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: Rogue One, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, picking up work in AR and VR along the way.

Ian talks through his career and the technology that has helped define it, from the obscenely expensive days of Quantel’s PaintBox and Harry systems, to today’s cheap and accessible VFX software and systems. He gives an interesting update on the state of AR and VR systems, which are undergoing a mini-resurgence thanks to Apple’s Vision Pro and Microsoft’s AI integration in its AR systems. Ian also shares advice about the industry, including the pros and cons of profit sharing.

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 London as a newbie at the iconic Moving Picture Company to working on the epic Avatar and Gravity, Gary’s journey is nothing short of legendary. He spills the beans on how he helped bring Hollywood’s wildest dreams to life using mind-blowing tech like in-camera visual effects and LED walls that turn movie sets into living, breathing worlds.

But the magic doesn’t stop there. As the VP of Virtual Production at Nant Studios, Gary shares insider secrets on the next big thing in virtual production — modular, moveable LED volumes that can transform on the fly. And if you’ve ever wondered how these cinematic spells can save big bucks, Gary’s got some surprising answers that might just change how you think about movie magic.

Whether you’re a film buff, a tech geek, or just someone who loves a good story, this episode is packed with excitement, innovation, and a glimpse into the future of filmmaking that you won’t want to miss.

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 characters.

Together, Alex and Tim have established Mod Tech Labs, bringing together their expertise for a new generation of visual content creation. Their tools make it easy to work across platforms — from games to movies, and from LED walls to smartwatches — while maintaining high visual fidelity. Alex and Tim talk about what Mod Tech Labs is doing differently, how they’re making use of cutting-edge tech such as USD and AI, and how their approach could reduce the huge costs of virtual production.

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 including Independence Day, Titanic, and The Day After Tomorrow, and picking up two Emmy awards.

Today, Erick is leveraging his experience behind the scenes with Global Objects, a company set up to create astonishingly accurate digital twins of real-world things for use in everything from real-time to machine learning. Erick discusses his career and how the VFX industry is still facing familiar challenges, and he gives his thoughts on promising new technology in VFX, including USD, MaterialX, NeRFs, Gaussian Splats, real-time rendering, and artificial intelligence.