Best Cg Production Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 475 - Liz Hitt - VFX Producer, CBS VFX 1:00:02

1h ago1:00:02

1:00:02

Liz Hitt has worked across VFX departments on some very cool movies — and she’s not stopping there. Beginning at the legendary Dream Quest Images on Deep Rising and Mighty Joe Young, Liz built a name for herself as a talented production coordinator and producer via movies including Hollow Man, Spider-Man, Stealth (with Chris), The Golden Compass, W…

1
The New Types of Acquirers in Health & Wellness, Different Parts Of The Term Sheet That Could Make a Difference In The Exit, and How Deals Get Done with Teddie Townsend from CG Sawaya Partners 1:01:22

8d ago1:01:22

1:01:22

Our guest today is Teddy Townsend of CG Sawaya Partners, as we explore the dynamic world of health and wellness brand acquisitions.Teddy brings her expertise to the table, shedding light on why companies in this vibrant sector pursue mergers and acquisitions, and how different types of buyers, from private equity funds to strategic acquirers, appro…

1
Episode 474 - Junaid Baig - Head of Applied Technology, DNEG 1:14:25

1h ago1:14:25

1:14:25

While most five-year-olds were playing with Legos and Barbies, Junaid Baig was taking his first steps with 3D Max. From this early start, Junaid developed an incredibly in-depth understanding of 3D, lighting, and rendering from working on VFX for movies, including Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Avengers: Endgame, and Venom. Today, Jun…

1
Episode 473 - Dan Ring - Senior Machine Learning Team Lead, Chaos 1:44:00

41m ago1:44:00

1:44:00

Dan Ring is an expert in empowering VFX artists with cutting-edge research. He began his 20-year career by creating tech to analyze surgery videos (so that no one else would have to), then moved to Foundry to develop CopyCat, the Nuke machine-learning tool that applies corrections to sequences based on a small number of frames. Now, Dan has joined …

1
The Fusion of Past & Future Shopping Experiences, Insights from Brand Capital Fund's Consumer VC Benchmarks Report with Diana Melencio at XRC Ventures 1:06:05

14d ago1:06:05

1:06:05

Our guest today is Diana Melencio. Diana manages the entire XRC Ventures investment process across three investment vehicles – Accelerator Fund, Brand Capital Fund, and Opportunity Fund. Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Subscrib…

1
Episode 472 - Phil Galler - Principal & Founder, Lux Machina Consulting 1:01:15

24d ago1:01:15

1:01:15

Phil Galler is a true virtual production guru. From the nuts and bolts of LED screens to the 3D software that provides the imagery to the business decisions and financial trends that help fund this new wave of VFX filmmaking, Phil understands it all. In this podcast, Phil talks about his history in virtual production, beginning with the innovative …

1
Episode 471 - Chris MacLean - Overall VFX Supervisor, “Foundation” 1:07:54

7d ago1:07:54

1:07:54

Chris MacLean’s incredible career in VFX has transported him from documentaries on Cretaceous dinosaurs to the far-flung future for Foundation, Apple TV+’s bold adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s genre-defining sci-fi novels. Along the way, Chris has created and supervised VFX for movies and TV series, including Crimson Peak, Godless, American Gods, Resi…

1
What Consumers Care About in Health & Wellness Products, How Competition Builds New Categories, and Will Ozempic Have an Impact on CPG Demand? with Dayton Miller, BFG Partners 1:00:16

1M ago1:00:16

1:00:16

Our guest today is Dayton Miller, Managing Partner at BFG Partners. BFG Partners help entrepreneurs build exceptional businesses that deliver sustainable growth and outperform competitors in the better-for-you food, beverage, and consumer products space. Their investments include Olipop, Athletic Greens, Caulipower, and Bobo’s. We discuss the infle…

1
Episode 470 - Hugo Guerra - Director, VFX Supervisor, YouTuber, & Podcaster 1:02:49

1M ago1:02:49

1:02:49

Hugo Guerra is the dictionary definition of multitasking. Having taken his eye for compositing into directing short films and commercials, and supervising VFX, Hugo fills his spare time with producing content for his successful YouTube channel and recording the VFX Notes podcast with Ian Failes. If that’s not enough, he’s also produced a cookbook w…

