creative Supervisor, developer and manager with over 20 years of production experience in various fields of the entertainment business. Covering multiple Production roles, such as CG Supervisor, Art Director, Lighting Supervisor, LookDev Lead and Lead Technical Director, he has led and managed large teams to successful deadlines in various production types: from video games, to broadcast television and theatrically released feature films. During this period Daniele contributed to Productions for some of the most distinguished and internationally recognized studios and facilities between wich: Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Universal Pictures, Weta Digital, Image Engine, Moving Picture Company, Seneca Colleges, 20th Century FOX, Warner Bros, Marvel Studios, DC Entertainment. Daniele has been invested into supporting the industry through his YouTube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDA_ASj2Ywd_GgbwHyLprjw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The CG Career</a>. As well as by offering seminars and presentation to professionals and artists around the world since 2005, covering perception, composition, lighting, color and work practice fundamentals. This seminar has been built to inspire new and old generations to become better and profitable digital artists. <a href="http://www.reelmatters.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1418498/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-CG-Career-105444174552288" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniele-tosti-733177/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/26b67d38aa49f379e3206d5c60719825.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/5e2a9c627eee740364b3f5d6ef4e5585.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Ian FailesEditor and Founder // befores &amp; afters Ian Failes is a VFX and animation journalist based in Australia. He is the editor of the VFX industry magazine, podcast and website "befores &amp; afters". He has written for VFX Voice, fxguide, Cartoon Brew, 3D Artist and 3D World. Ian is the author of the book, Masters of FX. He holds the world's largest collection of memorabilia from the film Speed. <a href="https://beforesandafters.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beforesandafters2019" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ianstafailes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/ianfailes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-failes-17154b4/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/e456ac358db6139d36fe4bbebc7fda5e.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/d7bb35b77170b817d35d9bc28f669c70.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Marcella BrownSenior Effects TD // Weta FX(Encanto, The Suicide Squad, Godzilla vs Kong, Justice League Snyder Cut) Born and raised in Ohio after high school I joined the army for over 5 years plus 1 your in Iraq. I got out in 2010 to pursue my dreams as an artist who knew it would take me this far… and I’m just getting started. <a href="thevfxclub.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/THEVFXClub/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcella-brown-3180bb5a" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/e71e825a20c99f004d6c147a50901b71.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/6897df0815d16cadbca63200af77115b.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Marina AntunesFestival Director, Film Critic, Podcaster // Spark CG Society Marina joined the Spark Computer Graphics Society as Festival Director in 2014. Throughout her tenure, the festival has grown into Western Canada’s premiere animation festival, featuring a number of specialty programming including the “Made in Canada” program celebrating Canadian creators, “Mother of a Medium” featuring works from female filmmakers, and “Spotlight on France” which celebrates the best of French animation. In 2019, the SPARK ANIMATION FESTIVAL became Academy Award ® accredited, the only festival in British Columbia to hold that distinction. Marina is also a writer and podcaster with over 15 years of experience, 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 the Online Film Critics Society, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society is the President of the Vancouver SIGGRAPH chapter, and has served on juries for several film festivals including the DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. <a href="https://sparkcg.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/themarina" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/themarina2/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-antunes-57a279a1/?originalSubdomain=ca" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/392c40b64ed0eb5fc3760e24146790ad.png">MODERATOR <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/b6eb471e138e52a5a35d1886f1b206c2.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Gavin Graham General Manager // DNEG(Captain America: The First Avenger, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, 2012, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) After studying Computer Science in Trinity College Dublin, Gavin went on to complete an MSc in Digital Effects at Bournemouth University. Gavin's first job after graduating was at Double Negative, working in studio support before starting as Effects TD doing snow on Bridget Jones’s Diary. Apart from a short stint at Cinesite working on Die Another Day, Gavin has continued to work at DNEG ever since, working up from Effects TD to Lead Artist, Sequence Lead, FX and CG Supervisor. In addition to his work as an artist and supervisor, Gavin played a key role in developing some of Double Negative’s most prolific proprietary software, including the volumetric renderer DNB and DNEG’s fluid solver Squirt. After completing work as an FX Supervisor on Captain America in 2011, Gavin moved over to co-manage the 3D department in London. In 2015 he started to take more of a Global view on the business as Global Head of CG, managing the CG departments across all DNEG’s locations, and then in 2019 relocated to Montréal to take over as the studio's General Manager. He also plays an active role in the VES, serving as the Society's secretary in 2021, and being part of the Board of Directors since 2019. <a href="http://www.dneg.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0334050/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/gavgraham" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavingraham/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

