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VFX Supervisor / Creative Director, Aura FX Studios

John Ashby is an expert in digital environment capture for VFX and Realtime Virtual Production. He specializes in combining lidar, photogrammetry and structured light processes through to retopology, texture reprojection and photo-realistic rendering.

Aura FX is a visual effects team (based in NYC, with operations in Atlanta) that provides virtual art department services for previz & postviz. It offers a full stack of scan-to-asset capabilities, from LIDAR & photogrammetry capture, plate unit services, prop scanning, and post-processing of capture data. Learn more at www.aurafxstudios.com.

As an experienced DP and director, Leon has been working with the URSA Cine Immersive since its release. He has delivered training on behalf of Blackmagic Design, helped author documentation and created online training materials. As such, he can offer excellent insights into the camera, the format and their proper usage. He is also a major contributor at Team 2 Films, a renowned source for professional production and post-production training.

Viki Chan is a seasoned VFX On-Set Supervisor known for her expertise in bridging the gap between creative vision and technical execution. She collaborates closely with department heads and production managers, ensuring seamless on-set operations. With a meticulous approach to data collection, consistency in naming conventions, and vendor deliveries, Viki plays a critical role in maintaining cohesiveness across multiple units and teams.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Following this pivotal experience, she transitioned to a VFX company as a matchmove artist and steadily climbed the ranks.

Her impressive portfolio includes work on major Marvel projects such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, She-Hulk, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Black Widow. Viki’s expertise spans diverse VFX domains, including matchmove, building light kits, data collection, data wrangling, photography, and supervising.

Currently, Viki is at the cutting edge of technology as part of Eyeline VFX, powered by Netflix. She continues to learn new innovation in the ever-evolving world of visual effects, showcasing her dedication to pushing boundaries and delivering exceptional results.

Andrew Chang is the Co-founder of Immersive Company

Immersive Company empowers creators of all levels to tell their stories through immersive media. The team is pioneering novel tools and technologies on ambitious productions to enable the next generation of immersive content. Global partnerships include feature films, branded content, and live entertainment. Learn more at immersivecompany.com.

Barney Csutak is a Producer/Growth Director at District Cinema. With 8+ years in the film industry, Barney has worked on over 20 commercials and seven feature films, building a strong foundation in production and a collaborative, problem-solving mindset. Recently, Barney's focused on Reality Capture and Virtual Production, developing workflows that help creatives access these tools more easily — with an emphasis on efficiency, sustainability, and solving real-world production challenges.

District Cinema helps studios around the country push what's possible for Virtual Production, XR, and more, through a unique combination of engineering and creative expertise. Learn more at districtcinema.com.

A filmmaker since age 12, Conrad Curtis has always been passionate about creative technology. As an Assistant Director he has worked with the worlds leading brands, filmmakers and innovators. Part storyteller, part designer, part thinker, Conrad is dedicated to working towards a future where technology works for people and creativity can thrive.

Josh is an Emmy Award winning filmmaker and technologist with over two decades of experience crafting work that fuses artistry with innovation, ranging from high-concept commercials and intimate documentaries to immersive experiences that blur the line between dream and reality. His work has won awards at film festivals like SXSW, Tribeca and Berlinale and has been seen on screens big and small and everywhere in between. One half of a lifelong creative duo with his twin brother Jason, Josh shares a collective creative consciousness that fuels bold ideas and constant innovation.

www.thediamondbros.com

Andrew is a multi-award winning Director and Technologist with a passion for crafting captivating narratives that push the boundaries of storytelling. With over 15 years of experience, Andrew has honed skills in both traditional filmmaking and the cutting-edge realm of immersive content, weaving together visuals, sound, and interactivity to create truly unforgettable experiences. Andrew has continually worked with the biggest companies, brands, and agencies in the world including Google, Samsung, Meta, Amazon, IPG, WPP, Omnicom, and Viacom, to name a few.

Andrew’s authority in the immersive media and advertising space – paired with his other production and startup experiences – have additionally provided Andrew opportunities to consult for and lead small and large businesses on $10-20M projects in the media, content, and immersive technology space.

Andrew is always eager to collaborate with passionate individuals and companies who share his vision for pushing the boundaries of storytelling, technology, and experience. Learn more at www.immersivecompany.com

Mike Gomes is a DP & Camera Operator with experience in narrative, documentary and live music in both traditional formats and Immersive VR. Mike’s work has been showcased & recognized at SXSW (Lapsis, The Dwarvenaut), Venice Film Festival (Asteroid for Samsung's Galaxy XR) & Cannes Film Festival (New Worlds feat Bill Murray & Friends). His VR work for large brands include companies like Meta (Blackpink: A VR Encore, Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour, Goo Goo Dolls), Google (Asteroid, directed by Doug Liman), Tidal (Rising Concert Series) & Onesight (Unblur Rwanda 360). Mike is an Emmy Award Winning Camera Operator for his work on National Geographic’s Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller and is a member of the Society of Camera Operators.

linktr.ee/mikegomesdop

Rene Hernandez is the VP Business Development at District Cinema. As a seasoned Unreal Engine developer with a passion for pushing the boundaries of virtual production, Rene's journey over the past 6 years has evolved from the realm of game development to specializing as an Unreal Engine developer in the dynamic field of Virtual Production.

