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The 2005 Melbourne program will feature some of the highest profile cinema releases of this calendar year, complemented by cutting edge Australian case studies and expert sessions in animation and visual effects.

Profiles, case studies and expert sessions showcasing the state-of-the-art in animation and visual effects.

9.30AM CGI ANIMATION: VALIANT
Curtis Augspurger, Co-Producer, Vanguard Animation (US)
A comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the first of 10 full-length animated features planned by Vanguard Animation, founded in 2002 by John H. Williams - the producer of Shrek and Shrek 2. Principal production of Valiant took place at Ealing Studios, West London, where Vanguard established Europe's first purpose-built, digital CG production studio. The 75-minute family film is the story of a little wood pigeon named Valiant who, despite his small size, aspires to become a member of the Royal Homing Pigeon Service during World War II. It features the voice talents of Ewan Mcgregor as Valiant, plus John Cleese, Ricky Gervais, Tim Curry, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Laurie.

11.00AM MAYA: STUNNING FX & MOTIONBUILDER INTEGRATION

Amy Quek, Alias

Learn more about Maya 6.5 and Alias MotionBuilder 6. Amy Quek from Alias will be covering topic such as character skinning workflow, dynamics animations  and Maya Cloth along with plenty of "Tips and Tricks" in Maya. As an Animation Specialist and Consultant at Alias, Amy is a certified Maya Instructor and has conducted numerous certification courses in the region. Amy has a deep knowledge of Maya, and has been the key presentation artiste at many of the trade shows, workshops and seminars in the region. Prior to joining Alias, Amy had more than 10 years of working experience as an animator in some of the leadingl post-production houses in Singapore.

12.00AM SHAKE 4 UNSHAKEN

Nathan Hallifax, Intraware

Learn more about the latest major upgrade to this leading compositing software used by independent artists and visual effects facilities to create some of the world’s most celebrated visual effects for film and television. Shake 4 features 3D multi-plane compositing, cutting-edge optical flow image processing and unprecedented integration with Final Cut Pro 5. Theis session will cover new features including the retimer, stabilize, 3d compositing and a general overview of the Shake film compositing package. Nathan Hallifax is an experienced visual effects artist and an Apple-certified trainer in digital media.

1.00PM LUNCH BREAK
VISIT THE EXHIBITION

2.00PM DI FILMMAKING: THE EXTRA
Paul Gehrig, Head of Production, and Marcus Smith & Tim Spicer, The Swish Group
In-depth profile of the digital intermediate (DI) and VFX work required for Australian feature film The Extra, starring and written by comedian Jimeoin. The Extra is a romantic comedy about a regular bloke who is tired of being a ‘nobody’ and tries to become a famous movie star in order to overcome his lack of self worth.

2.45PM CHARACTER ANIMATION SETUP / PIPELINES
Tylney Taylor, BOLD VFX
Currently advising Sydney’s Omnilab Group on the development of a feature film animation pipeline, Tylney will take time out to show the AEAF audience how to ease the creation of multiple characters in an animation project. The Masterclass will be conducted in Maya but will incorporate principles that apply to any 3D animation software.

3.30PM MTV AWARDS AUSTRALIA
Mark Simpson, Design Director & Matt Taylor, Animation Director, Sixty40
Explore the creation of some arresting design, motion graphics and animation for the inaugural MTV Australian Music Video Awards. Sydney’s Sixty40 were called on to generate an original on-air identity for the high profile event. Sixty40 is a three-year-old boutique design and animation company with a range of experience including corporate design, reality TV show motion graphics, TV and cinema commercials and DVD production.

4.15PM ANATOMY OF A CG SHORT
Thomas Schober, Executive Producer, Act3animation
Melbourne’s Act3Animation goes behind the making of its two latest 3D short films. Pinata is a tragicomic take on a favourite kid’s birthday entertainment, while Anaka, produced for Tantalus Entertainment with the assistance of Film Victoria, tells the tale of a young, innocent inhabitant of an island.

