Best Scott Hoon Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 529 - Efficiency, Artistry, and the LED Wall: Ivan Reel, Executive Leader in Virtual Production, StradaXR 1:23:01

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10d ago1:23:01

1:23:01

From disrupting the print industry with the original Macintosh to building bespoke tech for Premier League teams, Ivan Reel has always lived at the bleeding edge of media. Now the Head of Studio Technology at StradaXR, Reel traces his evolution from graphic designer to virtual production leader, sharing insights from his time managing Sony's pivot …

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Episode 528 - Why Gen V VFX Looks So Real: A Deep Dive with Supervisor Karen Heston 55:59

17d ago55:59

55:59

Why does the superhero spinoff Gen V often look more visceral and grounded than its blockbuster feature film counterparts? The answer lies in the unique philosophy of Visual Effects Supervisor Karen Heston, who joins Chris and Daniel to reveal the analog soul beating beneath the show's digital surface. Heston traces her journey from the chemical sm…

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Episode 527 - Ben Mauro: Expanding the World of Huxley 1:05:58

24d ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Ben Mauro is one of the industry's most respected concept artists, known for defining the look of blockbusters like Halo Infinite, but his latest venture is a masterclass in how artists can successfully build and own their own intellectual property. Ben returns to the podcast to break down the journey of expanding his independent sci-fi universe, H…

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Episode 526 - Hoon Kim of Beeble AI: How Switchlight Creates 'Relightable Footage' for Real-Time Filmmaking 57:58

1M ago57:58

57:58

AI is revolutionizing cinematic lighting control with Beeble AI's Switchlight. Founder Hoon Kim explains how his tool, originally a general AI concept, became a powerful VFX asset by tackling the difficult process of relighting. Switchlight "unlights" any video footage to figure out the fundamental physical properties, like the shape (normals) and …

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Episode 525 - Dennis Berardi on Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein & Resurrecting Mr. X 1:03:32

1M ago1:03:32

1:03:32

Visual effects veteran Dennis Berardi joins the podcast to discuss the resurrection of his legendary studio, Mr. X, and his latest collaboration with Guillermo del Toro on Frankenstein. Dennis shares the technical and artistic challenges behind the film, detailing how his team blended massive physical builds with digital artistry to create the film…

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Episode 524 - VFX Soldier & Scott Ross: The Subsidy Wars 1:30:09

2M ago1:30:09

1:30:09

The anonymous "VFX soldier in the trenches" who took on the studios is back, and the fight he started is far from over. Two legends of the VFX labor rights movement, Daniel Lay (the formerly VFX Soldier) and veteran exec Scott Ross, join Chris and Daniel Thron to revisit the pivotal moment their fight began. The conversation goes back 10+ years to …

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Episode 523 - David Morin, Executive Director of the ASWF, on His Journey from Softimage to Securing Open Source 1:10:26

2M ago1:10:26

1:10:26

What was it like to be inside Softimage during the Microsoft acquisition? How did Bill Gates' "big pivot" to the internet change everything overnight? Industry veteran David Morin joins Chris to share his fascinating origin story, from programming with punch cards and an 8-year art detour to working with ILM on Jurassic Park and navigating the seis…

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Episode 522 - Gabriel Regentin: How Ingenuity Studios Made Weapons Unbelievably Real 1:00:11

2M ago1:00:11

1:00:11

For our special Halloween episode, we sit down with VFX Supervisor Gabriel Regentin to discuss his work with Ingenuity Studios on the smash-hit horror film, Weapons. Gabriel details his close collaboration with director Zach Cregger, whose primary goal was to ensure every visual effect felt 100% "in-camera" and unquestionably real. He shares the ch…

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Episode 521 - Tim Miller Gets Real About Hits, Misses, and What's Next 1:17:27

2M ago1:17:27

1:17:27

Returning to the podcast for his fourth appearance, director Tim Miller, the creative force behind the blockbuster hit Deadpool and the acclaimed anthologies Love, Death & Robots and Secret Level, pulls back the curtain on the unpredictable reality of a Hollywood career. In a candid discussion, Miller unpacks the delicate balance of luck and persev…

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Episode 520 - Dan Fowler on 20 years of Virtual Production on the Avatars 1:19:31

2M ago1:19:31

1:19:31

After nearly 20 years dedicated to James Cameron's groundbreaking Avatar saga, virtual production supervising stage operator Dan Fowler joins host Chris Nichols in the garage for a deep dive into his incredible 30-year career. Dan recounts his journey from being the drummer in a 90s hair metal band to becoming a key operator on one of the most tech…

