VFX Techniques Uncovered – Blending Experience and Technology
Session Description:
Visual effects has always been a mix of artistry and ingenuity. In these talks, Weta Digital presents their latest technical innovations and the artists who used them to create films that enthralled global film audiences with their stunning visual effects.
Session Day and Time: 19 October 3:00pm-5:00pm
Length: 120 minutes
Format: 3 x 30 minute production talks followed by a moderated, live 30 minute Q&A
Chair Bio:
Dave Gougé (Weta Digital. Head of Marketing & Publicity)
As Head of Marketing, Dave is in charge of managing Weta Digital's reputation.
Dave ensures that the groundbreaking work and innovative technologies produced at Weta Digital, and the artists who create them, are recognised for their excellence. As part of this, he and his team work with journalists, media outlets and professional organisations around the world to highlight the company's achievements. In addition to international film activities, Dave manages Weta Digital's profile as a significant technology and entertainment company in New Zealand.
Dave joined Weta Digital in 2010 after working as Autodesk’s Senior Brand Manager for Media and Entertainment. Prior to Autodesk, he worked for over a decade in advertising and integrated marketing for technology and consumer brands. Dave serves on the New Zealand Board of the Visual Effects Society and is an active speaker and event organiser in the entertainment technology space.
Guy Williams, Weta Digital, Visual Effects Supervisor
Three-time Academy Award® nominee Guy Williams has supervised some of Weta Digital’s most challenging and ground-breaking projects. With over twenty years of experience in visual effects, Guy collaborates with filmmakers to realise their storytelling vision at every stage of the VFX process. His latest project was The Suicide Squad, which released this August.
Luke Millar, Weta Digital, Visual Effects Supervisor
Luke joined Weta Digital in 2009 to work on James Cameron’s Avatar. He has gone on to work on some of Weta Digital’s most iconic films, including The Hobbit trilogy and War for the Planet of the Apes—which won him an HPA Award for Outstanding Visual Effects—and recently wrapped as Visual Effects Supervisor on Disney’s Jungle Cruise.
Karl Rapley, Weta Digital, Animation Supervisor
As an Animation Supervisor, Karl is responsible for delivering the directors’ creative vision for the performance of CG characters and creatures. He works closely with filmmakers and the VFX Supervisor to determine the aesthetic and technical approach to all animation and character performances. He also ensures the animation team has the technical and creative resources they need to produce high-quality animation, pre-vis, motion-edit, crowds, facial animation, and motion-capture.
Karl joined Weta Digital in 2006 to work in the newly formed pre-vis team on Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s The Adventures of Tintin. Since then, Karl has worked on several key projects for Weta, which after a brief stint in London, included four Marvel films in a row. He was a Lead Animator on Avengers: Infinity War then an Animation Sequence Supervisor on Avengers: Endgame before becoming an Animation Supervisor—first for Black Widow, then for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