District Cinema helps studios around the country push what's possible for Virtual Production, XR, and more, through a unique combination of engineering and creative expertise. Learn more at districtcinema.com.

Nolan Kearny is the Technical Director at District Cinema. Previously, he was the Head of 3D Scanning and Texture Capture for Global Objects in LA, where he used LiDAR, laser scanning, photogrammetry, and photometrics to achieve fully realistic 3D assets. He also oversaw the scanning and process creation pipeline for on-location and in-office scanning workflows and coordinated with clients to achieve post pipelines and deliverable timelines.

Nolan also works as freelance gaffer and colorist for clients ranging from brands like Bank of America and Coca-Cola to independent shorts and features.

As Director of Education & Product Specialization, Jeff Lee oversees the company's educational initiatives, as well as spearheading the development and maturation of emerging products and applications. He helps develop new curriculums, whether for in-person workshops, online courses, or custom training. He also manages the training team across all three offices.

Jeff is a technical editor on AbelCine’s blog and serves as the lead technologist for AbelCine NY. He joined AbelCine in 2009 as a member of the sales team. He then transitioned to Camera Technology Specialist and Trainer, eventually becoming the National Training Manger.

Jeff is an Emmy winner and multiple-time Emmy nominee for his work on Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, the 57th Academy Of Country Music Awards, and Adele One Night Only. Additionally, he is an accomplished still photographer who has traveled extensively working on documentary projects. His work has appeared in publications such as Shutterbug, and he has been a featured Gawker Artist. His photo blog can be found at jeffleephoto.com.

Born and raised in NYC, Jeff attended Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of Arts where he concentrated in both photography and filmmaking.

Eliot Mack started in robotics, designing the original iRobot Roomba and giant walking dinosaurs at Disney Imagineering after graduating from Michigan and MIT.

In 2004, having had his fill of chasing dust bunnies, Eliot founded Lightcraft Technology. By applying real time robotics technology to the motion picture industry, he went on to create the Emmy Award-winning Previzion and Halide FX virtual studio systems.

In 2018, he teamed up with Avid founder Bill Warner and CTO Greg Cockroft to create a new vision of 'virtual production everywhere', leading to the Jetset iOS app.

Tara Macken is an Emmy-nominated stunt performer, actress, fight coordinator, and stunt coordinator with over 15 years of experience in film and television. Over the past five years, she has been closely involved in technology testing and R&D with Virtual Production Partners, helping evaluate and advance emerging virtual production and full-stack filmmaking workflows from a hands-on, on-set perspective.

Her work spans some of the industry’s most technically ambitious franchises, including Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Batman, Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, Furious 7, Mortal Kombat, and A Quiet Place Part II, as well as television series such as Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Stunt Performance), Westworld, Love Death and Robots, Hawaii Five-0, and Supergirl. Across features and episodic work, Tara operates at the intersection of performance, safety, previs, and virtual production—bringing a practitioner’s perspective to how real-time tools and emerging pipelines can better support physical storytelling in modern production. Learn more at Tara's IMdB.

Henry Mountain is a VFX and digital production specialist whose work bridges cutting-edge technology and cinematic storytelling. Born and raised in the greater London area, he earned a BA in 3D Animation from the University of Hertfordshire before beginning his career at Pinewood Studios, where he led LiDAR scanning and photogrammetry for digital doubles on major motion pictures. His credits include blockbuster films such as Barbie, Aquaman, The Batman, and Dune.

Henry later joined Warner Bros., where he supported Pierre Bohanna and played a key role in establishing the studio’s digital capture and 3D printing department. In 2023, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he founded Hertford Haus, a specialized studio focused on advanced 3D services, digital modeling, and technical consulting. Through his work in the U.S., Henry has partnered with Leica Geosystems, foundries, and leading film productions, continuing to shape how emerging technologies are integrated into the future of visual effects.

Alden Peters is a boundary-pushing writer-director and VFX artist working at the intersection of speculative fiction, queer identity, and immersive worldbuilding. His work often blends emotionally grounded, character-driven storytelling with technical fluency in virtual production and VFX, giving him a unique ability to manifest ideas independently.

Alden created the sci-fi world of Friends of Sophia in a 25-minute short film and a 7-episode series. The film is streaming on Dust after playing at film festivals in London, New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Antwerp. In 2024 it won the Silver Collision Award for excellence in animation and visual effects. His short comedy Femme, now streaming on Revry, was shown at over 40 film festivals worldwide.

