Alexis Nelson, co-founder and executive producer of Hoax Films, will take part in a panel discussion focused on careers in digital media in an event hosted by the Los Angeles chapter of ACM SIGGRAPH and Otis College of Art and Design. “Careers in Digital Media 2014” will feature managers and recruiters from some of the visual effects industry’s leading companies. They will offer insights into the career outlook in games, broadcast, television, film and other media, and provide the inside scoop into where the jobs are and where they aren’t.
ACM SIGGRAPH’s Careers in Digital Media will be held on January 21, in the Forum of Ahmanson Hall on the campus of Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.
Hoax Films, co-founded by Nelson and VFX director Rick Sander in 2010, is one of the industry’s bright, young stars that are helping to lead it into the future. The boutique studio is involved in a broad range of projects from feature films and television to commercials and new media, and is the recipient of numerous awards for creative excellence. Its credits include music videos for Britney Spears, Katie Perry and Willow Smith, broadcast campaigns for The Smurfs and Game of Thrones, and the Spike TV series Deadliest Warrior.
“The visual effects industry is at a crossroads,” says Nelson. “U.S. producers face increased competition both at home and abroad, and must be nimble, innovative and forward-thinking in order to succeed. The artists we hire need to fit that paradigm. We seek artists who are flexible, multi-disciplinary and driven to excel.”
Other panelists will include Stan Szmanski, President, Stanley Vision; Claudia Franco, Staffing Manager, Neversoft; Ken Maruyama, Vice President, Recruiting & Academic Relations/Animation Artist Management, Sony Pictures Imageworks; Ludovico Marenzi, Managing Director, West Coast, MackeVision; and Rachelle Lewis, Recruiter, Rachelle Lewis Talent. The panel will be moderated by Kathleen Milnes, Assistant Chair, Digital Media, at Otis, who also produced the event.
Not yet 30, Nelson has been recognized industry-wide as an emerging and innovative leader. She began her career at Motion Theory, where she was involved in projects for Buick, Heineken, Tanqueray and John Hancock. She served as Visual Effects Producer for Deadliest Warrior, Spike TV’s most popular series, supervising a team of 30 artists. She also managed graphics, animation and visual effects departments for the Discovery series Bad Universe.
At Warner Bros., Nelson led CG production on short films for the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She is currently producing environmental films for SustainUS, a civil society group of United States delegates who are participating in the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Meeting of the 19th Conference of Parties. She holds a degree in Design Media Arts from UCLA and is a member of Women in Film.
What: Careers in Digital Media 2014
Sponsor: LA ACM SIGGRAPH
When: Tuesday, January 21st, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Where: Otis College of Art and Design, Ahmanson Hall
Cost: LA ACM SIGGRAPH members, free; non-members $20
Information: http://la.siggraph.org/events/title/careers-digital-media-2014
Hoax Films http://www.hoaxfilms.com/