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Episode 519 - Sean Faden, VFX Supervisor - Murderbot 1:10:04

3M ago1:10:04

1:10:04

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235529/Ever wonder how the scrappy, sarcastic world of Murderbot was brought to life? Veteran Visual Effects Supervisor Sean Faden pulls back the curtain on the hit Apple TV+ series, revealing the innovative and often hilarious journey of its creation. He shares the origin story of his involvement, detailing a highly c…

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Episode 518 - Scott Ross: "You Got It Wrong About James Cameron" 1:12:58

3M ago1:12:58

1:12:58

A few months back, on episode 510, we debated whether James Cameron is an all-powerful maverick who answers to no one. VFX legend and Digital Domain co-founder Scott Ross heard the discussion and had a clear message for us: "You got it wrong." According to Scott, the idea that Cameron operates completely free from studio influence is a fantasy, esp…

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Episode 517 - Ken Perlin - Professor of Computer Science, NYU 1:09:57

3M ago1:09:57

1:09:57

Computer graphics pioneer Ken Perlin invented Perlin noise, a foundational tool used in nearly every area of computer graphics. In this episode of CG Garage, Ken shares his unique journey, starting with a childhood love for both art and mathematics. He recounts how his early work on the film Tron inspired him to invent Perlin noise and the foundati…

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Episode 516 - Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC - Cinematographer, "Sinners" 1:12:38

3M ago1:12:38

1:12:38

This week, we sit down with acclaimed cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the first woman ever to shoot on IMAX for the film Sinner. She discusses her unique journey into filmmaking, including her work in 16mm on The Last Showgirl and her credits on major studio projects like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Marvel's Loki. Autumn highlights th…

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Episode 515 - Daniel Thron, Chris Nichols, and Lily Nichols - CG Garage's new home, Monstrous Moonshine 1:40:37

4M ago1:40:37

1:40:37

Episode 515 marks the very first CG Garage Podcast episode under the Monstrous Moonshine banner, and it's a big reset moment. Chris is joined by longtime collaborator Daniel Thron and new producer/coordinator Lily Nichols to introduce this new chapter. Together, they reflect on the origins of the Monstrous Moonshine name, its ties to both 1970s cin…

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Episode 514 - Armen Kevorkian - Ingenuity Studios, President 51:30

4M ago51:30

51:30

This episode marks the final CG Garage podcast under the Chaos umbrella. The next chapter of the show will launch under a new banner, continuing the conversations that explore the art, craft, and future of filmmaking. Armen Kevorkian joins Chris to reflect on his long career in visual effects, from his early start as an intern on Star Trek: Voyager…

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Episode 513 - Siggraph 2025 - Simeon Balabanov & Georgi Zhekov on Chaos Vantage & Arena 54:11

5M ago54:11

54:11

At SIGGRAPH 2025, Chaos unveils major updates to Vantage and Arena that significantly expand real-time ray tracing workflows. Product managers Simeon Balabanov and Georgi Zhekov join Chris to break down the new capabilities, including native USD and MaterialX support, Gaussian splats with ray-traced lighting, volumetric caches, and a streamlined pi…

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Episode 512 - Susan O'Neal - VFX, Post, and Technology Recruiter, BLT Recruiting 1:14:22

5M ago1:14:22

1:14:22

In this episode, Chris chats with Susan O'Neal, a long-time force in the visual effects industry, about her remarkable career journey and insights into the evolving VFX world. Susan recounts starting as employee #24 at Digital Domain in the early '90s, working on landmark projects like Titanic, and moving through various studios such as Lightstorm,…

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Episode 511 - Chad Wanstreet & Allan McKay - Co-Founders, Version Zero 1:07:46

6M ago1:07:46

1:07:46

VFX veterans Chad Wanstreet and Allan McKay join Chris to talk about their new startup, Version Zero, a company aimed at automating the mundane tasks that bog down visual effects work. Born out of years of frustration with tedious jobs like roto, paint, plate cleanup, and matchmove, Version Zero helps artists and studios save time and focus on the …

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Episode 510 - Industry Roundtable — James Cameron, AI, Sinners, and Indie films 1:14:10