1
Live from SXSW: George Milton and Erin Link – How They Founded Yellowbird Sauce 56:25

1M ago56:25

56:25

Our guest today is George Milton & Erin Link, Founders of YellowBird Foods a Modern Hot Sauce business. We discuss: • How did they get into Whole Foods? • How did they also get into Walmart? • How did their approach to retail expansion? • How did they approach branding and positioning for Yellowbird Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries …

1
Episode 469 - Doug Trumbull, Joe Kosinski & Tim Miller Revisited 59:52

1M ago59:52

59:52

As Chris is tied up with a really cool Chaos project, we’re revisiting some of the older episodes of the CG Garage podcast. And we’re starting big with true luminaries of Hollywood revealing how they got their projects off the ground. First up is Doug Trumbull, the 2001: A Space Odyssey VFX genius who went on to direct Silent Running and continuall…

1
Episode 468 - Alex Yolov & Gosho Genchev — Product Managers, V-Ray for Maya & Houdini 58:04

1M ago58:04

58:04

With V-Ray 6 for Maya and Houdini, update 2, Chaos adds an important feature to its powerful renderer: MaterialX support. With this addition, artists and studios can seamlessly use materials across different DCCs and get identical results, removing many of the pain points of increasingly complicated modern 3D pipelines. In this podcast, V-Ray for M…

1
Episode 467 - Julian Levi - VFX Producer, “The Creator” 1:11:34

2M ago1:11:34

1:11:34

Over his 30-year career, Julian Levi has produced VFX for Hollywood movies, beginning with Braveheart, moving into O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Day After Tomorrow (with Chris), Speed Racer, X-Men: First Class, Prometheus, and many more. Most recently, he helped director Gareth Edwards bring the world of The Creator to life, earning four VES awar…

1
Episode 466 - Tom Grimes - Product Manager, Chaos Corona 1:01:41

2M ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Archviz artists love Chaos Corona. This renderer has become a go-to for visualizing everything from compact kitchens to sky-scraping towers, giving users stunning results straight out of the box. But what’s on the horizon for this popular renderer? In this podcast, Product Manager Tom Grimes discusses what makes Chaos Corona a popular choice for th…

1
Episode 465 - Tram Le-Jones - Vice President Solutions - Creative, Backlight 1:00:36

3M ago1:00:36

1:00:36

Tram Le-Jones has an eye for detail, a people-centric personality, and a passion for computer science — making her perfect for VFX production roles. After getting a job on The Matrix Revolutions via craigslist (no, really), she became a sought-after coordinator and then moved into producing VFX for movies including Spider-Man 3, Tower Heist, and Ex…

1
What Gives a Brand Acquisition Energy with Amrit Richmond 52:17

2M ago52:17

52:17

Our guest today is Amrit Richmond, Founder of Indie CPG since 2019, and has also joined SecureCPG recently We discuss: • What gives a food and drink brand accusation energy? • What are the different profiles of the acquire today? • Why acquire emerging brands? Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries Propeller Industries is the leading stra…

1
Episode 464 - Casey Pyke - Visualization Supervisor, Halon Entertainment 1:06:50

3M ago1:06:50

1:06:50

VFX visualization might just be the closest you can get to being a film director without stepping behind the camera. This technology has become a key part of the VFX process, with previz storyboarding growing into pitchviz (to get movies greenlit), techviz (to figure out logistics), and postviz (to create temporary VFX). It’s an area Casey Pyke has…

1
He Worked with JAY-Z, Was an Olympian, and Now Runs a VC with Samyr Lainé, Founder of Freedom Trail Capital 1:13:20

2M ago1:13:20

1:13:20

Our guest today is Samyr Lainé, an Olympian, an amazing operator who worked with Jay-Z's, Will Smith and Jada Pickett Smith who is now the founder of Freedom Trail Capital. We discuss: • How he trained for the Olympics while being a full time law student • Working at Monumental Sports (owners of the Washington Capitals and Wizards) • Shifting towar…

1
Episode 463 - Richard Crudo, ASC - Cinematographer & Director 1:04:48

3M ago1:04:48

1:04:48

Richard Crudo began his career in New York City, learning from some of the best in the business, including László Kovács and Gordon Willis, and helping shoot movies such as Ghostbusters 2, Raising Arizona, and Broadway Danny Rose. He then served as cinematographer on movies including American Pie, Out Cold, and Brooklyn Rules, as well as television…

