Catch up on our team's time at SIGGRAPH 2026!
From an insightful Birds of a Feather session to exciting new tech insights, learn more about our time at the industry's biggest conference.
That's a wrap on SIGGRAPH 2026!
We had an incredible time sharing insights and connecting with fellow industry professionals at this year's conference! Scroll for more details.
Birds of a Feather
Our very own David Conley (Executive Producer), Simon Hedges (Chief Business Officer) and Aleks Pejic (VFX Supervisor) were thrilled to host a candid conversation about navigating today’s global VFX landscape.
Their insightful Birds of a Feather session, 'Running large-scale, multi-site VFX productions in the real world: what's working & what to fix?', explored the practical realities of geographically-distributed productions, from cross-site collaboration and creative pipelines to the technology shaping the future of production!
Missed the session? Don't worry! We've gathered three key insights here:
The Future of Global VFX
Looking ahead, what is the one fundamental thing the VFX industry must fix to make borderless, global production sustainable?
David Conley (Executive Producer) shared:
“To make borderless production sustainable, the industry must solve one thing above all: how to keep creative, operational, and cultural coherence intact at global scale. The biggest challenge here isn't geographical boundaries; it's the assumption that this coherence is a free commodity.”
Tax Credits vs. Studio Reality
Tax incentives drive where work goes, but what actually determines whether a multi-site production succeeds or fails?
Simon Hedges (Chief Business Officer) said:
“Tax incentives influence where work is done, but they don't determine whether a show succeeds. The VFX studios that consistently succeed are the ones that have built an operating model where geography becomes almost invisible, and creative alignment becomes the competitive advantage.”
The Global Pipeline Reality
What is your #1 rule for keeping creative quality consistent when a production is split across multiple time zones and continents?
Aleks Pejic (VFX Supervisor) responded:
“My rule #1: Consistency doesn't come from process alone. It comes from trust, clear standards, and constant communication. Build one creative culture, not multiple locations, by defining the vision early and reinforcing it through regular reviews and shared ownership. Then every studio becomes an extension of the same team, not just another stop in the pipeline.”
Tech Insights
DNEG's own Ted Waine (Expert Software Developer) participated in the Academy Software Foundation's 'Open Review Initiative' Birds of a Feather meeting, where he presented the latest improvements that have been made to xSTUDIO, both by the DNEG team and through open source community contributions! Ted also demonstrated our latest 'xSTUDIO Sync' streaming solution for remote review, which generated significant interest from other studios who are planning to adopt xSTUDIO into their own pipelines. Learn more about xSTUDIO here!
Other members of our Technology team were also thrilled to attend the conference, learning about the latest advances in AI, robotics, immersive experiences, simulation, animation, and cutting-edge innovations in realtime technologies! Highlights for our team included the RenderMan Art & Science Fair, and NASA's sessions on the Artemis II.
Huge thank you to our speakers, and to everyone who joined us!
See you next year, SIGGRAPH!