S01E08: A Conversation with Cinzia Angelini

Zach Lipovsky has early memories of a childhood spent on sets surrounded by the buzz of TVs and master controls, thanks to his mother's career in television. But it was a transformative experience at the tender age of nine when Jurassic Park left an indelible mark on him. The youthful actor-turned-filmmaker invested his early earnings into the digital revolution, teaching himself visual effects and collaborating with a community of budding filmmakers.

In this chat, Zach speaks candidly about the highs and lows of an artist's life, emphasizing the importance of finding joy in the journey and not just the destination. We touch on the delicate act of juggling personal creative projects with commissioned work, offering insight into how these endeavours can fuel each other. The power of collaboration comes to the forefront as well, with anecdotes about successful partnerships that illustrate the potential when combining forces in the film industry. Additionally, we discuss the crucial aspects of pitching and preparation for filmmakers, including a riveting account of how a dramatic pitch meeting landed Zach a job directing the upcoming Final Destination film.

Episode Links:

• Website
• Instagram
• IMDb

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2024 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix

KILOBYTE: Bardel Entertainment · Industrial Light & Magic · The Little Dev Shop · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios

BYTE:Cinesite · DigiBC · Vancouver Film School · Wētā FX

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia · INFilm

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH

Ashley Christine is used to battles, from growing up off the grid in the White Mountain National Forest and contending with the harsh elements of New Hampshire winters to navigating the social media landscape, she has dealt with both physical and mental battles. But how does a young woman go from studying mathematics at university to spending her days making TikTok videos about STEM?

In our conversation with Ashley, she shares her fascinating transition from small-town life to a career in mathematics, her unexpected path to becoming a STEM content creator, and the importance of personalized guidance in this field. She shares insights into her approach to dealing with online toxicity and negativity and the resilience it takes to promote STEM education effectively.

Episode Links:

• Website
• TikTok
• YouTube
• Instagram

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2024 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix

KILOBYTE: Bardel Entertainment · Industrial Light & Magic · The Little Dev Shop · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios

BYTE:Cinesite · DigiBC · Vancouver Film School

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH

Growing up among the steel mills of Hamilton, Ontario, Don Perro knew he wanted something different for his life but when his first attempt at getting out failed, he knew he needed to cast his net wider and the result was acceptance at art school in Vancouver where he found his comrades among the misfits studying animation at Emily Carr College of Art and Design (now known as Emily Carr University of Art and Design).

It was here that Don fell in love with education and he set a goal for himself: work in the industry for a decade and then turn his life to teaching, a goal he achieved just shy of his 10-year plan.

In our lively discussion, Don recounts some of the experiences that shaped his career, from the string of rejection letters and bad interviews that nudged him in the direction of finding his true calling, to his experience setting up the world-renowned animation program at Capilano University and his 20+ year career as an educator.

Episode Links

• Website
• LinkedIn

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2024 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Bardel Entertainment · Industrial Light & Magic · The Little Dev Shop · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:Cinesite · DigiBC · Vancouver Film School.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.

There was little doubt that Lera Nyukalova would be an artist. Her first foray into art was sketching Sailor Moon but her passion and drive to learn and challenge herself led her first to university to study architecture and eventually to make the move from Kazakhstan to Vancouver to further her practice.

Lera found solace and inspiration in the dynamic urban landscape of the city, keeping a visual diary that would eventually become "Visual Diaries," a collection of paintings that span a decade of personal memories, emotions, and the ever-evolving beauty of Vancouver.

In our conversation with Lera, she shares her tale of growth, harnessing both familial encouragement and the sprawling resources of internet forums to refine her craft amidst the biting critiques that shaped her resilient spirit. She also shares insights into the blending of job-honed techniques with bold forays into 3D modelling, all while maintaining the integrity of her vision against the relentless tick of the clock.

Episode Links

• Website
• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• IMDb
• Facebook

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2024 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic.

KILOBYTE: Bardel Entertainment · Industrial Light & Magic · The Little Dev Shop · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:Cinesite · DigiBC · Vancouver Film School.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.

Sam Fell was always drawn to creation and in the 1980s, he found himself in London, studying fine art and making interdisciplinary works of art, junk sculptures with speakers and cassette tapes inside, and eventually adding mechanics to move his works. It was around this time that he rediscovered stop-motion animation and the works of The Quay Brothers and Jan Švankmajer.

Sam taught himself stop motion and eventually, found himself making the trek from London to Bristol, the home of Aardman Animations. He felt at home in the artist-driven studio where he continued to hone his craft and storytelling from Peter Lord, before embarking on his career as a director.

