BFX Festival is a chance to experience world-class studio presentations, participate in artist master classes, and boost your career at their dedicated recruitment day. With its rich history, BFX attracts top-tier professionals and companies, allowing young creatives to showcase their work and be inspired.
Meet Our Speakers
Chris Lawrence | VFX Supervisor
Chris Lawrence’s 20-year VFX career has seen him earn four Academy Award nominations, most recently in 2021 for George Clooney’s epic sci-fi feature The Midnight Sky. Chris has leant his love for film-making to franchises from Harry Potter to The Kingsman, and received both an Oscar and a BAFTA for his work on Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, as well as Oscar nominations for his work as VFX Supervisor on Ridley Scott’s The Martian and Disney’s Christopher Robin.
Arslan Elver | Animation Supervisor
Arslan is a self-taught animator known for creating realistic creature movements and deeply resonant characters. He joined Framestore in 2006, working on projects like Underdog and the Oscar-winning The Golden Compass. His film credits include Where the Wild Things Are, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Guardians of the Galaxy. After leading animation at ILM on films like Avengers: Age of Ultron, he returned to Framestore as Animation Supervisor for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, contributing to Rocket and Baby Groot. Most recently, he served as Production Animation Director on John Krasinski’s IF.
Jules Darriulat | Concept Artist
A member of Framestore’s in-house art department, Jules has worked on major film and TV projects like Wednesday, The 3 Body Problem, His Dark Materials, Doctor Who and Paddington in Peru. He continues to seek self-improvement through personal work and the Concept101 event he co-founded.
Brenda Ximena Roldan Romero | 3D Animator
Brenda is a former Bournemouth University alum with 3 years of experience in both high-end VFX and feature animation working at Framestore for the past six months. Her previous work includes Prehistoric Planet seasons 1 & 2, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Deeply committed to the animation industry she teaches part-time as an Animation Lecturer and is the Vice-Chair of London AMC SIGGRAPH.
Fah Anuntasomboon | Lighting LookDev TD
With over ten years of experience in the VFX industry, Fah started her creative journey with a degree in Fine Arts from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok followed by a Computer Graphics degree from The Animation Workshop in Denmark. Her experience ranges from being a 3D Generalist working on films and mobile game applications to working as a Lighting TD across series such as The Wheel of Time to films like Wonka.
How to Prepare Your Portfolio for the BFX Recruitment Day
28th Oct | 2:30pm - 3:45pm | Cobham LT, Talbot Campus
BU students are invited to join this informative session designed to help you prepare for recruitment day on Friday, November 1. Get expert guidance on effectively communicating with potential recruiters and refining your portfolio to make a strong impression. This is a great opportunity to enhance your skills and boost your confidence.
Concept Art for the Film Industry
29th Oct | 10:30am - 11:30am | The Hilton
In this talk, Jules Darriulat will break down the concept art workflow utilized at every stage of a movie production cycle. From the initial pitch and pre-production phases to the intricate VFX work, expect a comprehensive showcase of diverse examples that illustrate the true breadth of concept art in film and TV.
Magical Realism: The VFX and Animation of IF (Imaginary Friends)
29th Oct | 4:30pm - 5:15pm | The Hilton
From writer and director John Krasinski, IF captivated audiences with its seamless integration of VFX and live-action, featuring a cast of over 42 unique Imaginary Friends, each with distinct personalities and visual characteristics.
Join Framestore's VFX Supervisor, Chris Lawrence, and Animation Supervisor, Arslan Elver, as they share their experiences as the Production VFX Supervisor and Production Animation Director on IF. Discover how they achieved the seamless blending of animated characters with live-action footage, creating performances that feel both real and emotionally resonant.
From the early stages of storyboarding and character design, through previs, on-set supervision, postvis, and the final delivery of shots, Chris and Arslan will explore their creative journey. They’ll highlight how they brought John Krasinski’s vision to life by merging realism with fantastical elements, capturing the essence of magical realism, where the true magic lies in believability.
Being Yourself - and STILL getting a job in VFX!
31st Oct | 10:00am - 11:00am | The Hilton
Join Animated Women UK as our panel of industry experts share their experiences and advice on how to be your unique self and succeed in the VFX industry.
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