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:

May 19, 2022S04E08: Maisha Moore — Open to Connections
Vancouver-native Maisha Moore has always been creative,
dabbling in everything from sculpture to music. For a time,
she was convinced that she’d be making music for Disney
movies before finding that her passion lay elsewhere,
notably in animation.

After graduating from Capilano University’s 3D program,
she spent a year working outside the industry before landing
a job as a shader and eventually making the transition to
her true calling, design.

We recently spoke with Maisha about learning on the job,
how thinking about the big picture is essential for working
in teams, and how important networking is to career
advancement.

Episode Links
Instagram

Host: Marina Antunes
Produced by: Michael Edlund
©2022 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: AMPD Technologies · Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment · BRON Media Corp. · DNEG · Image Engine · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks.

BYTE: AMD Canada · Animasia Animation · Centre for Digital Media · CMPA BC · DigiBC · Foundry · Ghost VFX · NGX Interactive · NOX VFX · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · Unreal Engine · Versatile Media · Wacom Store Canada.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
45min
April 13, 2022S04E07: Matthew Celestial — Life is PR
If Matthew Celestial has a life mantra, it’s likely “Focus
on the wins.”

A shy kid who came out of his shell in public, Matthew
often found himself at the centre of the group, uniting
friends under a common love for tv and film, but it was his
passion for the stars that led him to attend university to
pursue astronomy. The cosmos had other plans for him.

An encounter while on a practicum led him to make a
connection that changed his life and opened the door to a
career in public relations, first for Paramount Canada before
eventually striking out on his own.

We recently spoke with Matthew about his journey into the
world of PR, the challenges of keeping up with the
ever-changing media landscape, dealing with difficult clients,
and he shares some tips and tricks for individuals looking to
start marketing their brand.

Episode Links
Statement Strategies

Twitter

Instagram

Host: Marina Antunes
Produced by: Michael Edlund
©2022 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: AMPD Technologies · Animal Logic · Capilano
University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment Inc. ·
BRON Studios · DNEG · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures
Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: AMD Canada · Animasia Animation · Centre for Digital
Media · CMPA BC · DigiBC · Foundry · Ghost VFX · NGX
Interactive · NOX VFX · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop ·
Unreal Engine · Versatile Media · Wacom Store Canada.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
51min
April 07, 2022S04E06: Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt — Art, Change & Community
Growing up in Apartheid South Africa, Nosipho Maketo-van
den Bragt recognized that there was something “off” about the
world around her, but it wasn’t until her family moved to
Zimbabwe at the age of 10 that she saw what life could be
like.

Becoming a lawyer was an act of rebellion, a way of
fighting for herself and for her community, but it was the
creation of Chocolate Tribe, the studio she founded with her
husband, that has fully visualized Nosipho’s vision of a
better world, one that is equal, open, vibrant, and
creative.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Nosipho about
being a child in a household of active rebellion, the pressure
of being a woman in a role of authority, and the importance of
making time for yourself.

Episode Links
Chocolate Tribe

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Host: Marina Antunes
Produced by: Michael Edlund
©2022 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: AMPD Technologies · Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment Inc. · BRON Studios · DNEG · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: AMD Canada · Animasia Animation · Centre for Digital Media · CMPA BC · DigiBC · Foundry · Ghost VFX · NGX Interactive · NOX VFX · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · Unreal Engine · Versatile Media · Wacom Store Canada.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
1h 9min
March 17, 2022S04E05: Mike Lasker — Visualizing Imagination
Mike Lasker always knew that he wanted to make things no
one had ever seen before. Curious about early VFX and inspired
by Jurassic Park, The Abyss
and Terminator, Mike found himself at Syracuse
University, studying computer graphics. He eventually landed
in New York City, working on everything from medical animation
and architectural previsualization to commercials before
deciding that he wanted to make movies.

The need to expand his horizons eventually led him to LA
and a job at Sony Pictures Imageworks, where Mike has spent 16
years honing his skills, and doing what he always wanted to
do: make things no one has ever seen before.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Mike about
how his early days in New York prepared him for his move to
Sony, working his way up the studio ranks, and how his passion
for wowing audiences keeps him motivated.

Episode Links
Mike Lasker

Sony Pictures Imageworks

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Host: Marina Antunes
Produced by: Michael Edlund
©2022 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: AMPD Technologies · Animal Logic · Capilano
University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment Inc. ·
BRON Studios · DNEG · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures
Imageworks · WildBrain Studios.

BYTE: AMD · Animasia Animation · Centre for Digital Media ·
CMPA BC · DigiBC · Foundry · Ghost VFX · NGX Interactive · NOX
VFX · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · Unreal Engine ·
Versatile Media · Wacom Store Canada.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
50min
March 03, 2022S04E04: Nagin Cox — Exploring For The Next Generation
At 14, Nagin Cox knew that she wanted to be a space
explorer but being an astronaut was not her main goal. Keenly
aware that the true early explorers were robots, Nagin focused
her energy on becoming an engineer with a dream of working at
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

How does an Indian girl from Kansas City find her way to
being a systems engineer at NASA? With a lot of hard work,
perseverance, and a can-do attitude.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Nagin about
her road to JPL, working remotely on Mars, how technology is
changing her work, and finding balance between her personal
and professional life.

Episode Links
Nagin Cox

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Facebook

Host: Marina Antunes
Produced by: Michael Edlund
©2022 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: AMPD Technologies · Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment Inc. · BRON Studios · DNEG · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks.

