DreamLab Showcase: Realtime Puppetry

Tuesday 12 Nov 2024 - 14:30
Manchester Central Library
Runtime: 60 mins (approx.)

As part of Manchester Animation Festival 2024, drop by our space to see groundbreaking digital characters in action and talk with the innovators who are revolutionising how we bring virtual performers to life in Realtime.

This session brings together pioneering creators who are pushing the boundaries of real-time animation and performance using state of the art technology.

No ticket or pass needed, just drop in!

This event is sponsored by:

Guests

Haydn Secker

Haydn is a writer, director and producer animator with over 25 years experience working in film, television, advertising and computer games. Specialising in stop-frame animation He has worked on a wide variety of productions including major broadcast series and independently produced short films.

Christian Frost

Christian Frost is a Creative technologist specialising in virtual reality and 3D development. Working with Unreal Engine and Blender, he creates immersive experiences that push the boundaries of digital interaction.

Bradley Harris

Bradley is a Creative veteran with 15 years of expertise across games, TV, and advertising, Bradley Harris brings masterful experience from the industry's biggest franchises. His work includes first-party Xbox titles, Star Wars, LEGO, Fortnite, and Disney projects, alongside major collaborations with UFC and the groundbreaking MSG Sphere.

Arpana Nandakumar

Arpana Nandakumar crafts virtual worlds as a VR specialist, using tools like Unreal Engine and NVIDIA Omniverse with precision and creativity. At the DreamLab, she leads groundbreaking projects in virtual production and digital twin development. Her portfolio spans enterprise VR training solutions and immersive experiences that consistently push technological boundaries.

Pete Woodbridge

Pete Woodbridge is a Creative Technologist working on new possibilities for the future of content across Realtime and AI. Director of DreamLab at Mediacity and R&D Innovation Lead at the Mediacity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub, where he is involved in over 30 innovation projects that are building the future of media. Formerly he has worked across a number of studios (TMRW Foundation, Draw and Code, Pathway, Crucial FX, and Universities, on innovation projects crossing games and interactive, to film and animation. Find out more on his site: https://www.curiousmagic.co.uk/

Daniel Maktabi

Daniel is an animation specialist with a Masters in Animation from the University of Salford, whose background in industrial design led to a deeper focus on character design and technical art. With extensive experience as a digital sculptor, Daniel has created a wide array of characters and organic 3D assets. His early work as a puppet and character artist on cinematic projects set the stage for his role as a technical artist at DreamLab, where he bridges classical artistry with real-time tools; building pipelines that enhance character animation and researching methods to streamline traditional animation processes.