DAY TWO 2 JUNE

9.30AM TO HELL & BACK: A VFX HISTORY
Michael Fink, VFX Supervisor, Constantine (US)
From Hell itself to a hellish downtown Los Angeles, VFX Supervisor Michael Fink oversaw the creation of more than 500 shots for Constantine. In addition to detailing the process of putting director Francis Lawrence’s vision on screen, Fink will take a look at what the visual effects artists of the last 700 years have been doing. This session will include a look at paintings going back to Giotto, then winding forward to twentieth century digital filmmaking - always keeping an eye on issues that parallel our own as visual effects artists and filmmakers.

11.00AM VFX/ANIMATION: STAR WARS

Jamy Wheless, Animation Supervisor, ILM (US)
Exclusive profile of the stunning digital production of George Lucas’ final instalment in the Star Wars phenomenon, Episode III Revenge of the Sith. As an Animation Supervisor Wheless was responsible for the character development and performance of one of the film’s favourite characters, Yoda.

1.00PM LUNCH BREAK
VISIT THE EXHIBITION

2.00PM VFX/ANIMATION: LOOK BOTH WAYS

Peter Webb, VFX Supervisor, Digital Pictures

A detailed look at the creation of Australian independent feature film, Look Both Ways. The debut film from award winning animator Sarah Watt features a mix of live action with animation and visual effects in an organic and intriguing way. Learn how the film was made with an unusual blend of traditional painted 2D animation and CG 2D and 3D animated sequences that depict the character’s internal journeys.

2.45PM VFX/ANIMATION: CUTTING EDGE TVCs
Ben Folkman, Head of 3D & Elie Jamaa, Technical Director, Cutting Edge
Experience the reality of contemporary commercial TVC production with one of Australia’s most dynamic VFX and post production companies. From wrestling cows to ball-playing bulls, learn how Cutting Edge hits the spot with a strong 3D animation team that specialises in character design and development.

3.30PM TOXIK UNLEASHED
Marysol Beausejour, Rob O'Neill, Autodesk

Toxik, the new collaborative software for feature film visual effects. will be demonstrated at DMF by VIP presenters Marysol Beausejour and Rob O'Neill. The live demonstration will show the possibilities for realtime colaboration, whether playing back files or manipulating a multi-layered 21K background plate in realtime. Marysol Beausejour, a Toxik Specialist from Montreal, will show Toxik working with very large format images and High Dynamic Range Images, each of which pose their own challenges in a feature film pipeline.

4.15PM MUSIC VIDEO: THE DISSOCIATIVES

James Hackett, Hackettfilms
Leading animator and artist James Hackett takes you through the creation of three groundbreaking music videos for The Dissociatives (Daniel Johns and Paul Mac), for which he was the winner of two Arias in 2004 (for both best video and best album cover), and won Video of the Year at the Australian MTV Awards. www.hackettfilms.com.au

7.00PM DIGITAL IMAGING/DIGITAL VIDEO AWARDS & SCREENINGS

Jamy Wheless, Animation Supervisor, ILM (US)
In 1996, Jamy was hired by Industrial Light & Magic to work on commercials as a technical director and character animator. In October of 2000, he joined the feature production team to work on the DVD for Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace. Since 2004 he has had the responsibility for the character development and performance of Yoda for the final Star Wars: Episode III movie. His feature film credits include Peter Pan, The Hulk and Star Wars: Episode II & I. Influenced by comic books and art, Jamy Wheless started drawing in grammar school and never looked back. He graduated from University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts degree and began working as a freelance illustrator in Atlanta, Georgia.

