VFX: 2024 & Beyond
Coming out of a challenging year for the entire entertainment industry, we’re taking a look at how hot-button factors are specifically affecting VFX professionals. Join the Los Angeles Post Production Group as we assemble an expert panel to explore:
- Calls to unionize VFX workers
- The long-tail effect of the strikes
- VFX business model instabilities
- Claims of “No VFX” or “No CGI”
- The impact of AI on VFX jobs
- Career mobility in VFX
Leading us on this journey will be moderator Craig German, who has built and led high-performance teams at Crafty Apes, Amazon Studios, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, and Technicolor. Our panel of experts will include Aliyah Lopez (VP of Visual Effects at Skydance Media, Film & TV), Marcus LeVere (VFX Supervisor), and Richard Sanchez (VFX Editor, Assistant Editor).
Participant Bios
Moderator
Craig German
Craig German has held executive positions in post production and at Hollywood film and television studios for over twenty years. He was most recently CEO of Crafty Apes, a visual effects company that works on Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster movies and premier TV shows. Prior to that, Craig spent three and a half years building and leading the Worldwide Post Production organization at Amazon Studios.

Panelists
Dayaliyah Lopez
Currently VP of VFX at Skydance Media, Film & TV, Aliyah has over 16 years of experience in several areas of filmmaking including Trailers, Post Production, Camera, Editorial, Digital Media, Visual Effects and more, with an emphasis on Producing. Passionate about new technological boundaries, creative budgeting and committed to delivering beautiful VFX that support a filmmaker’s story from development through final delivery. Credits include: Public Enemies, The Tree of Life, Django Unchained, Fast and Furious, News of the World, The Family Plan, Reacher (TV) and more.

Marcus LeVere
Marcus LeVere began his VFX career as a CG artist on The Scorpion King in 2002. As he took on roles at Lucasfilm/ILM, Zoic Studios and FuseFX, Marcus has focused on VFX Supervision with an emphasis on machine learning and innovation.

Richard Sanchez
Richard Sanchez has been working as an assistant editor and VFX Editor for fifteen years. He began in unscripted television, but has worked across a multitude of projects including scripted television and feature films. Recent projects include Bill & Ted Face the Music, She Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Ahsoka.
