Visual effects production and delivery
The decisions, relationships and systems behind ambitious film and television work, from the first conversation through bidding, planning, production and final delivery.
Speaking
Talks, tours and conversations
Ian speaks about the work behind visual effects: how creative ambition becomes production reality, how technology changes filmmaking, and what three decades of creating convincing images can teach us about AI, synthetic media and trust.
His appearances range from conference keynotes and industry panels to university events, international technology tours and regular film conversations on ABC Radio Adelaide.
Practical topics
What could Ian speak about?
Creativity, technology and emerging tools
A practical view of production technology, remote review, virtual production, machine learning and how new tools change what creative teams can make.
Synthetic media, AI and trust
What visual effects can teach us about convincing images, provenance, review, accountability and human judgement in an age when realistic media can be generated by anyone.
Building an industry
Education, workforce development, professional communities and the long-term work required to connect emerging talent with real production.
Selected appearances
In the room and on air
Across radio, conferences, technology tours, industry organisations and universities, Ian has spoken to audiences ranging from filmmakers and visual effects artists to students, government, defence and the wider public.
Regular segment
ABC Radio Adelaide: What to Watch
Ian joins Rory McClaren on ABC Radio Adelaide for regular conversations about film, television and what is worth watching.
The segment brings the same practical perspective as Ian's industry speaking to a broader audience: what works on screen, what sits behind it, and why particular films connect.
GISA 2026
Global Information Summit Australia
The Reality Engine: What VFX Can Teach Us About Trust in the Age of Synthetic Media
At Global Information Summit Australia, Ian spoke to an audience drawn from defence, government, intelligence, critical infrastructure, industry and academia.
The Reality Engine looked beyond image generation itself. Drawing on three decades in visual effects, Ian explored the systems that allow convincing imagery to be created responsibly: intent, review, provenance, accountability and human judgement.
The central argument was that trustworthy information will not be secured by better pixels or detection tools alone. It will depend on better systems around how media is created, reviewed and understood.
About GISA Global Information Summit Australia brings together leaders and practitioners from defence, government, critical infrastructure, industry and academia to address information risk, cyber security, artificial intelligence and emerging technology.
Community and education
Building the industry around the work
Industry leadership and community
Visual Effects Society
Ian has been involved with the Visual Effects Society for more than two decades, contributing to the professional community around visual effects in Australia and internationally.
He spent many years on the VES Australia Section Board, including serving as Chair or Co-Chair, and has continued contributing through the international Membership Committee.
The work has included bringing practitioners together, supporting screenings and events, encouraging membership and helping Australia's visual effects community participate in a wider global industry.
Education and industry development
VFX Industry Nights
Ian has regularly spoken at VFX Industry Nights and university events, helping students understand how professional visual effects production actually works.
These appearances grew from his involvement in developing RSP Education and supporting the relationship between Rising Sun Pictures and the University of South Australia.
The focus was practical: the expectations of production, the range of roles behind the images, how teams collaborate and what emerging artists need to make the transition into industry.
International work
Autodesk and international industry tours
Ian's international presentations grew from a combination of production experience, technology development, company communication and relationship-building.
The stage was never only the stage. These events were also opportunities to explain the work, connect with artists and clients, strengthen technology relationships and open doors for what came next.
Autodesk industry tour · Asia-Pacific
Autodesk APAC Blockbuster Animators Tour
Digital Entertainment Creation Solutions Launch: Thrive, Innovate & Win
Ian presented Rising Sun Pictures' work and production experience as part of an Asia-Pacific Autodesk tour, speaking to creative and technical audiences across six cities.
The tour combined project breakdowns, production workflows and technology with a wider story about how an Australian visual effects company was building international work and relationships.
Industry presentation
Autodesk Arnold
Ian presented Rising Sun Pictures' visual effects, production experience and technology to an international industry audience in Seoul.
International presentation
Autodesk industry presentation
In a translated one-hour presentation, Ian introduced Rising Sun Pictures, discussed the studio's use of Autodesk tools and walked through visual effects work from projects including Superman Returns, Charlotte's Web, Harry Potter, Australia, Terminator Salvation, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Ruins and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
The event is a useful historical example of Ian translating detailed production and technical work for an international audience.
Creative and technical conferences
Making complicated work useful
Design and creative conference · Australia
Semi-Permanent
Ian presented Rising Sun Pictures and the creative and technical work behind visual effects to a large design-conference audience.
The presentation included work from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and showed how the images were built behind the finished frame.
Conference presentation and education panel
SIGGRAPH Asia
Ian represented Rising Sun Pictures at the first SIGGRAPH Asia, contributing to an education panel and presenting the studio's work to an international computer graphics audience.
Creative-industry presentation
Behind The Screens
Ian presented Rising Sun Pictures' visual effects work on Baz Luhrmann's Australia as part of Creative Sydney, one of the early events in the launch of Vivid Sydney.
Speaking archive
Selected record
A compact record of confirmed radio, conference, education and industry appearances.
ABC Radio Adelaide: What to WatchAdelaideRadio and media↗Global Information Summit AustraliaAdelaideSpeaker and panel participant↗SIGGRAPH: Autodesk Vision SeriesLos AngelesRemote-first production workflows↗
Autodesk ArnoldSeoulIndustry presentation
University of South Australia VFX Industry NightAdelaideEducation and industry development
Meet the Makers: Visual EffectsSydneyAFI, AACTA and VES industry event
Gravity Q&ARising Sun Pictures, AdelaideAustralian Screen Editors event↗Autodesk industry presentationZhuhaiInternational presentation
Autodesk APAC Blockbuster Animators TourAsia-PacificSix-city industry tour
Creative Sydney: Behind The ScreensSydneyCreative-industry presentation
SIGGRAPH AsiaSingaporeEducation panel and RSP presentation↗Semi-PermanentAustraliaDesign conference presentation
Visual Effects SocietyAustralia and internationalBoard, community and membership service↗Invite Ian
Start a conversation
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