People Of The Podcasts

Coaching is a well-established tool used in many progressive and innovative sectors, but until now has been underutilized within VFX. In this presentation 3 VFX industry veterans with professional coaching experience demonstrate how coaching can unlock untapped potential in all levels of our industry, from senior management to artists. In addition to discussing how coaching can improve performance, communication, well-being, and engagement, this session includes 3 focused examples of common coaching subjects, each packed full of solutions that you can immediately use in your day-to-day work and life.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/e2b9499a88d047f79b7445c20ffb604b.png">SPEAKERS <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/a29b74eef4e9e6d63ee696dab93d3860.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Debra ColemanFounder // Open Frame Coaching(F9: The Fast Saga, Tenet, Inception, Batman Begins) Debra is a VFX veteran, an accredited Business &amp; Personal Coach and the founder of Open Frame Coaching, providing coaching solutions within the VFX, Animation and Games industries. Debra has enjoyed a 25-year career in the Visual Effects Industry, progressing from Runner at Cinesite to Global Head of Compositing at DNEG, compositing on 25+ films and closely overseeing delivery of 100+ projects by hundreds of artists. Along the way, she has been involved with winning 3 Oscars and 3 BAFTAs, worked overseas, been a British Arrows judge, is a proud parent and a vocal advocate for women in tech. With Open Frame Coaching, Debra is delighted to pool her strengths and experience to support and develop VFX, Animation and Games professionals – which, in turn, also creates a positive ripple effect throughout each company and the creative-tech industries. <a href="https://www.openframecoaching.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1019640/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/debra.coleman.coaching/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-coleman-4725b41/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/32119323c37bebf9755b0c3ff3da74a1.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/9f2fe3beb85bd94e783774096b91b7cd.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Fred ChapmanLeadership Coach &amp; Facilitator // Growth Potential Coaching(Dune, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Chappie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) Fred Chapman trained as a Co-active Coach, and works with current and aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs in creative and technology fields. Through active listening, empathy, playful curiosity, and experience he supports and challenges his clients to aim high, in their career success and in their enjoyment of life. Fred is also Head of Creature at DNEG Vancouver, leading a team of talented technical artists in the creation of animation rigs (photo-real creatures, characters, digi-doubles, vehicles, etc), creature effects rigs and simulation (cloth, hair, muscle, skin, etc), and crowd simulation. He has over 20 years of experience in visual effects and animation, as an artist, supervisor, pipeline architect, and manager. Fred has been coached for most of the past 10 years and credits much of his professional and personal growth, success, and happiness directly to the results of the coaching process, fuelling his passion for supporting others on their path. <a href="https://growthpotentialcoaching.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1643947/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredch/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/0a2538dcfc9fbca0f8eb819a929a5125.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/e0937fe818f373075bf08a252d4c22cb.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Lorie CorcueraHead of HR // DNEG Lorie Corcuera is the Head of HR, North America West for DNEG, one of the world's leading visual effects, animation, and stereo conversion companies for feature film and television. Lorie is a strategic business partner and culture leader with over 20 years of experience in culture and belonging strategy and implementation, executive coaching, leadership alignment, organizational design and effectiveness, learning and development, diversity and inclusion, and elevating workplace experiences that inspire purpose, connection, and impact. Lorie graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) specializing in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources from the University of British Columbia. She is also a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and has been coaching leaders and teams since 2012. <a href="https://www.dneg.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/loriecorcuera/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