Curtis Augspurger, co-producer, Vanguard Animation
Curtis received his Bachelors degree in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. After receiving his Masters degree at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, he stayed on as an Adjunct Professor for two years, then spent six months in Tokyo to apprentice under Japan's leading female architect, Itsuko Hasegawa. After returning to the US he went to work for a company working on Batman Forever under the guidance of John Dykstra and Andrew Adamson, as a digital architect for Gotham City. Since being hooked on the world of visual effects, Curtis has migrated around leading facilities including Warner Digital, Cinesite, Dreamworks, and Disney. After spending several years working to start a digital feature for Polygon Pictures/Sony/Namco, he and Buckley Collum ventured off to run a small VFX house named MenaceFX. There he spent four years working on numerous music videos and feature films such as Monkeybone, Kate and Leopold, and Scooby Doo, all the while trying to define a presence in digital feature animation. Meeting with John Williams (Producer of Shrek and Shrek II) in February of 2000, the pair were asked to run the production of Valiant from concept to completion. Over the next four years Curtis' responsibilities ranged from building the facility and architecting the production paradigm and budget, to pouring the coffee, finalling the poster designs and navigating the DI colour grade.

Michael Fink, VFX Supervisor, Constantine
Michael Fink began experimenting with photography and effects as a young boy. An early varied career included a few years at San Francisco Art Institute and California Institute of the Arts. He began his film career wiring light bulbs on the film China Syndrome. His visual effects supervisor credits have been on films such as War Games, Buckaroo Banzai, The Seventh Sign, Batman Returns, Baby's Day Out, Braveheart, Mars Attacks!, and Lethal Weapon 4. Michael directed the first Coca Cola polar bear spot in 1993, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Batman Returns that same year. More recently he oversaw effects on the blockbuster hits X-Men and X 2.

James Hackett, Hackettfilms
James Hackett has over 10 years professional experience in animation, design and illustration. He gained experience working on animated commercials and music videos in London and in 2000 directed a series of short animations for the UK’s Channel 4. Since returning to Sydney he’s worked on the comedy show CNNN and the ABC youth channel, Fly TV. In 2003 James set up Hackett Films to produce commercials, music videos and broadcast design.  www.hackettfilms.com.au

Peter Webb, VFX Designer/Supervisor, Digital Pictures Iloura
Peter is a visual effects designer with over 20 years’ experience in the field as a visual effects designer and visual effects supervisor. He has worked on the US feature films Batman Forever, Terminal Velocity, Coneheads and SuperMario Brothers. His Australian feature film work includes The Dish, The Goddess of 1967, Muggers, Amy, Dead Letter Office and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. Television drama projects include Star Trek TNG, Noah's Ark, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, The Ripper, RAW FM and Genie from Down Under.

Tylney Taylor, BOLD VFX
Tylney Taylor has worked for some of Australia’s and the region’s largest post & VFX houses, including most recently at WETA Digital for the CG and FX-intensive feature I, Robot, where his tasks included lighting, shot assembly, problem solving (solution finding), pipeline modification, massive TD and lighting & FX. He has worked as a freelancer on many film and TVC productions as a 3D animator, FX technical director, modeller, shader, etc. www.bold-vfx.com

Matt Taylor, Animation Director, Sixty40
With skills ranging from claymation to character design and CGI animation, Matt has produced work for Flash-based Web series as well as traditional 2D cell animation and TV commercials. His work has been screened on Channel Ten and at the National Film and Sound Archives and a series of Matt's commissioned sculptures now stands at Sydney International Airport. After training in graphics, puppetry and drawing, moonlighting in underground comics and street graphics, Matt has emerged as a rising star in Sydney's animation industry.

Mark Simpson, Design Director, Sixty40
Mark has worked in design for over 9 years. Working in both interactive, online and broadcast design, he has worked for some of the leading organizations in the field in roles ranging from creative director of MSN Australia to working on Australian datacasting trials, lecturing at Sydney University and consulting to traditional media organization planning a move into new media. He brings experience in project scoping, creative development, information and interface design, art direction as well as good ol' fashioned commonsense to any project.