1
Episode 462 - Paolo Berto Durante - CEO, J CUBE 1:14:55

3M ago1:14:55

1:14:55

Could Paolo Berto Durante really be Chris, but from another dimension? These outspoken CG enthusiasts have a lot in common: an extensive knowledge of 3D software and render engines stretching back decades, a history in VFX and teaching CG, and strong opinions on the current state of the industry. Paolo talks about his roles in the research and deve…

1
How He Built A Business Off a Fruit Peel, The Shocking Moment of Getting into Retail, and How One Chat Changed His Trajectory with Matt Weiss Founder & CEO at Rind Snacks 1:01:06

4M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Our guest today is Matt Weiss, Founder & CEO at RIND Snacks Matt is the CEO of RIND Snacks, a sustainable fruit snack brand. He has over a decade of experience in the natural food industry and previously worked in investment research. Matt is also known for his advocacy in community and environmental causes, founding a nonprofit that helped establi…

1
Episode 461 - Robert Moggach - Creative Activist, Dashing 1:02:43

3M ago1:02:43

1:02:43

Robert Moggach has experienced the full arc of the VFX artist career, from being treated like a rockstar in the early days of CG to working on personal, small-scale indie projects today. Along the way, he’s racked up credits on movies including Harry Potter, I, Robot, and Stealth, created ads for the world’s biggest brands, bagged a VES award for t…

1
Selling Group Nine Media, The Evolution of New York's Startup Scene and The Future of Digital Media with Ben Lerer, Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau 53:26

4M ago53:26

53:26

Our guest today is Ben Lerer. Ben Lerer is a Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau. Lerer Hippeau is a venture capital fund based in New York who were early investors in Warby Parker, Glossier, and Topicals. He also founded Thrillist, an online media website website back in 2004 and was former CEO of Group Nine Media until it was acquired by Vox Media.…

1
Episode 460 - Vikkal Parikh - Creative Director & Founder, Ataboy Studio 58:39

3M ago58:39

58:39

In this podcast, Vikkal breaks down his career so far, from his beginnings in architecture and on MTV series Room Raiders, to founding Ataboy Studios and making use of the latest VFX and motion graphics technology to create eye-catching ads in a variety of formats. Vikkal and Chris also discuss their common ground in architecture and talk about how…

1
How He Buys Multi-Million Dollar Brands with Fan Bi, Founder/CEO of The Hedgehog Company 46:14

3M ago46:14

46:14

Our guest today is Fan Bi, Founder & CEO of Hedgehog Fan Bi is the Founder & CEO of Hedgehog. He founded, grew, and exited many eCom + store menswear brands. He has been in DTC eCommerce for over 13 years. We discuss: • How was Fan was introduced to entrepreneurship and what things he found compelling about man's fashion? • What multiples were used…

1
Episode 459 - Ben Hansford - Director & USC Professor 1:02:20

3M ago1:02:20

1:02:20

Ben Hansford has his finger on the pulse of filmmaking — the prognosis is excellent. Beginning his career in VFX, Ben moved into directing short films and commercials for the likes of Old Spice, Starfield0, Call of Duty, Nike, and many more. He also teaches AI at the University of Southern California (USC), giving him unfettered access to the minds…

1
What is a Cult Brand? With Sarah Woelfel, Co-Founder & Partner at Cult Capital 1:03:38

4M ago1:03:38

1:03:38

Our guest today is Sarah Woelfel, Co-Founder & Partner at Cult Capital. She combines her zeal for investing with her affection for cult consumer brands. Their investments include Supergoop!, Babo Botanicals, and Lawless Beauty. Prior to CULT Capital, Sarah served on the investment team at Audax and as an I-banking analyst at Deutsche Bank. --------…

1
Episode 458 - Kat Dawes - NOWism 54:43

4M ago54:43

54:43

Here’s the perfect start to 2024: Kat Dawes and NOWism’s particular blend of positivity for creative people. From busking in her native Brisbane to traveling through Africa, Kat has combined her love of performance art and spirituality to create NOWism, a playful philosophy that embraces the present moment and focuses on becoming the hero of your o…

1
How She's Adding The Belgian Waffle To The American Diet...and 8,400+ stores with Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys 47:47

4M ago47:47

47:47

She leads the day-to-day operations and long-term strategy for Belgian Boys and is bringing European treats like Belgian waffles, brioche french toast, crepes, and other delicious delights to the American home. They are now in over 8,400 stores including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods. Thank you to our partner Propeller Industries Propeller Industrie…