Alden’s documentary feature Coming Out was acquired by Wolfe Releasing after winning multiple audience and grand jury awards on its international film festival run. It is streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

Alden is a graduate of the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

www.aldenpeters.com

As Senior Systems Design Engineer, Jesse Rosen is responsible for designing end-to-end solutions that bring cinema technology to Integration customers. Whether it’s cameras and lenses, LED volumes or robotics, he strives to make the latest technological innovations accessible to clients regardless of their background.

Jesse served as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) for Simplemente in Mexico City from 2022-2025, where he concentrated on making LED volume-based virtual production more efficient and easier.

Previously, Jesse was the Director of Technical Development at AbelCine, leading product development and in-house engineering. Key projects included a remote control for Phantom high-speed cameras, a motorized resolution analysis chart system, and software for color matching disparate cameras.

Prior to coming to work at AbelCine, Jesse was a client, purchasing an Aaton Super 16 camera, with which he filmed the acclaimed independent film Trans. He has also worked on many other film and television projects, including Martin Scorsese’s blues documentary, Lightning in a Bottle.

Mark Russell is a director, visual effects supervisor and writer who has worked with some of the most influential filmmakers in the world over the past three decades.

Most recently, Mark supervised the VFX of The Bride! (2026), directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal for Warner Brothers. Prior to that he directed the visual effects unit and supervised VFX for The Instigators (on AppleTV), directed by Doug Liman.

His other credits include In the Heights, directed by Jon M. Chu, The Time Traveler’s Wife for HBO, JC Chandor’s Triple Frontier and A Most Violent Year, The Promise with director Terry George, Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and Synecdoche, NY with writer-director Charlie Kaufman. In addition, he supervised VFX on The Adjustment Bureau, Tower Heist, Please Give, The Europa Report, and the Sundance-award-winning film The Sleep Dealer.

Mark began his career in film production in Los Angeles, working on groundbreaking films such as Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, and AI: Artificial Intelligence.

russelling.com

Roberto Schaefer, A.S.C., AIC is a BAFTA-nominated cinematographer who began his film career in Europe working for Martin Scorsese, Joe Pykta and Nestor Almendros. He eventually moved to Los Angeles to shoot for Director Chris Guest. Schaefer shot classic films for Guest such as Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and For Your Consideration.

Soon thereafter, Schaefer and Director Marc Forster began an extensive collaboration, shooting nine films together including Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction, Stay, The Kite Runner, Quantum of Solace, and Machine Gun Preacher. Schaefer has also collaborated with a variety of other directors including Lee Daniels for 2012's The Paperboy, Andrew Niccol for 2013's The Host, Don Cheadle for 2015's Miles Ahead, and Gideon Raff for 2019's Red Sea Diving Resort.

Other recent credits include 2021's Creation Stories directed by Nick Moran for Burning Wheel Productions and 2019's Rattlesnake directed by Zak Hilditch for Netflix.

Roberto was invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in 2006, and the Association of Italian Cinematographers (AIC) in 2015. From 2016 until 2019, he served on the Board of Governors of the ASC. Since 2019, he has been on the IMAGO Technical Committee and since 2020, has been a member of the IMAGO Board of Governors.

Learn more at Roberto's IMdB.

Geoff Smith joined AbelCine in 2015 as a Camera Technology Specialist with a focus on workflows from capture to post-production. He holds a certification in DaVinci Resolve and has a wide range of knowledge in LUT creation, ACES color pipelines, and HDR workflows. He also freelances as a DIT for AbelCine production projects. He has been a technical editor of AbelCine's blog since 2017.

Geoff has a background in technology from web development to content management at companies like VMware, Lucasfilm and Silicon Graphics (SGI). Prior to joining AbelCine, he worked on an independent feature as a DIT and Assistant Editor. A passionate photographer, his editorial and fine art work has been published in newspapers and magazines, as well as exhibited in New York City and online.

Originally from New York, Geoff graduated from California State University, Chico earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Design with an emphasis in Media Arts.

Elijah Welch is the President of Lightcraft.

Lightcraft is reimagining how major works get made so the next generation of filmmakers can create with or without the studio system. Go from script to screen without anyone’s permission. Shoot in your living room or a big production stage. Create elaborate scenes with tiny budgets. Make it like Hollywood – without the complexity or cost. Learn more at lightcraft.pro.

Drawing on over a decade of experience in the conventional filmmaking space across documentary, commercial and narrative projects, director, shooter, and producer Joshua Zimmerman brings a wholistic creative perspective to the rapidly evolving immersive content landscape. As one of the first freelancers trained to shoot Apple Immersive Video, he has spent the past several years working on a wide variety of productions in collaboration with Apple’s Immersive Camera Group.

With the release of the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera opening new opportunities, Josh joined a team of similarly trained immersive production professionals to form Kovert Immersive Group. Born from real-world field experience and honed in high-pressure environments, Kovert empowers bold storytelling by utilizing world-class tools and techniques to bring our clients’ immersive concepts to life — with clarity, efficiency, and a competitive edge.