Anse Vandevelde is currently a marketing FX Intern at SideFX. She first got into Houdini while studying at Digital Arts and Entertainment in Belgium, that’s where her love for FX and problem-solving really took off. As part of her university’s program, she did an exchange in Montreal and completed an internship at Stargate Studios Malta. Afterwards, she went on to do freelance FX work for UK-based animation studio Revenant before returning to Canada and joining SideFX.

Simon Verstraete is a tech artist who loves building procedural tools and assets. By adding more and more procedural approaches to his workflow, he is able to build 3D models with speed and flexibility. Simon previously worked at Exiin and with SideFX, and is now at Studio Gobo as Senior Tech Artist.

Henry Foster has been a technical artist since 2006, freelancing in commercials and feature films as a lighter, FX artist, rigger, tools developer, and pipeline engineer. He lives with his wife and cats in Portland, OR, and loves baking, brewing, and gawking at nature when he's not tied down to the computer.

Paul Ambrosiussen is currently a Technical Artist at Bismuth Consultancy. He was the Lead of SideFX Labs prior to that. Paul finished his BASc in International Game Architecture and Design at NHTV University of Applied Sciences in Breda. Paul enjoys writing tools to support effective art pipelines, and maintaining tool / workflow quality for the artists he is assisting. His goal is to help others create amazing things in a better, faster and more flexible way. He creates tutorials, gives live lectures, attends events, and presents custom workshops to customers.

Peter Dominik is a CG Supervisor with a strong background in Look Development, Lighting, and Environments. Passionate about VFX, problem-solving, and creating innovative workflows that empower artists to work efficiently and deliver the highest quality visuals.

Rafael Drelich is an Effects TD and educator based in Toronto, specializing in digital simulations and procedural solutions for VFX and games. With a background in human-centred design, he has a unique approach to breaking down complex visual effects sequences into clear and manageable tasks. His enthusiasm for the creative process, collaborative work, and the wonder of digital effects have been a guiding force in his professional life. He has previously worked at WeFX, Pixomondo, and Mr. X, contributing to high-profile projects such as "Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities" (2023), "From" (2023), "Halo" (2022), "American Gods" (2021), and other notable shows. Rafael holds a Bachelor's degree in Design from PUC-Rio and a Postgraduate Degree in Visual Effects from George Brown College. Currently a Professor at Seneca Polytechnic School of Creative Arts and Animation, teaching procedural thinking for games using Houdini. Believes that a collaborative mindset, rapid prototyping and iterative processes can solve any creative challenge

Mykyta Berezin is an FX Artist at WeFX Studio in Toronto. With expertise in FX, 3D modeling, texturing, and rendering and with a background in broadcast, and motion design, he demonstrates a strong commitment to artistic pursuits. Mykyta specializes in creating both realistic and abstract simulated and procedural visual effects. He is currently focused on exploring automation and optimization techniques to produce desired effects more 

Conor Collins is a versatile Technical Artist with over 15 years of experience across multiple careers and disciplines in digital imaging. Beginning his journey in photography and now immersed in generative AI and Houdini, Conor's passion for digital artistry propelled him into new realms of CG, motion design, and generative work. His ability to blend technical innovation with creative problem-solving has been a hallmark of his career, leading to his current role at Synthesis AI, where he continues to push the boundaries of digital imaging through his diverse expertise.

Matt Benson is a seasoned technical artist with over 10 years of experience in procedural workflows across various domains. Beginning his career at Pixar Animation Studios, Matt contributed to 11 feature films as well as several short films across multiple departments. He brings his passion for procedural problem-solving to Synthesis AI, where he works at the forefront of artificial intelligence and computer vision.

AJ Christensen is a Senior Visualization Designer for the NASA Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS), where he develops data visualization techniques and designs data-driven imagery for scientific analysis and public outreach using Hollywood visual effects tools. SVS visualizations feature datasets from Earth- and space-based instrumentation, scientific supercomputer models, and physical statistical distributions that have been analyzed and processed by computational scientists. AJ's specialties include working with 3D volumetric data, using the procedural cinematic software Houdini, and science topics in Heliophysics, Geophysics, and Astrophysics. He previously worked at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications’ Advanced Visualization Lab where he made more than a dozen science documentary full-dome films as well as the IMAX films "Hubble 3D" and "A Beautiful Planet", and he worked at DNEG on the movie “Interstellar”, which won the 2015 visual effects Academy Award. He recently completed a science communication Master's degree that focused on science learning in movies and video games.

Christopher Rutledge is a CG Artist, Director, and co-founder of Grin Machine, based in Los Angeles. His films have screened at Sundance, Annecy, Ottawa, Pictoplasma, and Adult Swim. He loves utilizing the latest cutting CG tools, especially Houdini, to create floppy characters. 

Magnus Møller is co-founder of Tumblehead based in Viborg, Denmark. He has a love for cartoony design and animation, He specializes in 3D look development and Art Direction, as well as rigging. He's an alumni and guest teacher at The Animation Workshop in Viborg. 

Heinrich Löwe was born in 1980 in Stralsund, Germany, and pursued a Master of Engineering Sciences in Computational Informatics at Hamburg University of Technology, graduating in 2012. His professional journey began at Stereolize in Munich from 2000 to 2002, followed by a long tenure at Sehsucht in Hamburg from 2002 to 2022. He is currently working as a CG TD at ILP in Stockholm. He has been happily married since 2016 and has two seven-year-old children. In his free time, he enjoys kitesurfing and swimming.

