Inflection Point Conversations

I speak with Anik Pearson, Angelique Pierre and Nancy Kleppel, the co-founders of Mentorship for Women in Architecture. We talk about the mentorship program, why it is useful for young female architects to have experienced female mentors, and how everyone can benefit from the experience of others. We also discuss what the 'Old Girls' Network could be! You can find the mentorship program he...

I had a great conversation with Silvia Rueda about the really cool and interesting things she has been using Twinmotion for. Silvia is an architect and immersive media specialist from Colombia. In her 7 years working for Heatherwick Studio, she explored the capabilities of Unreal Engine and Twinmotion to visualize design projects and help make them come to life. We also discuss Silvia's Burnin...

I chat with Diana Diriwaechter about how teachers can best prepare art students for a career in VFX and film. Diana is a Professor of VFX and Virtual Production at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and brings her extensive experience in the industry (including 18 years at Blue Sky) to make a super exciting and enlightening podcast episode. I wish all my teachers had been this enthusiastic! C...

I am joined by Terrence Masson, the Chair of MFA Computer Arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Terrence is an education and CGI expert with 35+ years experience in film production. We discuss how schools can best prepare students to enter their chosen industry in film and CGI, and how to keep them excited and interested! You can find Terrence heretmasson@sva.eduwww.sva.edu

I have a great conversation with Arturo Brena, the founder and CEO of KéexFrame, a New York based VFX studio. We talk about how Unreal Engine and realtime technology has encouraged and enabled artists from different fields to work in related CGI fields. Enjoy the podcast!www.keexframe.com

Do we get sick of 3D Art and just want to go and use our hands? Where are all the women? Is there a glass ceiling for Senior Artists? These are the hot topics that Camila and I discuss in the latest episode. One of my personal favorites, Camila is an ex-colleague and a great friend of mine, and between us we may have worked in half the arch viz studios in London and New York (exaggeration). We hav...

How do we challenge visual biases in AI to maintain a culture’s identity? What even is a cultural identity? Who decided that? Is it worth trying to keep it? I have Hassan Ragab returning to the podcast to chat to me about cultural Identity, using AI to create art and what he hopes to achieve with the art he puts out into the world. Check out Hassan herewww.hsnrgb.com

Has the competitive market for Arch Viz images forced artists / companies to scale down their quality? I'm back with Season 3! To kick it off, I speak with Taras Kvitka, the founder of Marygold Studio, and Arch Viz studio based in Ukraine and London. We discuss how the quality of visuals being produced in the past 5 years has changed, and how the market has a large part to play in this. Check...

*Season 2 FINALE!* Can making tutorial videos actually help you learn Unreal Engine? Katya Fedak is a talented 3d visualization artist. Earlier this year she began learning Unreal Engine, diving into the Niagra particle system and blueprints, and then decided to start making tutorial videos on her YouTube page. Her videos became popular very quickly, and Katya describes to me her fluid journey bet...

Is video game design one of the best forms of artistic expression? How do you inspire others to make games? Mfon Enoh is a Game Developer, an Unreal Engine Instructor and a Women in Games Ambassador. Based in Nigeria, Mfon was a teacher for 20 years before deciding to learn coding and how to make video games. She talks with me about her inspiring journey to becoming a teacher, to encourage other p...

How do you get into 3d animation after having your own jewelry-making business? Natasha Wozniak was a jewelry-maker and sculptor and decided to get into 3d animation. She is now a freelance animator, motion designer and 3d sculptor. We discuss what it's like to run your own business, teach yourself a new set of skills and how the online artistic community is invaluable. Check out Natasha's...

How do you move between Arch Viz and Fashion Visualization, and what skills can you learn from each? Jack Fechino is a 3D Artist at Michael Kors, a role he came to as a multidisciplinary artist working as a freelancer. He has worked in Arch Viz, advertising and product visualization before entering the world of fashion. We discuss the differences and similarities, and what you can take away from e...