6M ago1:14:10

1:14:10

We're trying something new this week and taking a break from the usual interview format. This episode kicks off a roundtable discussion format that we plan to revisit every few months. Chris is joined in person by Daniel Thron and James Blevins, both CG Garage podcast veterans, for a relaxed but sharp conversation about recent events in technology …

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Episode 509 - Marti Romances - Co-Founder and Creative Director, Territory Studio San Francisco 1:09:52

7M ago1:09:52

1:09:52

Marti Romances, co-founder and creative director of Territory Studio San Fransisco, joins the podcast to share his journey from designing DVD menus in Spain to creating iconic futuristic interfaces for blockbuster films like Prometheus, The Martian, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. With roots in multimedia and motio…

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Episode 508 - Michael Ralla - VFX Supervisor, "Sinner" 1:53:11

7M ago1:53:11

1:53:11

Michael Ralla joins the podcast to share his journey through the world of visual effects, with a focus on his latest project as VFX Supervisor on the film Sinners. He discusses how he worked closely with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, whose fearless approach to lighting and darkness pushed the creative envelope. The episode features a deep …

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Episode 507 - Jess Loren - CEO, Global Objects 1:02:01

8M ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Jess Loren, CEO and co-founder of Global Objects, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of immersive content and the creative tech reshaping the industry. A force to be reckoned with, Jess has a sharp pulse on where things are headed, and she doesn't hold back when discussing the current state of Hollywood. She talks candidly ab…

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Episode 506 - Johnson Yan — Real-time CGI Pioneer 1:06:36

8M ago1:06:36

1:06:36

Johnson Yan, a trailblazer in real-time 3D graphics, joins the podcast to recount his remarkable journey from the earliest days of computer graphics and flight simulation. Starting in the late 1970s, Johnson tackled fundamental challenges like texture mapping, anti-aliasing, translucency, and scalability, long before today's GPU technology emerged.…

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Episode 505 - Sebastian Sylwan - VFX and Technology Executive 1:27:19

8M ago1:27:19

1:27:19

Sebastian Sylwan has a wealth of experience, having been CTO at Weta Digital, Scanline, and Felix & Paul Studios, as well as Director of Technology at Digital Domain. He's spent his career at the intersection of art and technology, helping world-class teams push the boundaries of visual effects, immersive media, and real-time workflows. In this epi…

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Episode 504 - Scott Ross - UPSTART: The Digital Film Revolution – Managing the Unmanageable 1:06:39

9M ago1:06:39

1:06:39

Scott Ross, legendary VFX executive and co-founder of Digital Domain, joins the podcast for an unfiltered conversation about the state of the film industry and the visual effects business. With decades of experience and a reputation for telling it like it is, Scott digs into the systemic challenges facing Hollywood—from broken economic models in st…

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Episode 503 - Joshua Lastine - Lastine Entertainment Law 1:01:00

9M ago1:01:00

1:01:00

Joshua Lastine, an entertainment lawyer, returns to the podcast to break down the rapidly changing legal and business landscape of the film industry. As AI tools reshape content creation, streaming platforms redefine distribution, and independent filmmakers leverage new technology, Joshua explains how contracts, intellectual property, and revenue m…

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Episode 502 - Oliver Markowski - Head of 3D, RISE 1:13:42

10M ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Oliver Markowski, Head of 3D at RISE, returns to the podcast to dive deep into the latest advancements in VFX technology. Since his last appearance, the industry has seen major shifts, and Oliver shares insights on how USD and MaterialX have evolved, shaping how studios exchange data and build pipelines. He discusses the adoption of USD across the …

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Episode 501 - Eric Barba - Oscar nominated VFX Supervisor, Alien: Romulus 1:07:59

10M ago1:07:59

1:07:59

Eric Barba, Academy Award-winning VFX supervisor, returns to the podcast to discuss his latest work on Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez, for which he is nominated for an Oscar in 2025. He shares the challenges of bringing the world of Alien to life, from balancing practical effects with cutting-edge VFX to ensuring the film stays true to Ri…

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Episode 500 - Steve Preeg - Academy Award winning VFX Supervisor 1:35:01

11M ago1:35:01

1:35:01

In the special 500th episode of the CG Garage podcast, Steve Preeg, one of the first-ever guests of the show, returns to reflect on a decade of change in the visual effects industry. An Academy Award-winning VFX supervisor known for his groundbreaking work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and TRON: Legacy, Steve shares how both the industry a…

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Episode 499 - Jake Maymudes - Founder & CEO of Wylie Co. VFX 1:25:18

