The Allan Mckay Podcast

Tim Simmons is an experienced media producer with a demonstrated history of creating short and long form video to create engaging content.Tech Savvy, people savvy, and self motivated creator with a successful track record of building a brand from scratch, Tim is passionate about sharing his knowledge with others – and exploring the intersection of creative content and AI. In 2022, Tim created Theoretically Media, a channel focusing on creative AI imagery. The Channel dives into filmmaking, music, writing, and art, all enhanced by AI latest tools. Believing in technology's power to elevate independent artists' work, Tim explores the cusp of AI and art. The YouTube Channel currently has over 46K Subscribers. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Tim Simmons, the Creator of Theoretically Media, a YouTube Channel focused on creative AI imagery. Allan and Tim dive into the topic of AI: the rapid growth of AI and the reaction of the artistic community to this technology, the dual Hollywood strike and the issue of

Melinda Ozel is an Expression Scientist, Consultant and Educator of all things face related.  Before pioneering a career path in expression science, she worked as a Researcher at Meta and Affective where she used her expression expertise to advise the tracking and simulation of facial behavior. She now helps companies in film, game and tech create compelling animated characters and build high-fidelity face tracking technology. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Expression Scientist Melinda Ozel about neuroscience, neuro-marketing and psychology; her contribution to the FACS system and working as an educator; as well as tips for building your own consulting business and the importance of coding, SEO and social media. For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/428.

Activision Blizzard’s history goes back more than 40 years. Two incredible gaming brands Activision and Blizzard Entertainment merged, bringing together the best creative talent in gaming. The acquisition of King in 2016 further strengthened the company’s vision to bring the world together through epic entertainment. Their professional gaming properties include the Overwatch League™, the Call of Duty League™, Hearthstone® Grandmasters, and the World of Warcraft® Arena World Championship, among others. Activision Blizzard Esports also operates Tespa™, the leader in collegiate esports. In this Episode, Activision Blizzard King’s Executive Principal Recruiter for Art in Animation and Creative Robin Alan Linn gives insider tips about what makes a successful reel, how to negotiate a salary, importance of relationships and reputation, why visual effects is always about storytelling – and why the most crucial question an interviewee can ask is: “What am I bringing to the table?” For more show notes, visit www.allanm

A veteran facilitator with over 25 years experience in VFX and animation, Jep Hill is an Executive Creative Director at Alkemy X, an award-winning global creative company at the intersection of advertising, brands and entertainment. The company is a creative partner for the biggest names in film and television, such as Fear of the Walking Dead, Wednesday, The Whale, Westworld, Power, Dear White People, Hunters, Mr. Robot, and many more. Since 1981, Alkemy X has been a pioneer in a continuously evolving industry — entrusted with projects generating billions of dollars in revenue. With the craft and talent to take on any project, they’re a vertically integrated creative company, offering strategy and execution with speed, quality and efficiency that always exceeds expectation. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Executive Creative Director of Alkemy X Jep Hill about leadership skills for artists, the age of AI in VFX — and how artists can take advantage of it; go-to tools and soft skills of a VFX Superv

Todd Sheridan Perry is an On-Set Supervisor on the show with a diverse background in video games, film and television. He’s worked on titles like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to Final Destination 5, The Immortals, Total Recall, Resident Evil 5 and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Todd has also worked as a CG Supervisor on Marvel’s Doctor Strange which was nominated for a Best Visual Effects Oscar. Scott Kirvan is a VFX and Virtual Production Supervisor, Tech Enthusiast and multidisciplinary creative. He is also the Co-Author of globally recognized Brazil Rendering System, a high performance production quality GI ray trace renderer. As a Virtual Production and Visual Effects Supervisor, Scott has over 20 years of leadership experience, including client-side supervisory roles and in-studio digital production work. He has a diverse background in filmmaking, VFX, business leadership, and engineering, making him a valuable asset to any production team. In this Podcast, VFX Supervisors Todd Sheridan Perry and Scott Ki

With 10+ years of VFX industry experience, Digital Artist and VFX Sup Marco Baratto is more than ever interested in being an integral part of it through compositing and creative leadership. An understanding of light, color and composition are essential to his approach. His additional interests include photography, concept art, cinema and mathematics.  His most recent credit is the role of a Digital Artist in Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER. His other credits include EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. In this Podcast, Digital Artist Marco Baratto talks about his work on OPPENHEIMER and how much CGI should or should not be utilized is storytelling; as well as the pros and cons of working remotely, the benefit of getting a degree in VFX and the importance of doing your personal work as a VFX artist. For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/424.  