The Power of Coaching

Sometimes with growth comes leadership and culture challenges. Some of the leadership team from Steamroller Animation engage in a lively discussion about leadership, lessons learned along the way, being vulnerable, how to foster growth and relationships within your team, culture, as well as some of the challenges that a growing studio faces.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/f9cb636f8593fe015479ec3581e306d4.png">SPEAKERS <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/d4d277058c8324740978f5358cbf6e95.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Aaron GilmanCCO // Steamroller Animation Aaron graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and went on to receive an Honors Certificate from the Vancouver Film School in 2000. With 22 years in the VFX industry, Aaron has worked at all levels of animation in film, games and TV. Beginning with his early film work, Aaron was an animator on Matrix Revolutions,Hellboy and Constantine with the acclaimed Tippett Studio. Eventually making his way to Weta Digital as a Senior Animator on Avatar, Aaron would remain with the award-winning New Zealand-based company for 8 years. In that time he worked on 14 feature films, including as Animation Supervisor on The Avengers, Iron Man 3, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip, and Godzilla. In 2016 Aaron made his way to Vancouver Canada as Animation Director at DNEG where he oversaw numerous projects before taking on the Head of Animation role. In 2021, Aaron assumed the Chief Creative Officer role at Steamroller Animation and has since been working closely with the leadership team to help guide the studio into the future. Aaron brings a wealth of animation and leadership experience to the Steamroller team. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. <a href="https://steamrollerstudios.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1279460/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarongilman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/939d066c7c7d4c40c90e803975055433.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/212f97fe288c17e6e17ef31a8effab2a.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Amanda RenfroeHead Of Animation // Steamroller Animation One of Steamroller’s most veteran team members, Amanda Renfroe joined Steamroller as a production manager. She has climbed the studio ladder and is currently the Head ofAnimation for Steamroller. Amanda has animated, led, and supervised several elite projects within the gaming and film industry throughout her career. Some projects include Destruction All-Stars (inpartnership with Lucid Games), Anthem (in partnership with BioWare), Cyberpunk 2077 (in partnership with CD Projekt Red), and Spice Frontier (Steamroller project), Mortal Kombat11 (in partnership with NetherRealm Studios), and Prey (in partnership with Arkane Studios). Amanda is passionate about empowering Steamroller to be the best version of itself, ensuring that both animators and leadership have an environment where they not only feel comfortable, but also, where they can be challenged and grow professionally. <a href="https://steamrollerstudios.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5110332/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-renfroe-1755313a/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/cbafd94c76c9d2aa1a56727ed86f2c46.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/e9af41f3bffdfefb447e8ecfdde4b337.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Jalil SadoolCEO &amp; Co-Founder // Steamroller Animation Jalil Sadool is the CEO and Co-founder of Steamroller Animation with over fifteen years of experience working in the film industry as a professional animator. After graduating fromEdinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2004, he soon began his animation career at Rhythm and Hues Studios working on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, andthe Wardrobe. In 2006, Jalil moved to New Zealand to join Weta Digital Ltd, where he spent five years as Senior Animator on The Water Horse, Prince Caspian, and James Cameron's Avatar. In 2009 he was Sequence Lead Animator on Matt Reeves' Rise of the Planet of the Apes. In 2011, Jalil moved from VFX to Feature Animation and joined DreamWorksAnimation, where he worked as Lead Animator on Rise of the Guardians and How to Train Your Dragon 2. Together, with two industry colleagues, Adam Meyer and Keith Lackey, Jalil co-founded Steamroller Studios in central Florida in 2015. Under the banner of their new studio, Jalil worked on multiple high-profile projects including Rise of the Tomb Raider, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Dauntless, Fortnite, Cyberpunk 2077, and Horizon Forbidden West. Jalil and his team at Steamroller Animation are currently producing their own animated TV series called Spice Frontier. <a href="https://steamrollerstudios.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2059054/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jalil-sadool-bb74181/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/d649fb52269472a6447175e2f4697068.png">MODERATOR <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/68a98dcbf76edf5a573e13192fa19187.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Jessica GlassProduction Technology Department Manager // DNEG Jessica has been collaborating with teams in the tech industry for over a decade, contributing to workflow, process and diverse projects in leading tech companies such as Rogers Communications, Digital Domain, MPC and the American Marketing Association. Throughout her career, she has always strived to reconcile technology and humanity and make tech more accessible and intuitive for its users. She strives to make others around her develop their full potential and has been a pillar in the Tech community for many years. As Co-Founder of YVRFF (Vancouver Virtual Reality Film Festival), and Founder of CRAFTGRAPH (a networking series bringing together professionals from the computing, recording and art &amp; film technologies fields) she has been a champion of change, creative collaboration and innovation. Jessica is currently the Production Technology Department Manager at DNEG in Vancouver. As ProdTech Department Manager, she provides dedicated and consistent line management, ensuring appropriate crewing and career development for the R&amp;D and Pipeline teams. <a href="https://www.dneg.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a>

