SXSW Sydney

Lara Hopkins, Head of Studio in Melbourne

Lara brings over 30 years of international animation and VFX experience to her role as Head of Studio, having worked in Australia, UK, USA, and Canada in both production and talent roles. She started working in traditional animation in 1992 at Adelaide's Anifex, before moving to Animal Logic as a Producer in Sydney in 1997. Her journey with Framestore started in 2001 as a Senior Producer in the London Advertising division, before moving to a CG manager role in the Film and Episodic division which is where she started her career in VFX management. 

After four years at Industrial Light & Magic in Sydney, most recently as Director of Talent Management, Lara rejoined Framestore.  One of the first two employees, Lara leaves ILM having helped expand and establish the studio.  She brings a passion for identifying the best talent, building and managing creative teams and shaping workplace culture to our Melbourne studio.

Johannes Saam, Creative Technologist and Futurist

Senior Creative Technologist Johannes Saam took an early interest in 3D, teaching himself critical skills at a young age. He studied at ScanlineVFX in Munich, and after earning a Master's in Computer Animation from Bournemouth University, he worked in Visual Effects for 15 years.

He has worked on feature films, including Mad Max, Thor, Captain America, and Prometheus. Since joining Framestore, Johannes has focused on emerging technology for high-profile partners, including Apple, Google, Time Inc, BMW, and Facebook.

Among his many honors, he holds a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his contributions to Deep Image compositing, an Emmy Award for his contributions to the Free Solo 360 project, a Cannes Titanium Lion for Innovation for 'Long Live the Prince,' six SIGGRAPH showcases, and three Animago Awards. Johannes has spoken at various events and conferences, most recently SXSW and GDC, Siggraph, and NFT.NYC.

He is also known under the artist pseudonym 'ATARA,' an AI-focused NFT artist and crypto creative with sold-out collections and advisor for Luxy.io and several NFT projects. As well as art shows, most recently for 'Caribéanofuturisme.'

MAKING THE UNREAL REAL: WOMEN IN VFX AND ANIMATION
 

15 Oct | 12:30pm - 1:30pm | UTS BUILDING 1, BALCONY

Join for an enlightening hour shining a spotlight on the remarkable contributions of women in the VFX and animation industry. Some of Australia’s top female VFX and animation professionals including Framestore’s Head of Studio in Melbourne, Lara Hopkins will share their unique insights, experiences, and the challenges they've navigated in this ever-evolving field. Through engaging discussions, these experts will share insights and breakdowns from flagship VFX and animation sequences and discuss how AI and machine learning are beginning to shape the future of VFX and animation.

CREATIVITY IN THE AGE OF AI WITH BEN, TUSHAR, JOHANNES AND JESSIE
 

16 Oct | 4:45 PM - 5:30 PM | TUMBALONG PARK, TUMBALONG PARK STAGE

Step into the future of creativity at Tumbalong Park in Sydney on October 16th with "Creativity in the Age of AI"—a groundbreaking live performance and talk featuring Framestore’s Creative Technologist and Futurist Johannes Saam, internationally acclaimed music producer Tushar Apte, and Ben Gillies, drummer and founder of the iconic band Silverchair. Immerse yourself in a mind-bending fusion of live music and AI-generated visuals powered by Leonardo.Ai  that blur the lines between reality and the virtual, challenge simulation theory, and flip the imagined on its head. Witness how human artistry remains at the heart of innovation in this witty, bold, and thought-provoking journey—culminating in a reimagined rendition of Silverchair's hit "Freak" that's as wild and free-spirited as the 90s themselves.