The Spark Cast

By The Spark podcast is a production of the Spark Computer Graphics Society.

The Spark podcast is a bi-weekly show exploring the creativity, technology, and business of CG.

The show is produced by the Spark Computer Graphics Society. Fore more about Spark, visit sparkcg.org... more

FAQs about The Spark Cast:

How many episodes does The Spark Cast have?

The podcast currently has 77 episodes available.

The Spark Cast episodes:

November 16, 2023S05E16: Brian Leif Hansen: Cooking Up Animation
Growing up on a dairy farm in Denmark, Brian Leif Hansen
assumed he’d spend his life living near where he grew up,
perhaps a farmer himself, but the universe had other ideas for
him.

While a love for puppets and animation was always with him,
that didn’t seem like a viable option for a career so he did
the next best thing and trained to be a chef. While he didn’t
realize it then, that early training prepared him for the life
of an animator: building stamina, and cultivating an eye for
precision and detail.

Leaving behind a successful career in the kitchen, at 24
Brian took a leap and enrolled in a program at the
world-renowned Animation Workshop and the rest, as they say,
is history.

In our conversation, Brian shares memories of growing up on a
farm and takes us through his whirlwind, if short-lived,
career in the culinary arts. He then shares his animation path
and how he applied lessons learned throughout his career to
tackle his biggest challenge: Guillermo del Toro’s
Pinocchio.

Episode Links
Website

IMDb

LinkedIn

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · The Little Dev Shop · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
1h 2min
October 19, 2023S05E15: Audrea Topps Harjo: Master of Chaos
From the moment she learned to read, Audrea Topps Harjo has
been a creator, first turning words into worlds in her mind,
and then sharing those stories she loved so much with her
family as a performer. Her passion led her to filmmaking in
various forms, from telling her own stories in her own voice
as a director, to helping other creators bring their visions
to life.

A skilled problem solver with a knack for breaking down
complicated problems and navigating complex work environments,
Audrea has made a name for herself as someone you can turn to
when you need help, be it setting up something new or stepping
in to bring teams into alignment.

From Washington, DC, to LA, New Zealand and back, Audrea has
not only worked everywhere but she’s also worked with everyone
and in our conversation, she shares insights into her career,
from the early days of working at Sony Pictures Imageworks to
adventures at Electronic Arts and Lightstorm
Entertainment. Along the way, she discusses culture shock,
“otherness,” and how taking risks has been a cornerstone of
her career.

Episode Links
Inclusion FX

Inclusion FX Instagram

Instagram

X

YouTube

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
1h 12min
October 05, 2023S05E14: Athomas Goldberg: Experience Maker
Starting as a lighter and later designer for concerts and
plays in New York City, Athomas Goldberg never imagined
he’d be at the forefront of a new form of entertainment
but curiosity, necessity and a willingness to take chances
have led him to exactly that: a new frontier where live
entertainment and technology meet.

From the early days of experimenting with Ken Perlin at
NYU’s Media Research Lab, Athomas saw the possibility for
technology and performance to converge. While not
immediately apparent, each new career experience was
another step in bringing the two disparate disciplines
together.

Throughout our conversation, Athomas shares the
excitement and challenges of his time at the Media
Research Lab and how that led to him being an Artist in
Residence to a researcher. We also explore how his work
and career coincided with the rise of various
technologies, from mocap to real-time rendering, that have
shaped the work he does today and he shares some insight
into the future of this new form of storytelling.

Episode Links
Shocap Entertainment

Pepper’s Ghost Media

Lifelike and Believable

LinkedIn

Facebook

YouTube

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG ·
Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic · Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX ·
The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
57min
September 21, 2023 S05E13: Athena Georgaklis - Taking Leaps
Growing up a child of the 80s, Athena Georgaklis loved
cartoons and while she knew she wanted to work in film,
her career in animation came almost by chance after taking
a job as an assistant at the then-fledgling Teletoon. Once
she realized that animation was what she wanted to do with
her life, there was no turning back.

With a willingness to learn and take on new challenges,
Athena rose to the role of Director of Programming at
Teletoon before making another big leap and leaving behind
the world of acquisitions for the world of creation, first
as Head of Development at Nelvana Studios and most
recently, as Vice President.

With a career that spans many aspects of project creation
from, development to delivery, Athena has seen and
experienced it all: from early morning pitch meetings gone
wrong to delivering projects with lasting impact. In our
conversation, Athena shares insights into the ups and
downs of content creation, management in a post-pandemic
world, the importance of believing in yourself and your
work, and she provides invaluable tips and advice for
content creators selling their work.

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE:
Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine ·
Industrial Light & Magic · Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:
Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX ·
The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
53min
September 07, 2023S05E12: JM Blay — Art is a Lifestyle
Hailing from a family with a long history of artists, JM
Blay seemed destined to enter the art world. As if
predestined, once he started drawing, he never
stopped.

His love of art developed into a fascination with
photography and movement. Unbeknownst to him, JM had
stumbled into the world of motion design and his “weird
fascination” became the cornerstone of his career.

JM’s versatile, unpretentious approach to creative
collaboration has served him well, leading to a 20+ year
career and collaborations on everything from film to music
videos; working with major brands from around the globe
including Netflix, Adidas, Doritos, Paul McCartney, and
Lady Gaga among many others.

In this candid conversation, JM shares insights into the
world and history of motion design and how AI is
disrupting the status quo. Along the way, he also shares
valuable tips on working with difficult clients, staying
creative, and finding a work/life balance.