1
Episode 457 - Jonas Ussing - No CGI is really just invisible CGI 1:08:14

4M ago1:08:14

1:08:14

2024 gets off to an explosive start with this week’s guest: CG supervisor Jonas Ussing, who is on a quest to give visibility to the VFX artists and studios who create invisible effects. He’s doing this via his YouTube channel, The Movie Rabbit Hole, where his impeccably researched and presented arguments have racked up over a million views. Jonas a…

1
Selling 10 Million Soup Dumplings and Counting: The Story of MìLà with Caleb Wang 37:29

5M ago37:29

37:29

Our guest today is Caleb Wang, CEO and Co-Founder MiLa. Authentic soup dumplings, chinese noodles and chef crafted sauces. Made fresh and shipped! We talked about how he and his wife, Jen first stated a restaurant, how that expanded to an ecommerce business, how they raised capital and why they raised capital, and much much more.…

1
Episode 456 - Faruk Heplevent - Founder and CEO, The Scope 56:10

5M ago56:10

56:10

Faruk Heplevent has spent his career perfecting the art of car photography. His experience in traditional photography transferred smoothly into CGI, and he set up his company, The Scope, to create breathtaking renders for the world’s biggest car companies. Now, he’s released Scope City, a groundbreaking tool that empowers car manufacturers and CG a…

1
Ep075 Voyage of the Geek – Conan the Barbarian 1982 1:36:09

5M ago1:36:09

1:36:09

Episode 11 of Season 06, Rik, Tony, Dan and Dave take a look at the 1982 fantasy classic, “Conan the Barbarian“. Enjoy…

1
Episode 455 - Kim Davidson - President and CEO, SideFX 56:11

6M ago56:11

56:11

SideFX President and CEO Kim Davidson has been a luminary of the computer graphics industry since the 1980s. In this podcast, Kim delves into his history, recounting his early days with the PRISMS procedural graphics application and the subsequent development of Houdini, SideFX’s popular and Oscar-winning 3D animation software, which has delivered …

1
Episode 454 - Joe Letteri - Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Wētā FX 25:14

6M ago25:14

25:14

Meet the legend behind some of the movie industry’s most iconic creatures: Joe Letteri. From Jurassic Park’s dinosaurs to Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, Avatar’s Na’vi, and the Planet of the Apes’ simian stars, Joe has constantly pushed VFX boundaries and technology to deliver utterly believable CG characters. In this info-packed Q&A, Joe talks a…

1
Why This Venture Studio Backed By VF Corp is Investing in Consumer Tech with David Wagner and Jesse Marble, Co-Founders of Wildwood Ventures 50:57

6M ago50:57

50:57

Our guests today are David Wagner and Jesse Marble, Co-Founders of Wildwood Ventures. Wildwood Ventures is backed by VF corporation, a holding company whose portfolio includes iconic outdoor and activity-based lifestyle and workwear brands like Vans, North Face, Timberland, Dickies. Wildwood Ventures invests in consumer technology companies that ma…

1
Episode 453 - Peter Sohn - Director, “Elemental” 51:06

5M ago51:06

51:06

The universal language of cinema has proved a constant in Pixar director Peter Sohn’s life, and with Elemental, he used it to tell a story close to his heart. Born in New York City to Korean parents, Peter’s mother fell in love with the visual storytelling of Disney movies. He then carved out a career in animation, starting with The Iron Giant and …

1
Episode 452 - Joaquim Dos Santos - Director, “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” 1:01:54

6M ago1:01:54

1:01:54

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse left some big spider-boots to fill — but director Joaquim Dos Santos was clearly the man to fill them. With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the director expanded the Spider-Verse in new and unexpected directions while, crucially, staying true to the first film’s tender and nuanced approach to character and sto…

1
Episode 451 - Benjamin Renner - Director, “Migration” 55:33

6M ago55:33

55:33

As Illumination Studios' duck tale Migration prepares to take flight on the big screen, Chris had a conversation with its director, Benjamin Renner, at the VIEW Conference in Italy. Benjamin turned his passion for drawing into a career in animation via Macromedia Director and rose to prominence as co-director of the Academy Award-nominated animated…

1
Ep074 Voyage of the Geek – 20000 Leagues Under the Sea 1954 1:29:46

7M ago1:29:46

1:29:46

Episode 10 of Season 06, Tom, Dan and Dave take a look at the 1954 sci-fi classic, “20000 Leagues Under the Sea“. Enjoy…

