Reliance Theatre | Emily Carr University, Level 1

Presented by the Langara Centre for Entertainment Arts and Emily Carr University of Art + Design

HBO’s acclaimed hit series Game of Thrones has become a global cultural phenomenon, capturing the imagination of audiences worldwide, however many people have no idea that a significant amount of the creativity in the series stems from the Vancouver-based Animation and Visual Effects team at Image Engine Design Inc.

The session will be moderated by Visual Effects Producer Tyler Weiss, who joined Image Engine in 2015 to produce Season 6 and 7 and 8 of Game of Thrones.

Tyler will be joined on stage by Emmy Award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor Thomas Schelesny and Animation Supervisor Jason Snyman.

The Artists

Tyler Weiss

Tyler is a VFX producer with over 10 years of leadership experience in Vancouver’s digital production industry and has worked with some of the world’s largest entertainment companies across a multitude of media platforms and genres.

Tyler was a co-founder of a creative agency, which led to the world of production management. He has overseen projects for clients such as: Microsoft Xbox, Electronic Arts, Activision, Square Enix and produced VFX for the Emmy-nominated TV shows "The 100" and “The Man in the High Castle” through Zoic Studios. Tyler joined Image Engine to produce Seasons 6, 7 and 8 of HBO’s acclaimed series Game of Thrones.

Thomas Schelesny

Thomas Schelesny is an Emmy Award winning visual effects supervisor. Thomas’s VFX career spans in excess of two decades, during which time he has worked for both facilities and production companies on over 20 feature films, 12 television projects, and countless commercials.

It was Thomas’ passion for Star Wars that landed him his first major role in the creative industry. After studying animation at The Vancouver Film School, Thomas sought out Star Wars visual effects luminary Phil Tippett. He joined Tippett Studio in 1996 as an animator and spent the next 14 years discovering the secrets of animation and film production alongside his idol ultimately taking on the role of visual effects supervisor at the studio.

During this time Thomas became well-known for applying his animation expertise on-set, often choreographing complex performances that married actors, practical floor effects and CG elements. Disney then enlisted Thomas as Director for the Beverly Hills Chihuahua trailer, which featured a Busby Berkeley song-and-dance number involving dozens of live and CG animals.

Thomas has freelanced on a number of projects over the years, including Super 8 and Mirror Mirror. He also worked as a visual effects supervisor at Scanline VFX, during which time he worked on Pan and won an HPA Award, VES Award, and Emmy Award for his work on Game of Thrones season four.

Thomas brings his multidisciplinary skillset to Image Engine Design, from location plate photography expertise to animation, storyboarding, writing, editing, production planning, bidding, team-building, and management. His latest contributions at Image Engine are Game of Thrones seasons 7 and 8. He is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Jason Snyman

Jason is a self-taught artist with a wealth of visual effects experience, having previously worked on such high-profile feature films such as Avatar, Elysium, Man of Steel and The Lord of the Rings.

Growing up in South Africa, Jason taught himself the fundamentals of animation, his professional career flourished after moving to England and working as a VFX artist at Mill Film in Shepperton Studios, and later WetaDigital in New Zealand where he worked on Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, I, Robot, King Kong and Avatar. Jason joined Image Engine in 2015 as Animation Supervisor and has recently contributed to Independence Day Resurgence, Power Rangers, and Game of Thrones Seasons 7 and 8.