Anthony Koithra diverted his successful career in business consulting to make independent animated films. Predominantly using Unreal Engine, his animated shorts have already seen some success and he believes he is still learning how to get good. Anthony likes to tell sci-fi and fantasy stories from an immigrant perspective. You can find his work here, enjoy the episode and don't forget to subs...

What is it like to get clients to buy into a new technology in Arch Viz? How do you convince them to try out something new? I spoke with Evan Buxton, the Principle and Interactive Director at Neoscape, a prominent Arch Viz studio based in Boston. We talked about many things, from concincing clients about new tech, to where he thinks AI will take our industry. Enjoy the conversation, and if you lik...

How can an online platform help get your real-time environments into Unreal? I had a super interesting chat with Steven Ren, the founder and CEO of Palatial, about the online platform he created to help artists get their 3D scenes into Unreal faster! If you find this interesting, share it with a friend! Check out Palatial here www.palatialxr.com

What is the best way to share our digital experiences? I had a great time chatting with Experiential Architect Kitae Kim about the company he co-founded called Foveate, and how he created a tool to allow people to share their experiences through an online platform. Let mw know your thoughts in the comments and give me a follow for more interviews like this. You can find Kitae here linkedin.com/in/...

Why should artists be open to learning new tools? What are the benefits of using real-time software to help visualize your designs? Sam Anderson founded of Studio Ladder to help artists, designers and architects to visualize their projects in Unreal Engine. Coming from a background of Architecture, focusing on R&D at SHoP Architects, and working in education for Epic Games, Sam provides a grea...

What does it mean to have an "Elephant Skin"? How has this helped guide the CEO of one of the leading global Architectural Visualization studios today? Giovana Driessen is the CEO of Elephant Skin, and I enjoyed interviewing her and asking about her experiences in the industry. She described to me how this global company developed a 'molecular structure' as way to define people&#...

How important is visualization in communicating an Architect's design intent? Mengyi Fan is the Director of Visualization at SHoP Architects in New York, and has been running the Viz department for the past 12+ years. She discusses with me how the role of visualization withing an Architecture practice is vital, and how different tools can and should be explored and used to get the best results...

How do you become a Design Technology expert? What can you learn from problem solving on a variety of projects? Oliver Thomas is the Director of Design Technology at FACIT Homes, and also the co-founder and CEO of Archi-Tech Network (ATN). He previously worked for 5 years at BIG (Bjarke Ingles Group) and also started an Architect's collective with fellow designers. His explorations with differ...

What is the benefit of an architectural hand drawn illustration? How do you bring character and expression, and also make it a sustainable business? Benji Connell is the Director of Concrete Clouds, an Architectural Illustration practice he founded and runs, producing illustrations for the purpose of visualization. He talks to me about how he went from Architecture school to Illustration and how t...

How do you bring theatre design storytelling into Arch Viz? What was it like to work as a single mother in a male-dominated industry and has the industry improved today? Gunay Demirci is a Senior CGI Artist at DBOX, and her impressive resume at some of the leading Arch Viz studios in London are a product of her years of experience in the industry. She discusses with me how she went from studying t...

*I'm back with Season 2!* What kind of AI tool do you think Architects actually need to make good visuals? How do you start your own software business? George Proud is the co-founder of Gendo, an AI software for Architecture that focuses on getting detail as accurate as possible. It is currently in closed Beta, and he came onto the podcast to discuss with me his experience starting the company...

How do you become a 'digital nomad'? What's the best way to keep maximum efficiency when workers are all over the world? Camille Lymer is a freelance CG Supervisor and has been successfully working as a digital nomad life for a year, allowing him to travel the world whilst making a living. He tells me how he has made this possible, and why he thinks it works for him. You can find Camil...

What are the advantages of being a freelance artist? How can people get involved in the Digital Art community? Ioanna tells me of her experiences working in a studio, going freelance and being a part of the wider 3D communities in London and Sofia. Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe and like, and post your comments below! Ioanna Ivanova is a versatile Digital 3D Artist currently immersed...