Digital animation, effects, animation and games conference AnimfxNZ has announced additional speakers in a line-up that already includes Academy Award winners and visionaries from the creative digital industries. The addition of Harrison Ellenshaw, David Scammell, Joshua Greer and Patrick von Sychowski gives the conference specialists in the latest cinematic technologies including 3D cinema, digital film and effects.
"The speakers for this year's show are at the forefront of digital creation, developing technology and techniques that will further the visions of tomorrow's filmmakers, game developers and visual artists," said Jos Ruffell, Chairman of the New Zealand Games, Animation and Visual Effects Trust (NZGAV), the organizing body behind Animfx. "AnimfxNZ is the event for anyone interested in the state of the art and convergence of VFX, games and digital film."
Under the theme, "Where Creative Convergence Begins," AnimfxNZ is bringing together leaders from the four major creative digital mediums to share ideas and further the creation of digital entertainment. AnimfxNZ will take place November 14-16, in Wellington New Zealand and present a line-up of keynotes and panels that feature the brightest minds in digital media today. Registration is now open with early bird pricing set at $675 (New Zealand) until October 14, after which the price goes to $790 (New Zealand).
Harrison Ellenshaw joined Walt Disney Studios as a matte artist, moonlighted to render a number of paintings for STAR WARS, and then oversaw the matte department on THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at Industrial Light and Magic. Later, upon his return to Disney in 1989 for DICK TRACY, Ellenshaw headed Disney Studios' effects facility: Buena Vista Visual Effects. He has been nominated for an Academy Award along with his father, Peter Ellenshaw, for special visual effects work on THE BLACK HOLE.
David Scammell is the president and CEO, Sohonet. Throughout his career he has been responsible for introducing innovative technology to the film and television industry. During his tenure at Quantel, Scammell was responsible for introducing the first digital effects products and animation tools like Harry and Henry. He was also responsible for the first digital products for the film industry, and spent considerable time internationally exploring the development and future opportunities in this arena. In 2003, Scammell successfully led a management buyout of Sohonet, and since then has dramatically expanded the operation into a true global operation with offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, London and Pinewood Studios, providing clients with access to the world's most extensive global media community. Scammell is a member of the VES, BAFTA, and a Fellow of the BKSTS. He was responsible for the successful BKSTS VFX seminars in London, and spent 1998 on secondment to the U.K. government setting up the British Film Office in Los Angeles.
Joshua Greer brings more than 20 years of experience architecting groundbreaking digital technologies to his position as co-founder and president of RealD, which is creating the standard for the delivery of premium 3-D visual experiences for entertainment and other industries. Greer's passion for 3-D was ignited while working with Academy Award winner James Cameron on GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS when Greer designed the first all-digital 3-D projection system for WALDEN MEDIA, an entertainment studio co-founded by Greer and backed by Phil Anschutz. Based on the audience's enthusiastic response to the film, he decided to focus his career on stereoscopic digital projection, ultimately leading to the creation of RealD. Prior to his work with Walden Media, Greer served as president of Digital Domain New Media, and co-founder of Digital Planet in 1994. Under Greer's leadership as chairman and CEO, Digital Planet launched the first-ever web-based movie site for MGM's feature film Stargate. Greer is currently working with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers studying issues facing deployment of 3-D in the digital cinema universe.
Patrick von Sychowski is COO of Adlabs Digital Cinema, which is the first to roll out DCI-grade digital cinema in the world's largest film and cinema market. Von Sychowski has been covering and working in the digital cinema industry for close to ten years, starting as a Senior Analyst for U.K.-based media research company Screen Digest, where he pioneered coverage of the nascent field. As a consultant he was involved in the setting up of several pioneering efforts, such as the U.K. Film Council's Digital Screen Network, the Digital Test Bed in London and NORDIC (Norway's Digital Interoperability in Cinemas). He founded and edited the popular E-Cinema Alert newsletter for several years. More recently von Sychowski worked as director of business development for Unique Digital and Deluxe Europe, where he set up both companies' European digital cinema operations. Von Sychowski is a frequent public speaker and writer who also blogs on mydigitalcinema.blogspot.com and celluloidjunkie.com.
AnimfxNZ 2008 has already announced Barrie Osborne, Carolyn Soper, Howard Postley, Jeff Okun, Habib Zargarpour, Joseph Olin, Tim Willits, Henry LaBounta and Mario Wynands as speakers at this year's conference.