Relationships First: Building A Strong And Life-Giving Studio Culture

The CoSA VFX Team talks about the concept of an artist-centric studio and how the team balances work and productivity on some of today’s most popular shows and movies while continually striving to maintain a work-life balance.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/4ccdf6edfc6146aec92a9596891e69ca.png">SPEAKERS <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/a573da57dc5ce57df0d4914dabfb9e28.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Chris LancePartner, VFX Supervisor // CoSA VFX Chris Lance made his first foray into visual effects in 1996, working across the globe in San Francisco, London, Guatemala City, Sydney, Vancouver, and Los Angeles as a Lead Compositor for feature films. Notable projects include I Am Legend (2007), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), Leatherheads (2008), and Die Another Day (2002). Joining as a founding partner of CoSA in 2009, Chis has since been nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Visual Effects on Fox/Warner Bros’ Almost Human (2013) and NBC’s Revolution (2012). As a Visual Effects Supervisor both in-house at CoSA and on-set, Chris’ credits include Westworld, Another Life, Raising Dion, and upcoming titles CSI: Vegas (CBS) and Lionsgate feature The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent set to premiere in April 2022. <a href="https://www.cosavfx.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0484195/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/seelance/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/fe1137676d80922c1a4a61a13a67cce5.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/41e3f5fdc6e78a8bf7e7a4efdb843d76.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Jeremy MooreHead of Production // CoSA VFX Jeremy Moore is an award-winning CG, VFX, and real-time content Producer and Project Manager. Currently, the global Head of Production at CoSA VFX, based in Los Angeles, Jeremy's career highlights include Executive management roles at Method, The Mill, and Industrial Color. Jeremy's focus is on finding consensus amongst multidisciplinary teams, helping groups large and small navigate the complex maze of visual effects and post-production. With a long history of content creation in the Commercial market, Jeremy's more recent work includes oversight of the production process for Netflix's Lucifer and Archive 81, along with the Lionsgate feature The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. <a href="https://www.cosavfx.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="Website // IMDb // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/31aa76a1bed7651ca0313be2d58a13ff.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/4a51ef23abd50c7a17afc6ba53fcb30c.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Katy LennonGlobal Studio Manager // CoSA VFX Originally coming from a facility background, Katy Lennon joined CoSA VFX in 2015, serving as the studio's first HR Generalist before taking on the role of Global Studio Manager. Her role at the company has involved serving the creative vision of CoSA VFX in addition to all of the minutiae of working with the business and overall the team, ensuring that the company partners and the creative forces at CoSA come together as a compassionate unit. One of Katy's favorite quotes is "Everyone shines, given the right lighting" - a phrase from author Susan Cain that drives her management style, where employees at CoSA VFX are encouraged to try new things and find the best uses of their talent. <a href="https://www.cosavfx.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/0d7871bd705865ac8edc33628bec59a7.png"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/f0c4aa943b52e3349c6f121b80e49de7.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Tom MahoneyPartner, VFX Supervisor // CoSA VFX Tom’s background in VFX and motion graphics spans over two decades, starting as an intern for the popular syndicated television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Next, Tom worked as part of Paramount Pictures’ in-house digital unit (‘Pd2’) in the 90s and that led to feature work on movies such as Swordfish (2001), The Guardian (2006), and Final Destination 3 (2006). Tom built Morgan Creek’s in-house VFX facility for The Exorcist prequels (2004) before co-founding CoSA VFX in 2009. He received three Emmy Awards nominations and one win for his work as a VFX Supervisor on the television series Gotham; he was also nominated once for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Most recently, Tom was the VFX Supervisor for the EPIX Original Series Pennyworth and Netflix hit feature, The Prom. <a href="https://www.cosavfx.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0537197/?ref_=fn_al_nm_3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mahoney-7045ab5/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/9bc700b994b2b21adc35346280fc9e3c.png">MODERATOR <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/5f1505653c8959359aef82b763c3d7e1.png" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Mark NazalDirector of Digital Content // CoSA VFX Is an LA-based multicultural filmmaker and a multi-nominated, Emmy Award-Winning Visual Effects Artist &amp; Supervisor known for his work on Fox’s hit show, Gotham. Prior to his role as the first Director of Digital Content for CoSA VFX’s global studios, he functioned as a multidisciplinary visual effects generalist and established CoSA’s Environments Department for flagship projects like Pennyworth from Epix and HBO’s Westworld. In his spare time, he creates short-form content with his SurrealArts production team and is also a creator, writer, and Editor-in-Chief at Diwata Komiks – a groundbreaking Filipino-American comics company. He debuted the first issue of his Carmina comic series to fan acclaim at San Diego Comic-Con Special Edition in late 2021 and is slated to release its follow-up in April 2022. <a href="https://www.cosavfx.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> // <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4378967/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMDb</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosavfx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> // <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfx/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

Industry Insights: The Differences of Working on Projects for Broadcast Television vs Streaming and Features and the Importance of Work-Life Balance

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Year after year, SPARK FX presents some of the most creative and innovative work in VFX for both film and television. Our mission is to foster community, ignite the imagination, highlight leading artistic and technological advancements within Vancouver’s VFX industry through our signature events.

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