Episode Links
Website

LinkedIn

IMDb

Instagram

Facebook

X

Behance

Vimeo

Blay Studio

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE:
Atomic Cartoons · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic ·
Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:
Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX ·
The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media ·
Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
1h
August 17, 2023S05E11: Debi Wong — Disruptive Tendencies
Technology. Innovation. Interactive. Disruptive. These are not terms generally
associated with opera but for Debi Wong and her team at re:Naissance Opera,
these words are at the core of what they do. But how does one go from studying
classical music at Yale School of Music and Sibelius-Akatemia to creating
operas in VR?

For Debi, it's simply in her nature. A disruptor at her core, she's always
pushed the envelope of tradition, asking “why” at every opportunity but it
was the discovery of early Baroque opera and the spirit of innovation present
in the early days of the art form that inform her work.

In our conversation, Debi takes us on an insider's journey through her career,
from the early days of discovering that music was something you could do for
a living to how her love for video games informed her first VR project and
she shares insights into how failing doesn't necessarily mean failure.

Episode Links
Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE:
Atomic Cartoons · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic ·
Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:
Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX ·
The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media ·
Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
54min
August 03, 2023S05E10: Henrique Reginato — Seize Opportunity
Henrique Reginato was always artistically inclined but he came to visual storytelling
through, of all things, radio.

After a series of false starts, Henrique found himself far from home and family at
Vancouver Film School. The goal was simple: finish the program, return to Brazil
and start a career but the universe had other plans and instead, Henrique found
himself working and settling down in Vancouver.

After years of working in studios, Henrique ventured out on his own in 2020 and
launched NOX Visual Effects, a visual effects bureau with a focus on compositing
but being "the boss" sometimes means making mistakes. In our candid conversation,
Henrique shares valuable tips on surviving contract work, the importance of
networking and mentorship, and insight into launching a business.

Episode Links
LinkedIn

Website

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE:
Atomic Cartoons · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic ·
Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:
Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX ·
The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media ·
Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
1h 6min
July 20, 2023S05E09: Brenda Chapman — Perpetual Storyteller
Growing up the youngest of five in rural Illinois, Brenda
Chapman's passion for drawing was encouraged by her mother.
Working her way through school, Brenda began her formal
studies at Illinois College before applying and being rejected
by CalArts.

Brenda did eventually make it to CalArts where she met Joe Ranft,
an encounter that changed the trajectory of her career.

Over the course of this conversation, Brenda shares her experience
in the industry, from her first animation job on Hulk Hogan's Rock
'n' Wrestling and early career at Disney, writing and directing the
Oscar®-winning Brave, the importance of mentorship, and how she
stays creative.

Episode Links
LinkedIn

Website

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix · Tickfilm.

KILOBYTE:
Atomic Cartoons · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic ·
Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:
Animasia BC · BRON · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX ·
The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media ·
Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH · SIGGRAPH Asia.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
56min
June 22, 2023S05E08: Alain Chesnais — Lifelong Innovator
Math always came easily to Alain Chesnais, something he partially
attributes to genes. That ease has lent itself well to his career,
helping him navigate studies in math, science, and eventually computing.

Working with groundbreaking computer scientist Henri Gouraud
greatly impacted the trajectory of Alain's career, in part by
introducing him to computer graphics.

Alain has devoted his career to innovation and research, and
some of his achievements include the development of Maya, a tool
that is now widely used in the CG industry, as well as TrendSpottr,
a predictive analytics tool for social media.

In our conversation with Alain, he shares insights into his
career including his work with SIGGRAPH and how he played an
instrumental role in the launch of SIGGRAPH Asia. He also shares
tips on being an effective leader, and provides insight into
emerging trends he is most excited about.

Episode Links
LinkedIn

Facebook

Website

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix · Tickfilm.

KILOBYTE:
Atomic Cartoons · BRON · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic ·
Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:
Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX ·
The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
1h 15min
June 08, 2023S05E07: Elizabeth Baron — Driving Change
Elizabeth Baron fell in love with computing at an early
age, a passion that led her to study computer science at
Eastern Michigan University. Hailing from a self-proclaimed
"Ford Family," Elizabeth began her career at the car
manufacturer shortly after graduation and over the years
moved around various departments, eventually running Ford's
Immersive Virtual Environment Lab, a lab she also helped to create.

In our conversation with Elizabeth, she recounts her early
years at Ford and the challenges and achievements of her career
at the company, being awarded the Dr. Haren Gandhi Research
and Innovation Award, her passion for SIGGRAPH, the challenge
of starting a new career after 30 years with the same company,
and she shares some insights into what she believes to be the
challenges of immersive technologies.

Episode Links
LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Unity

Host: Marina Antunes
Opening & Closing Credits by: Michael Edlund
Produced & Edited by: Joshua Peterman
©2023 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix · Tickfilm.

KILOBYTE:
Atomic Cartoons · BRON · Doberman Pictures · DNEG · Image Engine · Industrial Light & Magic ·
Mainframe Studios · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE:
Animasia BC · CMPA BC · Digi BC · NOX VFX · Rotomaker · Scanline VFX ·
The Little Dev Shop · Vancouver Film School · Versatile Media · Walt Disney Animation Studios · Wētā FX

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
58min

FAQs about The Spark Cast:

How many episodes does The Spark Cast have?

The podcast currently has 77 episodes available.

More shows like The Spark Cast

Science Friday

6,068 Listeners

The Daily

111,123 Listeners

Share The Spark Cast

Sign up to save your podcasts

The Spark Cast

FAQs about The Spark Cast:

How many episodes does The Spark Cast have?

The Spark Cast episodes:

FAQs about The Spark Cast:

How many episodes does The Spark Cast have?

More shows like The Spark Cast

Science Friday

The Daily