Curious Refuge is a home for unlocking your inner artist using the latest tools. Founded by Caleb and Shelby Ward, the company believes in giving back to the creative community with their videos, blog content and interactive courses. They develop compelling and innovative video and blog content for free and have a blast with every video. They also work with world-class clients and storytellers to bring their creative visions to life. Self described as a bunch of goofballs who have a love for life and creativity, they love to share content and inspiration. Caleb Ward has led marketing teams for startups, Fortune-500 companies and creative brands around the world. His background in filmmaking and marketing has led him to develop keen intuition about what it takes to launch a successful idea.  In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Caleb Ward, the Co-Founder of Curious Refuge, a community for artists that tackles the latest tools including AI, about his starting the company as a positive change, going viral on

Grant Miller is a Partner and an Executive VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. Grant brings a deep level of technical and artistic acumen to his role as Executive VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. He oversees the studio's CG, FX, and Pipeline teams, ensuring that final results meet the exacting demands of sophisticated clients. Working closely with directors and creative decision-makers, Grant provides guidance and methodology during preproduction, supervision on set, and ensures seamless collaboration and high-quality results through post. Over the years, Grant has supervised visual effects for a long list of notable clients, including episodic television shows such as The Night Agent, The Orville, The Boys, and Westworld; films such as Get Out and A Star is Born; music videos for Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga; and Super Bowl commercials for Fox Sports. Grant got his start working in video games in 2007, a background that he pulls from as the industry moves toward real-time VFX. Based in Los

With a passion for storytelling and a flare for the visual, Matt Whelan has been making short films and commercials for over 10 years. Training as a classical animator at Sheridan College, Whelan's experience spans live-action and digital Directing, storyboarding, CG animation, and VFX supervision, where he has received international nominations for multiple film/television works. His current focus is on live action narrative. Whelan received a 2023 Emmy® nomination for his work on Apple TV+ series FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL. Eric Durst is a Visual Effects Supervisor known for his work on GODS OF EGYPT (2016), SNOWPIERCER (2013), and BATMAN FOREVER (1995). Durst received a 2023 Emmy® nomination for his work on Apple TV+ series FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL. He was previously nominated for an Emmy® in 2017 for his work on National Geographic’s GENIUS. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisors Eric Durst and Matt Whelan about their work on FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL for Apple TV+, the most memorable and challenging

James MacLachlan is a London-based VFX Supervisor and Director with a career spanning 19 years.He has worked for studios in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.  James has worked at a number of London VFX houses including Glassworks and The Mill and is currently a Freelance On-set VFX Supervisor, Flame and Nuke Artist. He offers secure remote artistry on both Flame and Nuke in his London studio. Over the years he has completed high end VFX on TV Commercials, TV Series effects and design, Channel Idents, Feature Films, Music Videos, Virals and Interactive Online Video projects. He is also known for his work on 28 WEEKS LATER (2007), WICKED SCIENCE (2004) and TED LASSO which has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects, in 2023. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor James MacLaghlan about his work on the 2023 Emmy-nominated Episode of TED LASSO, the preparation and improvisation of VFX supervision, the tools used on set, how to fast track your career as a VFX

Jim Morris is President of Pixar Animation Studios, where he oversees all of the company’s productions and operations. Morris began working at Pixar in 2005. Films under his supervision include RATATOUILLE, UP, TOY STORY 3, CARS 2, BRAVE, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, INSIDE OUT, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, FINDING DORY, CARS 3, COCO and INCREDIBLES 2. As a producer, Morris most recently made the live-action Disney feature JOHN CARTER with director Andrew Stanton. He also produced Pixar’s WALL•E, which won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature. Morris was also awarded Producer of the Year in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures from the Producers Guild of America, the AFI Award, the Golden Globe and the Visual Effects Society Best Animated Feature Award for WALL•E. Prior to joining Pixar, Morris held a range of key positions for 17 years in various divisions of Lucasfilm Ltd. He served as President of Lucas Digital Ltd., and managed its three divisions, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Skywalker Sound and Lucasfilm An

David Baylis is a 3D Artist living in Vancouver B.C Canada who specializes in automotive real-time rendering using Unreal Engine. He is originally from Lille, France. David works at Epic Games as a Consultant who produces demos, tutorials and webinars. Having always been a car enthusiast, David loves exploring new ways to deliver photorealistic renderings. There is a lot of history behind each car, and that is what he tries to portray in his artworks. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews 3D Artist David Baylis about innovations in ray tracing and AI, the future of VFX careers in the era of machine learning, NVIDIA and Chat GPT, DLSS technology, how to get started in Unreal and why learning 3D is a lifelong occupation. For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/418.

James David Hattin is the Founder and Creative Director of VFX Legion. James oversees every aspect of the visual effects process for episodic television shows and feature films, from start to end, and provides clients with 20+ years of skill and experience as a lead creative and Visual Effects Supervisor. Prior to launching VFX Legion, James spent three years as senior compositor and compositing/digital effects supervisor at Zoic Studios. James exited Zoic in 2013 to apply his creative skill set and technical ingenuity to a new challenge: designing a leading-edge digital management pipeline. Looking beyond long-standing traditional VFX business models, he tapped state-of-the-art technology to build the new infrastructure from the ground up.  Legion was launched later that year, with James’ pioneering digital pipeline positioning the studio at the forefront of the next generation of visual effects companies. Legion’s LA-based studio is structured to work as an on-site collaborative partner with TV and film stu