BYTE: Animasia Animation Studio · CMPA BC · Centre for Digital Media · DigiBC · Foundry · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · NOX VFX · Unreal Engine · Versatile Media · Wacom Store Canada.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
1h 31min
February 17, 2022S04E03: Isabel Bailin — Searching for the Next Big Thing
Isabel Bailin always knew she wanted to be a creator, but
it wasn’t until she arrived at Barnard College, and had the
opportunity to intern at various networks and studios that she
discovered her passion for finding independent voices.

Now the Director of Development for Frederator Studios, the
company responsible for such hit shows as Adventure
Time and Castlevania, Isabel finds herself in a
position to discover, nurture, and champion creatives.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Isabel about
the career advantage of internships, the changing landscape of
adult animation, and how self-care is crucial to career
development.
Episode Links
LinkedIn

Barnard College

Frederator Studios

Facebook

Twitter

Host: Marina Antunes
Produced by: Michael Edlund
©2022 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to our sponsors!

TERABYTE: Creative BC.

MEGABYTE: AMPD Technologies · Animal Logic · Capilano University · Netflix.

KILOBYTE: Atomic Cartoons · Bardel Entertainment Inc. · BRON Studios · Mainframe Studios · Sony Pictures Imageworks.

BYTE: CMPA BC · Centre for Digital Media · DigiBC · Foundry · Scanline VFX · The Little Dev Shop · NOX VFX · Unreal Engine · Versatile Media · Wacom Store Canada.

PARTNERS: ACM SIGGRAPH.

ORGANIZERS: Spark CG Society · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH.
...more
53min
February 03, 2022S04E02: Ere Santos — Autodidactic Animation Savant
Like many animators, Ere Santos discovered his love for
animation at a young age but rather than wait until he was
“grown-up” to pursue his dream, he started on it
immediately. With a copy of Blender, an animation school
syllabus, and a dream to work at Pixar, eight-year-old Ere was
on his way.

A decade later, Ere found himself standing at the gates of
Pixar for his first day of work.

The journey to working in animation has been long and
challenging but through it all, Ere has persevered, working
through the challenges and rejection to make a career for
himself and now he’s looking ahead to the next stage of his
creative life.

We recently had a chance to speak with Ere about his
self-guided journey to working in animation, inspiration, and
his self-dubbed lofty goals for the future.
Episode Links
Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Host: Marina Antunes
Produced by: Michael Edlund
©2022 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.
...more
51min
January 20, 2022S04E01: David Burgess — Love What You Do
If you were to ask David Burgess about being involved in two of
the three films that are considered “game changers” in modern
animation history, he’ll chalk it up to luck but in reality,
it’s a combination of hard work and a willingness to take
chances: moving to Toronto after college without a job lined up,
moving to LA without a job lined up, leaving Disney for the new
world of CG.

David has always worked and been motivated by the concept of
loving what you do and his career is a testament to his love of
creativity, energy, and new challenges.

A veteran of the industry with 30+ years of experience, David
has worked on some of the biggest movies of our generation
including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Shrek 2,
and Trolls. We recently had a chance to speak with him about his
career, taking chances, and how technology has changed how he
works.
Episode Links
IMDb

David Burgess on LinkedIn

Animal Logic on LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Host: Marina Antunes
Sound & Music: Michael Edlund
©2021 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.
...more
1h 26min
October 27, 2021S03E10: Amir Nasrabadi — Drawn to Creative Fire
Amir Nasrabadi’s love for animation grew out of
watching cartoons as a child: Peanuts, Rocky &
Bullwinkle, and pretty much anything else he could
find on TV, but he never imagined that he’d one day
find himself working in the industry that sparked his
creative passion.

A career in finance seemed like a great idea; it
was stable and as a career counselor told him, “there
will always be a need for accountants,” but after
years of working as an auditor, he followed an inner
instinct to search for something new, and that search
lead him to his first position in the film
industry.

Now with 20+ years of experience, Amir is a veteran
and leader of the industry, having worked at some of
the largest and most respected companies in animation,
including Pixar, Paramount Pictures Animation,
Illumination Entertainment, and Disney.

We recently had a chance to speak with Amir about
his career, taking risks, and how his curiosity has
shaped his work as a leader.
Episode Links
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Amir Nasrabadi

Host: Marina Antunes
Sound & Music: Michael Edlund
©2021 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.
...more
0min
October 13, 2021S03E09: Munkhtsetseg Nandigjav — Educating for the Future
Growing up in Mongolia, Munkhtsetseg “Muunuu” Nandigjav, wanted to be a fashion designer or a lawyer. Though she didn’t ultimately pursue either career, they both influenced her career choice as an educator: she works in a field that mixes the creative and technical and she commands audiences.

Muunuu’s passion for learning and education led her to teach, preparing future creative professionals both as an educator but also as a leader with SIGGRAPH, an organization that she first discovered as a young student.

We recently had a chance to speak with Muunuu about growing up in Mongolia, how online learning is changing education, and her work as Conference Chair for SIGGRAPH 2022.
Episode Links
SIGGRAPH

Munkhtsetseg Nandigjav

Instagram

LinkedIn

Host: Marina Antunes
Sound & Music: Michael Edlund
©2021 Spark CG Society · All Rights Reserved.
...more
0min

FAQs about The Spark Cast:

How many episodes does The Spark Cast have?

The podcast currently has 77 episodes available.

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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