Timmy Lundin Timmy Lundin is a CG Supervisor at Important Looking Pirates with a long-standing love affair with proceduralism, optimization, and problem-solving. He began as a one-man FX band at a small Swedish studio before moving to Rising Sun Pictures, where he contributed to FX, Lighting, and Tool building during their transition to a Houdini-based lighting pipeline. Since then, he has been helping ILP through the same transition while CG Supervising shows, designing and implementing various Houdini pipeline tools and workflows, and helping artists develop their skills—all while consistently nagging any fellow pirate missing the Geometry Spreadsheet from their default desktop layout.

Lucas Stringhetti is a Senior Effects Technical Director at Framestore, where he has been pivotal in shaping the visual effects for some of the biggest blockbusters in recent years. His impressive portfolio includes contributions to iconic projects such as Deadpool & Wolverine, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fallout: Season 1, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. With his expertise in crafting complex simulations and seamlessly integrating them into live-action footage, Stringhetti has become a key figure in delivering cutting-edge visual effects that enhance the storytelling in major films and TV series.

Ben Christensen is a Senior Real-Time VFX Artist with a sharp focus on realism and destruction, leveraging his expertise in Houdini and Unreal Engine. Ben joined Beyond-FX following a standout internship at SideFX, where he played a key role in developing pipeline tools for integrating Houdini with Unreal. From pushing the bar by advancing these pipeline tools to creating dynamic effects like weapon slashes, action trails, and shattering objects, Ben brings an unmatched attention to detail and passion for real-time work. He thrives on tackling complex pipeline puzzles, treating each challenge like a new adventure. When he's not exploring innovative ways to push creative boundaries, you'll find him diving into Elden Ring or engaging in epic battles in Super Smash Bros.

Moritz Schwind is gonna take part in it all - Be it pixels, hardware, code or cameras. And sometimes even reassemble it. In his spare time, he likes to dabble with code and create generative artwork. He claims his early exposure to QBasic is no help at all when working in Houdini, Blender, Processing or Arduino. But it might have been what started his fascination for the boundaries of code and art. When not wreaking havoc to any intriguing devices around him, he works as a freelance Technical and Art Director. His more recent areas of interest cover the use of scientific algorithms in generative design and the application of AI in creative fields

Ivan Rys is a digital artist and 3D Motion Designer based in Toronto. His work blends mathematical algorithms, natural phenomena, and digital artistry to explore the complexity of the world around us. With experience in film, TV series, projection mapping, and advertising, Ivan is currently focused on 3D Motion Design and expanding his practice as a multimedia artist.

Tim Sibley is the FX Supervisor at SPIN VFX in Toronto. In his nearly 20-year career, he's contributed to well over 100 film and TV projects, including "Game of Thrones", "Stranger Things", "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and "The Boys".

Alex Hamer is currently a Marketing FX intern at SideFX. He completed a bachelor's degree in Game Design in the UK and was first introduced to Houdini during their Master's in Game Development, on which he was instantly hooked. After graduating with his Masters degree, he worked as a freelancer on SideFX: Project Pegasus, a procedural-based open-world tech demo. He then assisted in the Pegasus intermediate workshops at the Everything Procedural Conference at Breda University of Applied Sciences. He has a love for solving interesting problems and a passion for creativity.

George Hulm co-developed the foliage toolkit with Feike Postmes, George most recently worked on the Technical Environment Art workflows on SideFX Software's Project Pegasus. For the last few years, he has worked in Technical R&D for synthetic datasets, VR digital twins, Digital Heritage, and TV broadcast, with a focus on developing foliage pipelines. In his last role at Applied Intuition, George developed an in-house foliage system which, over a year of production, was used to produce 300 assets.

Simon Verstraete is a tech artist who loves building procedural tools and assets. By adding more and more procedural approaches to his workflow, he is able to build 3D models with speed and flexibility. Simon previously worked at Exiin and with SideFX, and is now at Studio Gobo as Senior Tech Artist.

Mai Ao is the Senior Technical Lead of SideFX Labs with many years of game development and Houdini experience. With a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University, he has a background in computer science, graphics, and fine art. Mai went on to work in game production on high-profile projects with Industrial Light & Magic and Walt Disney Imagineering, responsible for building procedural pipelines, physics simulations, VFX, shaders, and optimization. At SideFX, Mai is passionate about serving the community and helping to push the boundaries of real-time technologies.

Mark Tucker is a Senior Software Architect at SideFX, where he has worked for over twenty years. For the past six years he has been leading the team developing Solaris, Houdini's native USD look development, layout, and lighting context.

Chris Rydalch has worked in feature animation for the last 10 years. Most of that time has been spent in production as a character simulation, crowds, and FX TD at Pixar, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky Studios. His most recent role at Blue Sky was Production Technology TD, where he helped roll out a new pipeline based around USD. Today he works at SideFX in the R&D group, primarily focused on workflows and tools for Solaris and Karma.

Alexandre Sirois-Vigneux is a Senior Software Developer at SideFX Software and brings over 10 years of experience in visual effects to his role. With a background in FX from studios like ILM and Digital Domain, he now focuses on developing intuitive and user-friendly tools that empower VFX artists to unleash their creativity. When not coding, Alexandre expresses his creative side through photography and drone cinematography.