11M ago1:25:18

1:25:18

Jake Maymudes, visual effects supervisor and CEO of Wylie Co., shares his experiences working on major projects like Dune: Part One, Dune: Part Two, and Alien: Romulus. Jake discusses the creative and technical challenges involved in creating the stunning visuals for these films, from complex simulations to photoreal environments. He also reflects …

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Episode 498 - Todd Perry - Visual Effects Supervisor, "For All Mankind" & "Star City" 1:19:23

12M ago1:19:23

1:19:23

Todd Perry, a veteran visual effects supervisor with decades of experience in the industry, shares his journey from his early fascination with Star Wars to becoming a key figure in VFX. Todd discusses how he transitioned from experimenting with stop-motion and early computer graphics to landing his first major jobs at Imageworks and Weta, working o…

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Episode 497 - Andy Boyd - VFX Supervisor Jamm Visual, Brothers 1:02:43

12M ago1:02:43

1:02:43

Andy Boyd, co-founder of Jam, shares insights into his studio's journey over the past decade and their ability to adapt to changing industry dynamics. Andy reflects on his studio's blend of commercial and long-form projects, including Brothers, a feature film featuring a photoreal CG orangutan, now available on Amazon Prime. He discusses the challe…

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Episode 496 - Jason Smith - Senior VFX Supervisor, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 1:16:44

1y ago1:16:44

1:16:44

Jason Smith, the senior visual effects supervisor on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, joins the podcast to discuss his award-winning career in visual effects. With nearly 25 years at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Jason's achievements include an Oscar nomination and a Sci-Tech Award from the Academy for his groundbreaking work on Blockpa…

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Episode 495 - Jo Plaete - Chief Innovation Officer & VFX Supervisor at Metaphysic.ai 1:15:18

1y ago1:15:18

1:15:18

Jo Plaete, a pioneer in digital humans and chief innovation officer at Metaphysic, joins the podcast to discuss his company's groundbreaking work on the newly released film Here, now in theaters. Jo traces his journey from his early career in computer graphics and visual effects, working on films like Where the Wild Things Are and Aladdin, to creat…

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Episode 494 - Daniel Thron, Erick Schiele, and James Blevins — BTS Ray Tracing FTW 1:29:13

1y ago1:29:13

1:29:13

Daniel Thron, Erick Schiele, and James Blevins join Chris to discuss their work on the short film Ray Tracing FTW. Directed by Daniel, the film pushed the boundaries of virtual production, and Erick's production design had to work both digitally and practically, ensuring consistency across virtual environments and physical sets. James, with his exp…

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Episode 493 - Jared Sandrew - Creative Executive & Visual Effects Supervisor 1:13:57

1y ago1:13:57

1:13:57

Jared Sandrew, a 3D supervisor at Disney and visual effects veteran, joins the podcast to discuss his career journey, from growing up around the pioneering technology of digital colorization to becoming a key figure in stereoscopic 3D conversion for blockbuster films. Jared shares fascinating stories about his time at Legend 3D, where he worked on …

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Episode 492 - Debbie Kennard & Ron Eli Cohen - Line Producers for Ray Tracing FTW 1:18:08

1y ago1:18:08

1:18:08

Line producers Debbie Kennard and Ron Eli Cohen discuss their work on the short film Ray Tracing FTW and offer an insider's perspective on the art of film production. Debbie shares her story, from her beginnings as John Carpenter's PA on The Thing to becoming a trusted line producer in Hollywood, while Ron talks about transitioning from acting to p…

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Episode 491 - Richard Crudo & Esther Woodworth - Director of Photography & 1st Assistant Camera 1:15:21

1y ago1:15:21

1:15:21

In this episode, Richard Crudo, the cinematographer, and Esther Woodworth, the 1st Assistant Camera for the Ray Tracing FTW short film, share their journey working on the groundbreaking project. We take a deep dive into the dynamics of the camera crew, exploring how different departments like lighting and grip collaborate to bring a director's visi…

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Episode 490 - Matthias Christen - Head of CG Design, The Scope 1:14:42

1+ y ago1:14:42

1:14:42

Matthias Christen, the main 3D artist from The Scope on Ray Tracing FTW, shares his fascinating journey from traditional analog painting to becoming an expert in 3D and virtual production. Starting with a passion for drawing, Matthias entered the advertising industry, where he honed his skills in Photoshop and Illustrator before transitioning into …