In our conversation, Sam shares his road to the director’s chair, from his early days as a directionless teen in London to working with Peter Lord in the early years of Aardman to his move into CG and the blending of tech and tradition that has led to his latest feature film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

Episode Links

• Website
• IMDb
• Watch Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2024 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · The Little Dev Shop · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.

Growing up on a dairy farm in Denmark, Brian Leif Hansen assumed he’d spend his life living near where he grew up, perhaps a farmer himself, but the universe had other ideas for him.

While a love for puppets and animation was always with him, that didn’t seem like a viable option for a career so he did the next best thing and trained to be a chef. While he didn’t realize it then, that early training prepared him for the life of an animator: building stamina, and cultivating an eye for precision and detail.

Leaving behind a successful career in the kitchen, at 24 Brian took a leap and enrolled in a program at the world-renowned Animation Workshop and the rest, as they say, is history.

In our conversation, Brian shares memories of growing up on a farm and takes us through his whirlwind, if short-lived, career in the culinary arts. He then shares his animation path and how he applied lessons learned throughout his career to tackle his biggest challenge: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

Episode Links

• Website
• IMDb
• LinkedIn

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · The Little Dev Shop · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.

From the moment she learned to read, Audrea Topps Harjo has been a creator, first turning words into worlds in her mind, and then sharing those stories she loved so much with her family as a performer. Her passion led her to filmmaking in various forms, from telling her own stories in her own voice as a director, to helping other creators bring their visions to life.

A skilled problem solver with a knack for breaking down complicated problems and navigating complex work environments, Audrea has made a name for herself as someone you can turn to when you need help, be it setting up something new or stepping in to bring teams into alignment.

From Washington, DC, to LA, New Zealand and back, Audrea has not only worked everywhere but she’s also worked with everyone and in our conversation, she shares insights into her career, from the early days of working at Sony Pictures Imageworks to adventures at Electronic Arts and Lightstorm Entertainment. Along the way, she discusses culture shock, “otherness,” and how taking risks has been a cornerstone of her career.

Episode Links

• Inclusion FX
• Inclusion FX Instagram
• Instagram
• X
• YouTube

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.

Starting as a lighter and later designer for concerts and plays in New York City, Athomas Goldberg never imagined he’d be at the forefront of a new form of entertainment but curiosity, necessity and a willingness to take chances have led him to exactly that: a new frontier where live entertainment and technology meet.

From the early days of experimenting with Ken Perlin at NYU’s Media Research Lab, Athomas saw the possibility for technology and performance to converge. While not immediately apparent, each new career experience was another step in bringing the two disparate disciplines together.

Throughout our conversation, Athomas shares the excitement and challenges of his time at the Media Research Lab and how that led to him being an Artist in Residence to a researcher. We also explore how his work and career coincided with the rise of various technologies, from mocap to real-time rendering, that have shaped the work he does today and he shares some insight into the future of this new form of storytelling.

Episode Links

• Shocap Entertainment
• Pepper’s Ghost Media
• Lifelike and Believable
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• YouTube

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.

Growing up a child of the 80s, Athena Georgaklis loved cartoons and while she knew she wanted to work in film, her career in animation came almost by chance after taking a job as an assistant at the then-fledgling Teletoon. Once she realized that animation was what she wanted to do with her life, there was no turning back.

With a willingness to learn and take on new challenges, Athena rose to the role of Director of Programming at Teletoon before making another big leap and leaving behind the world of acquisitions for the world of creation, first as Head of Development at Nelvana Studios and most recently, as Vice President.

With a career that spans many aspects of project creation from, development to delivery, Athena has seen and experienced it all: from early morning pitch meetings gone wrong to delivering projects with lasting impact. In our conversation, Athena shares insights into the ups and downs of content creation, management in a post-pandemic world, the importance of believing in yourself and your work, and she provides invaluable tips and advice for content creators selling their work.

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.

Hailing from a family with a long history of artists, JM Blay seemed destined to enter the art world. As if predestined, once he started drawing, he never stopped.

His love of art developed into a fascination with photography and movement. Unbeknownst to him, JM had stumbled into the world of motion design and his “weird fascination” became the cornerstone of his career.

JM’s versatile, unpretentious approach to creative collaboration has served him well, leading to a 20+ year career and collaborations on everything from film to music videos; working with major brands from around the globe including Netflix, Adidas, Doritos, Paul McCartney, and Lady Gaga among many others.

In this candid conversation, JM shares insights into the world and history of motion design and how AI is disrupting the status quo. Along the way, he also shares valuable tips on working with difficult clients, staying creative, and finding a work/life balance.

Episode Links

• Website
• LinkedIn
• IMDb
• Instagram
• Facebook
• X
• Behance
• Vimeo
• Blay Studio

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.