Behind the Invisible: How Hollywood Builds Worlds That Don't Exist

When you watch Dune or Game of Thrones, how much of what you’re seeing is real, and would you actually be able to tell?
About this Event

You’ve watched dragons fly, sandworms rise out of the desert and entire cities get destroyed on screen. But how much of what you’re watching was actually there when they filmed it?

Was there anything behind the actors? Who decides where a dragon flies, how big it should look or where the camera should be when the world itself does not exist yet? How do you turn footage shot in an ordinary location into the deserts of Dune? And why are some of the best visual effects the ones you never notice at all?

We’re getting into what actually happens between the camera rolling and the finished shot: how real footage and digital elements come together, what a VFX Layout Supervisor actually does, and how hundreds of decisions can turn something ordinary into a world you completely believe.

We’ll also talk about the role Toronto plays in the VFX industry and what it is actually like to spend two decades helping build the films and television shows millions of people watch.

Leading the lecture is Senior VFX Layout Supervisor Pankaj Brijlani, a Toronto-based VFX artist and educator with more than 20 years in the industry. His credits include Dune: Part Two, Game of Thrones, Logan, The Revenant, The Boys, The Expanse, Halo and X-Men.

Agenda

6:00 PM doors open. Guests are welcome to arrive early, order drinks, and have dinner before the lecture begins.

7:00 PM lecture begins, followed by Q&A.

8:15 PM wrap up. Guests are welcome to stay for conversation and another drink.