Ep 007: Glicked: Worldbuilding in Wicked and Gladiator II

This week, we delve into the world building techniques behind two of the year's most anticipated films: Gladiator II and Wicked. VFX Producer Ed Randolph (Gladiator II) and VFX Supervisor Anthony Smith (Wicked) give us behind-the-scenes stories of building these worlds and share insights into some of their favorite shots from their impressive careers.

Ep 006: Ultraman: Rising with Shannon Tindle and Hayden Jones

Director Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings, Lost Ollie) and VFX supervisor Hayden Jones join us to discuss the role of empathy in animation. We talk about Tindle’s latest film, Ultraman: Rising as well as the importance of collaboration and infusing personal experiences into characters and storytelling.

Transformers One: Concept Art

For Transformers one, the art department aimed to create shapes and silhouettes that appeared clean and simple from a distance, yet included intricate, purposeful details up-close, such as cut lines in the panels, smaller inset geometry, and layered panel work. Given that iconic Transformer designs often stem from their helmet shapes, the art department worked...

Ep 005: Ghostbusters II with Bill George

For this special Halloween Edition, we flash back to Ghostbusters II with VFX legend Bill George who shares stories from the model shop. We talk with Bill about the evolution of visual effects over his 40-year career.

Seeing Sound: The Future of Live Experiences

Make room for some stellar content and southern hospitality from Industrial Light & Magic in the heart of Texas at SXSW 2025! Find us on the schedule from March 7-15, where we are teaming up with the minds behind ABBA Voyage, alongside the Dead & Company and U2:UV’s Las Vegas Sphere experiences. We’ll explore how...

Ep 004: Twisters with Lee Isaac Chung and Ashley Jay Sandberg

Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, Twisters) and executive producer Ashley Jay Sandberg (Twisters, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) discuss working together to balance science and storytelling with their latest film, Twisters. They share stories from the set, including real-life challenges from Mother Nature. The filmmakers and the Lighter Darker hosts chat about films that inspired them to choose their career paths and some roadblocks they faced along the way.

ILM Honored with inaugural Technology & Engineering Emmy Award

Last evening the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the inaugural “Excellence in Production Technology” Emmy® Award to The Santa Clauses Season Two. The award was presented as part of the 75th Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards at the Prince George Ballroom in New York, hosted by David Pogue, Emmy award-winning correspondent, CBS Sunday Morning. Rachel...

ILM Receives Inaugural Technology & Engineering Emmy Award Nomination

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the recipients of the 75th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards and introduced a new category for the 75th Technology & Engineering Awards, called “Excellence in Production Technology,” and named three nominees including ILM for its work on The Santa Clauses, Season 2, along...

Hollywood Professional Association Unveils 2024 HPA Awards Creative Category Nominees

This morning the Hollywood Professional Association unveiled the HPA Award Creative Category nominees and ILM received seven nominations across three categories. In the Outstanding Visual Effects – Live Action Feature category, ILM received four of the five nominations. For the Live Action Feature category, ILM was nominated for Alien: Romulus (Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Ale’ Melendez, Sebastian...

Ep 003: Camera and Composition

Beth D'Amato, ILM digital paint supervisor, joins Todd and Rob to discuss their favorite camera moves, compositions, and notable oner’s. Beth shares how she got her start in VFX and we learn that sometimes, "We will keep your resume on file" is a good thing! The ILM pros answer questions about basic VFX terminology, and we bust an internet myth.

Ep 002: Transformers One with Josh Cooley

In this episode, the Lighter Darker team welcomes director Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4, Transformers One) to talk about combining humor and heart in filmmaking as he does so well in his films. Josh shares the story of getting his dream shot at Pixar and how he almost had a very different job!