AFI | AACTA presents: Animal Logic - Reimagining Story Through Animation and VFX

Zareh Nalbandian has been managing, developing and producing large-scale screen projects for over 25 years. He has collaborated with iconic directors, producers and artists on some of the most successful feature films of our time. Since leading Animal Logic’s expansion into feature film visual effects in 1996 and feature animation in 2006, Zareh has guided one of the most respected and admired artistic and technical cultures in the industry, earning his reputation as a world leader in the fields of film development, animation, visual effects and production.

Zareh was executive producer on Academy Award-winning Happy Feet, he produced the animated adventure Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, directed by Zack Snyder which was produced entirely at Animal Logic’s studios in Sydney, Australia. Most recently Zareh served as executive producer on The LEGO® Batman Movie and is currently producer on Peter Rabbit (2018) and executive producer on The LEGO® Ninjago Movie (2017) and The LEGO® Movie Sequel (2019).

Zareh is committed to building a successful, globally competitive digital production industry in Australia. He enjoys strong personal relationships with key US studio executives and leading directors and producers, in addition to the continued day-to day management of the company. Zareh guides the development of an exciting slate of feature film properties and continues to push the boundaries of digital storytelling.

Rob Coleman joined Animal Logic in 2012 as the head of Animation. He recently completed work on The LEGO® Batman Movie and is currently working on The LEGO® Ninjago Movie. Prior to Animal Logic, Rob spent 14 years at Industrial Light & Magic and Lucasfilm Animation, working closely with George Lucas.

Rob is a two-time Oscar nominee for his animation work on Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and has been nominated for two BAFTA Awards for his work on Men in Black and The Phantom Menace. He was chosen as one of the most creative people in the entertainment industry when he was added to Entertainment Weekly's 'It List' in 2002 as their 'It CG-Creature Crafter' for his work on digital Yoda. 

Ingrid Johnston first joined Animal Logic in 2002 and in September 2015 she took on the role of head of Production. Prior to this Ingrid was the associate producer on The LEGO® Ninjago Movie.

Earlier film credits include VFX producer for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, VFX production manager on Australia, Knowing, and Sucker Punch, co-production manager on Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, VFX coordinator on 28 Weeks Later, Where the Wild Things Are, Fool's Gold, production coordinator on Happy Feet as well as producing a variety of commercials and short projects.

Paul Butterworth is one of Australia's most experienced visual effects supervisors. His skills in the visual effects and design world encompass graphic design and illustration, concept development, on-set supervision and the highly-specialised art of matte painting.

As part of his lead role on Prometheus, Paul was on set during the filming of some key sequences he would work on, using the time alongside Ridley Scott to develop the concept designs of the signature 'Orrery' to Ridley's approval — a design that would eventually grace the cover of Cinefex. As part of his work on Prometheus, Paul was nominated for BAFTA Best Visual Effects and VES Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature.

Equally at home on set with the top directors or in front of a workstation, Paul is able to engender trusting relationships with all the project's stakeholders to develop concepts for characters, futuristic gadgets, ethereal effects and title sequences. His artistic contributions and guidance have proven valuable for all films that have passed through his hands and that of his trusted teams.

Paul’s recent feature film credits include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Alien: Covenant, Iron Man 3, Thor, X-Men Origins, X-Men Days of Future Past, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Unbroken, Insurgent, Avengers: Age of Ultron and The Divergent Trilogy: Allegiant. 

Grant Freckelton has been working in the visual effects and animation industry since 1998, as an illustrator, art director, VFX supervisor and production designer.

Grant was most recently the production designer on The LEGO® Batman Movie. Prior to this, he was the production designer on the BAFTA Award-winning The LEGO® Movie.

In 2010, Grant served as the art director on Zack Snyder’s animated feature Legend of the Guardians: The Owl of Ga'Hoole, for which he won an AFI ACTAA award for Best Visual Effects. This followed his previous collaboration as visual effects art director on Snyder’s 300, for which he won a Satellite award for VFX.

Grant’s previous credits include design and VFX art direction on Happy Feet 2, Matrix: Reloaded, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Moulin Rouge! Garage Days and Rabbit-Proof Fence. He has also worked on numerous television and commercial projects throughout his award-winning career. 

Chris McKay, a Chicago native, is the visionary behind numerous television and film programs of critical acclaim. Most recently, he directed the critically-acclaimed box off smash hit The LEGO® Batman Movie, which marked his feature film directorial debut. He is the director, writer and producer behind the award-winning television series Robot Chicken, Titan Maximum, and Morel Orel.

In 2014, McKay served as animation co-director, editor and animation director of the blockbuster-animated feature The LEGO® Movie. His work as an editor on that film earned him the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film, Animation, as well as an Annie Award nomination for Best Edited Animation Feature Film.

McKay has worked as a successful producer, editor and writer for Adult Swim/Cartoon Network. He has directed more than 50 episodes of Robot Chicken, one of the highest rated and critically acclaimed programs on Cartoon Network. Since its premiere, the show has received fourteen Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Short-Form Animated Program, Outstanding Voiceover Performance, and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animations, and McKay won the Emmy in 2010 for his work as director. The show has also received five Annie Award nominations and won the award for Best Character Animation in a Television Production in 2008.

As director and a show producer, McKay made Titan Maximum, a groundbreaking animated program for Adult Swim that incorporated traditional stop-motion as well as 2D and 3D animation. Additionally, McKay has been nominated for an Annie Award as Best Directing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form for his work on the darkly comedic Morel Orel, created by TV comedy writer Dino Stamatopoulos.

McKay is a regularly featured panelist at Comic-Con International, Wizard World’s Comic-Con Tour, and the Anime Expo. He currently resides in Los Angeles.