Martin Hall is a VFX Supervisor with 30+ years of experience in visual effects. Trained in the traditional fine arts, he found visual effects to be the perfect synthesis of art, technology, and business, while being the most collaborative of all creative endeavors. Among his numerous film and television credits include, LOVE DEATH & ROBOTS, VENOM, GAME OF THRONES, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY, PERRY MASON, ALL THE OLD KNIVES, ENCOUNTER, and many others. Based in Los Angeles, Hall is CEO at Epic Entertainment Enterprises / Epic-FX and VFX Supervisor at Paramount Pictures. In addition, he serves on the VES Board of Directors, Los Angeles section, and is an educator at Gnomon. Martin’s most recent project as a VFX Supervisor is the CBS-VFX television project RABBIT HOLE on Paramount +, starring Kiefer Sutherland as a corporate spy who is framed for murder by powerful forces who have the ability to influence and control populations. Each episode of RABBIT HOLE contains

André Luis is the Co-Founder, CEO and creative force behind Trojan Horse was a Unicorn (THU), one of the world's leading transformative experiences for digital artists and creative professionals.  In 2013, he came up with the idea to create THU as a result of wanting to do things differently, be useful to society, and have an impact on people's lives. With a background in Industrial Design and Marketing Management, André's career was paved through the worlds of design, marketing, web development, and computer graphics. Nowadays, he is fully dedicated to empowering creators through THU, a global organization with several projects around the world that support the creative community while leaving a mark in the digital entertainment industry. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Co-Founder, CEO and creative force behind Trojan Horse was a Unicorn André Luis about the history of THU and its impact, the event being a home for introverts, the crucial role of networking in your career, as well how to succeed

A veteran facilitator with over 25 years experience in VFX and animation, Jep Hill is an Executive Creative Director at Alkemy X, an award-winning global creative company at the intersection of advertising, brands and entertainment. The company is a creative partner for the biggest names in film and television, such as Fear of the Walking Dead, Wednesday, The Whale, Westworld, Power, Dear White People, Hunters, Mr. Robot, and many more. Since 1981, Alkemy X has been a pioneer in a continuously evolving industry — entrusted with projects generating billions of dollars in revenue. With the craft and talent to take on any project, they’re a vertically integrated creative company, offering strategy and execution with speed, quality and efficiency that always exceeds expectation. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Executive Creative Director of Alkemy X Jep Hill about visual effects being all about problem solving, leadership versus management, how to succeed as a VFX team and how to self-manage as a VFX

Barnstorm VFX is an Emmy-nominated studio behind the visual effects on Amazon Studios’ THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, HBO’S SILICON VALLEY and CBS’ STRANGE ANGEL. Barnstorm’s team embodies the pioneering ingenuity, daring creativity and freewheeling spirit of the first aviators. Founded in 2011 with the original location in Los Angeles, Barnstorm VFX now has a second office in Vancouver, British Columbia.  In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Co-Founders of Barnstorm VFX Cory Jamieson and Lawson Deming about the lessons of entrepreneurship, how to land clients, the balance of risk and decisiveness, as well their advice to up-and-coming VFX Artists. For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/413.  

John Romero is an award-winning game designer, level designer and programmer whose work spans over 130 games, 107 of which have been published commercially, including the iconic works Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM and Quake. He has worked in the mobile, hardcore, mid-core, casual and MMO space.  John has co-founded eight successful game companies including the likes of id Software, Gazillion Entertainment and, most recently, Romero Games which celebrated its 7th anniversary in 2022. He is considered to be among the world’s top game designers, and his games have won well over 100 awards.  One of the earliest indie developers, John began working in the game space in 1979 on mainframes before moving to the Apple II in 1982. He is a completely self-taught programmer, designer and artist, having drawn his inspirations from early Apple II programmers. He co-owns Romero Games.  John’s autobiography DOOM Guy: Life in First Person is getting released in July 2023. Industry-redefining breakthroughs in design and tech during his

As Global President & Chief Operating Officer at Digital Domain, Lala oversees the company's global VFX services and operations. As part of her duties, Lala partners with production management, finance, production accounting, recruiting, artist management, technology management and operations to steer Digital Domain to success. She communicates closely and helps to coordinate work between DD’s global studios, ensuring that production and operations practices are properly aligned to keep the quality of work at the highest levels. Lala’s experience began in northern California with a strong start in the accounting and banking field. She developed her visual effects pedigree after spending nine years at Industrial Light and Magic, and Lucasfilm Animation. There she became a seasoned veteran of talent acquisition and management. In 2007, Lala joined Digital Domain as the Director of Human Resources, Talent Acquisition and Development, and rose to the role of EVP/General Manager for the North America operation

Gabriel Aguiar is a YouTube Creator and a Unity Expert. Focused on his work in Blender and Unity, Gabriel’s YouTube Channel currently has over 100K followers. He also provides assets for game developers on his Patreon. In 2021, Gabriel launched a game studio Golden Bug Studios in Coibra, Portugal. The studio is currently working on a project called Rabbit's Tale. In this Podcast, YouTube Creator and Unity Expert Gabriel Aguiar talks to Allan McKay about his experience launching a YouTube Channel and his own studio, developing an original IP, as well as gives advice to young VFX artists and entrepreneurs about resources, skills and branding. For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/410.