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Episode 489 - A.J. Wedding - Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Orbital Virtual Studios 1:01:47

1+ y ago1:01:47

1:01:47

In this episode, Chris sits down with AJ Wedding, founder of Orbital Studios, to discuss how the Chaos Innovation Lab used his studio to film Ray Tracing FTW using Project Arena. AJ shares how his early fascination with virtual production, inspired by his work on The Mandalorian, led him to launch Orbital Studios during the pandemic. He explains th…

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Episode 488 - Ed Ulbrich - Chief Content Officer & President of Production, Metaphysic.ai 1:03:26

1+ y ago1:03:26

1:03:26

It's been seven years since Ed Ulbrich last appeared on the CG Garage podcast — and a lot has changed. The man who digitally aged Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and resurrected late rapper 2Pac as an on-stage hologram is now chief content officer and president of production at metaphysic.ai, which is using AI tools to create phot…

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Episode 487 - Kevin Tod Haug - VFX Supervisor 1:09:57

1+ y ago1:09:57

1:09:57

Kevin Tod Haug has always been destined for a career in VFX. From a young age, he analyzed movies and TV series to work out how they were made. He joined the industry and saw it transform from electro-mechanical to digital via movies and TV series, including Tron and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He then became a full VFX supervisor on movies inc…

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Episode 486 - Ian Dawson - Founder & Executive Producer, IDGRAFX 1:11:12

1+ y ago1:11:12

1:11:12

Ian Dawson's dream of a Jarvis-style computing interface seems to be coming true. This multi-talented CG veteran began his career in graphic design, before moving into producing and creating flying logos throughout the 90s. He then moved into advertising, and title sequences and VFX sequences for movies including the Iron Man trilogy, Star Wars: Ro…

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Episode 485 - Gary Marshall - Vice President of Virtual Production, NantStudios 1:05:53

1+ y ago1:05:53

1:05:53

Get ready to dive into the magical world of virtual production with the one and only Gary Marshall, Vice President of Virtual Production at Nant Studios. In this episode, Chris chats with Gary, a true wizard in the visual effects industry, who's been behind some of the most jaw-dropping movie moments you've ever seen. From running film reels around…

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Episode 484 - Alex & Tim Porter - CEO & CTO, Mod Tech Labs 1:07:27

1+ y ago1:07:27

1:07:27

Alex and Tim Porter have the perfect skillset of a VFX power couple. Alex has a background in interior design, which she leveraged into user experience and virtual spaces. Tim, meanwhile, has worked in games and VFX, beginning as an artist but gravitating towards developing tools and scripts that make it easy to create complicated environments and …

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Episode 483 - Erick Geisler — CTO, Global Objects 1:16:52

1+ y ago1:16:52

1:16:52

Erick Giesler has seen the filmmaking industry change right from the very start. As a child, he acted in TV shows, but found that he was more fascinated with what was happening behind the camera. He learned how to create VFX, beginning on SGIs, then moving to software such as Electric Image, 3ds Max, and V-Ray, and helping to create VFX for movies …

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Episode 482 - Todd Terrazas - Founder, AI LA & Co-Founder, FBRC.ai 1:06:23

1+ y ago1:06:23

1:06:23

Todd Terrazas has been part of the AI revolution since the beginning. He started out developing a system to automatically triage 911 calls and then was part of the development team behind the first wave of AI-powered chatbots. Today, Todd has founded FRBC.ai, which empowers storytellers with AI tools. He's also the mastermind of the AI LA Community…

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Episode 481 - Jeff Kleiser - VFX Supervisor 1:02:07

1+ y ago1:02:07

1:02:07

A love of computing, music, and cinema has propelled Jeff Kleiser's career from the earliest days of VFX on movies including Tron, Flight of the Navigator, Stargate, Judge Dredd, Surrogates, and many more. Along the way, he's helped the late, great Doug Trumbull create eye-popping film-based projects for Luxor hotels and Radio City's 3D Christmas m…

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Episode 480 - Chad Wanstreet - VFX Supervisor 1:08:18

1+ y ago1:08:18

1:08:18

Chad Wanstreet and Chris Nichols have experienced similar career trajectories — but this is the first time they've sat down together. Like Chris, Chad transitioned from architecture to VFX, and his experience spans working at notable firms including Blur Studio and FuseFX. Along the way, Chad has contributed to projects that pushed the boundaries o…