A Personal History of the Animation Industry: How does the machine make art? (Colum Slevin)

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In the world of animation, change has been the only constant. From hand-drawn cells to CGI, artists have continually adapted to new technologies, pushing the boundaries of their craft.

Colum Slevin, an animation industry veteran, witnessed and shaped these transformations firsthand. In this bonus episode of The Manager's Moment, he reveals the artistry behind the pixels and ponders the age-old question that characterised the digitisation of the animation process: How do we use the machine to make art? Today too, we have tipped over the precipice of another technology revolution: artificial intelligence. How will this new tool reshape the landscape of animation?

Prepare for a fascinating dive into the past, present, and future of animation as Colum takes us all the way back to his first job as a cell painter.
About Colum

Colum Slevin has over thirty years of experience in leadership roles at the intersection of technology and creativity. He began his career in animated TV and features, eventually serving as Director of Computer Graphics at Industrial Light & Magic and later as Vice President of Studio Operations at Lucasfilm. At Lucasfilm, he oversaw animation and game development teams in California and Singapore, including the award-winning _Clone Wars_ animated TV show.

In 2013, Colum became Studio General Manager at Telltale Games before joining Meta in 2015. At Meta, he led media and narrative VR content development, overseeing products like Oculus TV, Media Studio, and Oculus Venues. Under his leadership, the team produced award-winning VR experiences, including Vader Immortal, The Wolves In The Walls, and The People's House, earning 15 Emmy nominations and 7 wins.

More recently, Colum led the Positive Play experiences team at Electronic Arts, developing products that promote safe and inclusive gaming experiences. He resides in San Rafael, California, with his wife Marie and remains obsessed with technology in the service of creativity and storytelling.

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