Disguise is a creative platform powering major live entertainment from Taylor Swift to U2 and beyond. LED volume stages also leverage Disguise for virtual production. Addy Ghani, Fernando Kufer, and Tom Rockhill from Disguise join us in this special expanded episode of the Virtual Production podcast. Follow Noah Kadner on Linkedin.

Kenneth Nakada is the Head of Virtual Production Operations at Amazon Studios. He was instrumental in Amazon’s efforts to build an LED volume in Hollywood, which became one of the largest in North America when it opened in 2022. Before Amazon, Nakada worked as a visual effects supervisor and artist on movies like Avatar, The Matrix Revolutions, Terminator 3, and X-Men. But a far earlier special effects film got him interested in filmmaking as a career. 

Pinar Seyhan Demirdag is an AI director, multidisciplinary artist, and opinion leader originally from Turkey. In 2020, she founded Seyhan Lee with renowned advertising executive Gary Koepke. Demirdag is on the cutting edge of generative AI and exploring how it can enhance virtual production workflows. Her current project is Cuebric, a generative AI tool for creating virtual production environments instantly.  

Paul Debevec is the Director of Research for Creative Algorithms and Technology at Netflix. A pioneer in new techniques such as photogrammetry and image-based lighting, Debevec's work formed the basis of breakthrough visual effects for movies like The Matrix, Spider-Man, and Avatar.

Emma Needell is an independent writer/director. Her screenwriting skills caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey, who came on to produce her script, The Water Man when Needell was 24 years old. She also completed a short film, Life Rendered, using Unreal Engine and motion capture virtual production techniques which played at the Tribeca Film festival.

The Netflix mystery series 1899 is set on a migrant steamship on the high seas and was shot in a giant LED volume in Germany. Writer/producer Jantje Friese and producer/director Baran bo Odar created the show with collaborators, including director of photography Nikolaus Summerer and production designer Udo Kramer. In this special episode, we speak with both Summerer and Kramer about their experiences. 

Erik Weaver is a specialist focused on the intersection of cloud computing and the media and entertainment industry. He's currently the director of the Entertainment Technology Center's Adaptive Production project and special projects in Los Angeles. That means he gets to test out new technologies and report to the major movie studios on his findings.

Brett Leonard is an American film director, producer, and music video director specializing in science fiction and horror. He also hosts a podcast called What the F is the Metaverse. One of Leonard's first films, The Lawnmower Man, is considered the first significant movie to feature virtual reality as a cautionary tale long before our present fascination with all things virtual production. 

Alex Proyas is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He's best known for directing films like The Crow, Dark City, I Robot, Knowing, and Gods of Egypt. A longtime master of visual effects wizardry, Proyas is currently in pre-production on a horror movie to be shot in an LED volume. The Virtual Production podcast is brought to you by Puget Systems and Blackmagic Design. Please visit Abel Cine and The Virtual Company for all your virtual production needs.  

Clayton Jacobson is an award-winning producer/director/writer whose experience spans commercials, documentaries, online content, music videos, and feature films. His debut comedy feature Kenny was a highly acclaimed box office hit, winning the 2006 IF Awards for Best Feature Film and Best Script, and the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Original Screenplay. Jacobson is the founder and CEO of Dreamscreen Australia, Melbourne's largest LED volume. 

Casey Schatz is a veteran of virtual production techniques for motion pictures and television. His credits include Avatar, Game of Thrones, Avengers: Age of Ultron,  The Martian, and more. As Head of Virtual Production at The Third Floor, Schatz promotes the design and use of on-set simulcam. 

Tim Moore is a three-time Emmy award-winning director and founder of Diamond View Studios, a creative video agency headquartered in Florida. In 2021, Moore co-founded Vū Technologies, a Virtual Studio Network with LED volumes that can work in tandem over the internet. He is also the author of "Sold On Purpose," a comprehensive guide to purpose-driven marketing, and the founder of the Tampa Foundation, a non-profit focused on inspiring communities through positive public messaging.

Kim Libreri began his film career as a software developer for the London-based Computer Film Company. He's known for his work on Super 8, Space Jam, Mission Impossible, and The Matrix trilogy. He also worked at Industrial Light and Magic for several years. Libreri currently serves as Chief Technology Officer for Epic Games. 

Connie Kennedy began her career as a Location Manager and Unit Production Manager on various feature films in Canada. She was also an Executive Producer for Profile Studios with a focus on performance capture both for features and videogames. Her credits include Van Helsing, Halo 5, Avengers: Endgame, and The Mandalorian. Kennedy currently heads the L.A. Studio for Epic Games as well as helping with the Unreal Engine Fellowship.

Rob Bredow is the Chief Creative Officer of Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company founded by George Lucas. Bredow is responsible for the company’s overall creative strategy, technology roadmap, PR, and Marketing. His credits include Independence Day, Godzilla, Stuart Little, Cast Away, Surf’s Up, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, and others.

Darren Hendler oversees Digital Domain’s Digital Human Group as director. Darren’s team leads the industry in advancements in motion capture, machine learning, and real-time platforms. His credits include Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War, overseeing the creation of Thanos. Other feature films include Beauty and the Beast, FF7, Maleficent, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Golden Compass. 

Dr. Rosanne Limoncelli is the Director of Production for Film and New Media at the Kanbar Institute, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Sang-Jin Bae is a senior producer and supervising technical director specializing in commercial and...

Wes Ball is a film director, visual effects artist, and graphic artist. He created a 7-minute short film called A Work in Progress which won a Bronze Medal from the Student Academy Awards in 2003. Ball is also known for directing The Maze Runner trilogy...

Producer Christina Lee Storm founded Asher XR, a provider of strategic development, planning, creation, and implementation for virtual production, mixed reality, AR, and VR content. As Vice President at DreamWorks Animation, she led the Advanced...

Sam Nicholson, ASC is a veteran visual effects supervisor and cinematographer. He founded Stargate Studios a visual effects company always on the cutting edge of virtual production techniques. His credits include Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Max...

Our guest is Matt Workman. Matt Workman is a cinematographer who has filmed music videos for artists like Justin Bieber, 50 Cent, and Diddy and commercials for brands like Facebook, Google, BMW, and L’Oreal.  Matt’s current focus is combining...

Our guest is virtual production pioneer: Robert Legato, ASC, an award-winning cinematographer, and visual effects supervisor. His credits include Star Trek, Apollo 13, Titanic, Avatar, and The Lion King.

This is a sneak preview of Virtual Production, a new podcast all about the technology and business behind the innovative filmmaking world of virtual production.