1
Episode 450 - Michał Misiński - Film Director, Juice 1:01:06

7M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Michał Misiński’s name may be familiar to regular listeners — this CG artist turned director helped previous podcast guest Ash Thorp create his Ghost in the Shell homage “Project 2501.” Michał is also a partner at Polish visual effects VFX studio Juice, directing videos for Porsche, Honda, Skoda, Dolby, and more. Recently, Michał brought his talent…

1
When Can A Celebrity-Led Brand Work with Denise Lambertson from Constellation Capital and LMS 52:08

7M ago52:08

52:08

Our guest today is Denise Lambertson, Managing Partner at Constellation Capital and Chairwoman & Founder of LMS, the influencer marketing agency. We actually didn’t get into the Constellation Capital / VC / Investing side for this episode, we ran out of time. We focused on the relationship between talent and brand and how that partnership could wor…

1
Episode 449 - Kyle Balda - Co-Director, “Minions: The Rise of Gru” & “Despicable Me 3” 45:17

6M ago45:17

45:17

Over the past 30 years, Kyle Balda has risen from humble animator to co-director of beloved kids’ movies Minions: The Rise of Gru and Despicable Me 3. Beginning in animation for films including Mars Attacks, The Mask, and Toy Story 2, Kyle met director Pierre Coffin in Europe and helped create the animated series Pat & Stan, which would build the f…

1
Ep073 Voyage of the Geek – Day the Earth Caught Fire 1961 1:27:09

7M ago1:27:09

1:27:09

Episode 09 of Season 06, Tom, Dan and Dave take a look at the 1961 sci-fi classic, “Day the Earth Caught Fire“. Enjoy…

1
FinTech: What's Real and What's a Scam with Drew Glover, General Partner of Fiat Ventures 53:37

7M ago53:37

53:37

Today’s episode we focus on the wonderful world of consumer fintech and our guest today is Drew Glover, General Partner of Fiat Ventures and Founding Partner of Fiat Growth. Fiat Growth is a growth consultancy helping to scale some of the largest fintech companies out there - Chime, Lemonade, Copper. They decided to launch a VC fund that focuses on…

1
Episode 448 - Ryan Woodward - Storyboard Artist & Animator 1:10:07

7M ago1:10:07

1:10:07

Ryan Woodward began his career in traditional animation for movies, including cult classics The Iron Giant and Space Jam, before becoming a storyboard artist on Spider-Man 2, Iron Man 2, and Avengers Assemble, and creating the stirring short, “Thought of You.” Today, he’s pursuing many avenues for his creative powers. In this podcast, recorded at T…

1
Episode 447 - Murai Sadayuki - Screenwriter, “Perfect Blue,” “Steamboy,” and “Millennium Actress” 53:07

7M ago53:07

53:07

Murai Sadayuki is the writer behind some of the most astonishing and groundbreaking anime films of all time, including the Hitchcockian Perfect Blue, Otomo’s Akira follow-up Steamboy, and the reality-blurring Millennium Actress. But he’s not done yet: he continues to write for TV series, including Knights of Sidonia, Godzilla, and Sabikui Bisco. Co…

1
Ep072 Voyage of the Geek – Destination Moon 1950 1:25:43

7M ago1:25:43

1:25:43

Episode 08 of Season 06, Tom, Dan, Tony and Dave take a look at the 1950 sci-fi classic, “Destination Moon“. Enjoy…

1
Breaking Boundaries in Broadway: The TodayTix Story with Brian Fenty 45:22

8M ago45:22

45:22

Our guest today is Brian Fenty, Co-Founder & CEO of TodayTix. TodayTix is the digital gateway to live shows, arts, and cultural experiences. We discuss: His introduction to Broadway & ticketing How Broadway initially tried to appeal to younger demographics and failed How TodayTix partners with theatres The threat of TicketMaster Why they didn’t piv…

1
Episode 446 - Cláudia Cristovão - Head of Google Brand Studio & Social Lab APAC 50:45

8M ago50:45

50:45

What can today’s artists and storytellers learn from an ancient Japanese method? In this podcast, Chris is joined by Google brand expert Cláudia Cristovão, who practices Kintsugi, the art of taking old ceramics and repairing them with gold-infused sap that grows stronger with time. Building on her presentation at the THU festival in Kaga, Japan, Cl…

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