Vancouver Convention Centre | Room 219
10:00 - 10:45 AM
Join Overall VFX Supervisor Michael Ralla and ILM VFX Supervisor Nick Marshall as they reveal how ILM’s most sophisticated work was designed to vanish into the frame. Working from previs and concept art, the generalist team at ILM Vancouver used 3ds Max to create a fully digital, period-accurate Clarksdale train station with a full Pullman train and integrated the results seamlessly into 65mm film footage.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
11:00 - 11:45 AM
In this session, Claudio Gonzalez, Lead Creatures TD at Wētā FX, shares how the team brought “the horde” to life in The Last of Us using Autodesk Maya, including a dynamic wardrobe refitting system, cloth and hair integration with the Loki Solver, and root motion techniques to enhance realism. He also breaks down the canine creature sequence and explains how Wētā’s bodyOpt system enabled fast, late-stage character updates.
Image courtesy of Wētā FX
12:00 - 12:45 PM
OpenUSD is transforming the landscape of visual effects, gaming, and immersive storytelling—enabling real-time collaboration, seamless data exchange, and cross-platform connectivity. Join a panel of technical leaders from Pixar, Epic Games, and DigitalFish as they delve into how OpenUSD breaks down traditional barriers, facilitating smooth interoperability across entire creative ecosystems.
© Disney/Pixar
1:00 - 1:45 PM
Step into Gotham’s underworld and uncover the technical artistry behind the visual effects of HBO’s The Penguin. Join Overall VFX Supervisor Johnny Han and Pixomondo’s VFX Supervisor Nathaniel Larouche for an inside look at how over 3,000 shots were brought to life, from on-set shooting strategies to how Autodesk Flow Production Tracking streamlined the VFX pipeline and kept the team in sync across a complex production landscape.
Image courtesy of HBO and Pixomondo
Vancouver Convention Centre | Room 219
10:00 - 10:45 AM
Join Production VFX Producer, James Alexander and Rising Sun Pictures’ VFX Supervisor, Guido Wolter as they reveal how the team brought Sinners’ iconic twins — Smoke and Stack — to life. Discover the cutting-edge technology behind the illusion, including RSP’s proprietary REVIZE toolkit. Learn how the team preserved the unique performance of Michael B. Jordan while crafting seamless twinning effects, and how the “Halo Rig” played a pivotal role in the creative process.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
11:00 - 11:45 AM
Discover how creators Bad Decisions Studio and JL Mussi are reshaping the digital landscape using Autodesk Flow Studio (formerly Wonder Studio). They’ll demonstrate how they leverage Flow Studio’s AI-powered 3D toolset to streamline their creative workflows and achieve cinematic results without the blockbuster budgets. You’ll learn how to export mocap data, camera tracking, and more into tools like Maya, Unreal Engine, and Blender, giving you total creative control, frame by frame.
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Take flight with Framestore in this behind-the-scenes look at how they translated Toothless, and the beloved animated movie world of Berk, into a live-action spectacle. VFX Supervisor François Lambert explores how the team tackled everything from early visual development to complex flight choreography, imbuing the Night Fury, and supporting Dragons with the added physicality, emotion, and nuanced interaction with the Viking cast, that you would expect in the real world.
Image courtesy of Framestore
1:00 - 1:45 PM
There’s real satisfaction in crafting every subtle move of your character, especially in those hero moments where performance means everything. But building every motion from scratch can drain your time and budget. In this session, learn how to use Maya’s MotionMaker, powered by Autodesk AI. It combines keyframing, motion capture, and machine learning into a single tool. Whether you’re blocking background action or laying the groundwork for hero animation, MotionMaker quickly gives you a strong starting point.
2:00 - 2:45 PM
In today’s fast-paced world of episodic storytelling, balancing quality, speed, and cost is more challenging than ever. Boxel Studio shares how it leveraged Autodesk Flow Studio and its trackerless motion capture system to deliver a high volume of creature animation for Superman & Lois Season 4. Learn how the team approached this challenge from both a creative and production standpoint, using Flow Production Tracking to manage over 600 VFX shots in just five months.
Image courtesy of Boxel Studio
3:00 - 3:45 PM
Dynamic changes are an everyday reality in stop-motion productions. Clear timelines and workflows are key in productions that require an orchestrated collaboration between both analog and digital processes. Join Whitney Schmerber, Art Production Supervisor at ShadowMachine, for a deep dive into how they use Flow Production Tracking & Flow Capture to streamline communications, maximize data organization and forecast into the future to flag disruptions to workflows and company capacities.
Image courtesy of ShadowMachine
4:00 - 4:45 PM
Dive into the intricacies of hero and crowd character development and performance in The Electric State with Liz Bernard, Sr Animation Supervisor at Digital Domain. She will explore the considerations involved in translating Simon Stålenhag's vision from book to screen, including how character design translates into movement, performance, and emotional connection. Gain a deeper understanding of the efforts behind the collaborative act of storytelling through animation.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Digital Domain
