FRAME:WORK - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Founder and CEO of XR Business Solutions
Adler Zamora is the founder and CEO of XR Business Solutions, a Mexico-based studio that designs and delivers high-impact immersive experiences for film, games, advertising, and live entertainment. With a background in computer systems engineering, Adler discovered in XR a way to reshape how audiences engage with content.
From his early days as CTO of XR Tales to his current leadership at XRBS, he has led cross-functional teams across projects that harness tools like Unreal Engine, nDisplay, and real-time tracking systems, always pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling. Beyond production, Adler is deeply committed to the development of the XR ecosystem. He has served as a university lecturer and participated in industry events such as FICG, Talent Land, and NALIP, where he advocates for accessible, world-class training in virtual technologies.
Andy Hook serves as d&b's Director of Technology Strategy. He specialises in the visioneering of future technologies for the group with a particular focus on the convergence of video, light and spatial audio, as well as the exciting future potential of augmented reality. Andy is a creative technologist, an entrepreneur and a futurist. Having built several companies in the creative technology space, Andy's career has taken him, through a series of acquisitions, to be in a senior leadership position within the d&b group - a multinational technology company with over 1000 employees.
Andy's career has seen him take on some prestigious ventures - including the design, installation and operation of complete integrated audio-visual solutions and broadcast studios for nationally and internationally acclaimed projects including with clients such as; ITV, BBC , Bloomberg, MSG and Sky.
Andy is credited as one of the small group of people who pioneered the concept of an XR stage - developing the world's first ever stage for Discovery Eurosport's coverage of the Olympic Winter Games in 2018 during his time as Technical Solutions Director at White Light. Andy went on to create the SmartStage brand of turn-key XR solutions - delivering some of the world's first permanently installed XR stages for the likes of the University of Michigan & Verizon.
Investing much of his time into the research and development of new technologies, Andy's passion is collaborating with manufacturers and industry peers to uncover ground-breaking new ways to utilise technology, pushing the boundaries of the latest equipment and exploring the potential of future technologies.
Aron Altmark (he/him) is a lighting and media designer based in Santa Cruz, CA, and the founder of Visual Endeavors, a creative technology studio working across live events, installations, and interactive media. With a background in theatre and digital media from the California Institute of the Arts, Aron's work explores the intersection of performance, technology, and audience engagement.
He founded Visual Endeavors in 2014 as a solo touring practice and has since grown it into a multidisciplinary studio supporting concert touring, broadcast, and experiential projects, with a focus on interactive content and custom media server systems for real-time applications. From the Santa Cruz studio, Aron and the VE team continue to explore new forms of interactive work that blend motion, light, and audience participation.
Outside of work, he can usually be found on two wheels exploring coastal roads or trails - or on the road with Pepper the studio dog.
Ash Nehru made the mistake of letting other people use his software; the result was www.disguise.one
Ben Nicholson is 20 year veteran of motion design and the visual content production community. He has produced and created visuals for iconic moments, shows, bands and brands for and with some of the best creatives in the business.
Currently, he teaches animation, technology, production and creative processes full time in the Emerging Technologies in Business and Design Department at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio He is passionate about pushing the envelope of what is possible in the live environment, designing sound creative business practices and educating and inspiring the next wave of content creators.
Cesar Caceres is a seasoned expert in optimizing and innovating advanced video workflows and virtual production environments. With deep technical knowledge in media processing, synchronization, and real-time content delivery, he excels at integrating a wide range of technologies to enhance production efficiency and quality.
As Product Lead at Brompton, Cesar drives the development and support of cutting-edge video systems, ensuring seamless integration of LED technologies and setting industry benchmarks for image quality. His career spans collaborations with studios worldwide, helping them elevate their production capabilities for virtual and live events. Cesar's commitment to creating reliable, efficient workflows has consistently contributed to delivering exceptional virtual and live experiences across diverse projects.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Director of PIXERA USA
Conor McGill is a leader in the digital multimedia entertainment industry, with extensive experience spanning consumer electronics, film and television production, concert touring, corporate events, immersive entertainment venues, and media architecture. He is passionate about helping people better understand, experience, and utilize technology to enrich their personal and professional lives.
As the Director of PIXERA USA, Conor oversees the growth of the PIXERA team and the product's adoption in the U.S. market. He also serves as a global product and business advisor for AV Stumpfl, PIXERA's parent company.
Dirk Sanders is a director and producer specializing in multi-camera direction and screens direction on projects spanning broadcast, concert touring, and special events.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder of the Interactive
Elburz Sorkhabi is the co-founder of The Interactive & Immersive HQ and one of the top TouchDesigner developers in the world. He brings insight he has used to lead clients including Google, Kanye West, Netflix, TIFF, Burj Khalifa, Nike, Under Armour, IBM, and many more. Elburz has deployed large-scale projects around the world from Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Scotland, and Paris.
Job Titles:
- Executive Producer, XR Studios
Job Titles:
- President, XR Studios
- Screen Producer
J.T. Rooney is a Screen Producer based in Los Angeles, in the LA office of Silent Partners Studio. SPS is a design and content creation studio based in Montreal that has been featured on some of the world's largest events, including the Super Bowl, European Games Closing Ceremonies, permanent installations, and numerous large world tours.
Across his work on some of the largest music, corporate, broadcast, and esport projects, J.T. Rooney and his teams have pushed the limits of creative design and execution for live entertainment. J.T. began his career creating immersive visuals and controlled advanced systems for the New World Symphony, later joining creative agency Lightborne for commercial production. After pushing into touring and live entertainment projects, he joined the team at Silent Partners Studios where he was across projects for international artists and brands including Super Bowl Halftime Shows, International arena and stadium tours, and esports championships. J.T. came together with his collaborators to create XR Studios in 2020, and he currently splits his time across Montreal, London, and LA.
Job Titles:
- Campus Manager, XR Studios
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Production Designer
Kerstin Larissa Hovland is a post-disciplinary artist specializing in pixels, programming, and light for music and performance. She is one half of the creative duo of Electronic Countermeasures.
Kerstin holds an MFA in Experimental Animation and Integrated Media from California Institute of the Arts and a BFA in Visual Communication with a minor in Computer Science from Iowa State University. She has shown work and performed at The Contemporary Austin Museum, The Ruhrtriennale, The Center for Living Arts, The Musser Art Center, and Automata.
She has also served as adjunct faculty in both the Video for Performance and Art & Technology programs at California Institute of the Arts.
Kerstin Hovland is a production designer, creative technologist and artist working in the mediums of moving image, light, and space. Specializing in real-time visual systems, interactive media, and experiential design, she creates innovative projects that span live entertainment, virtual production, and immersive experiences. Her work has been featured at prominent venues and events worldwide, earning recognition for its seamless integration of art and cutting-edge technology. Passionate about education and mentorship, Kerstin frequently shares her knowledge as a speaker and educator, inspiring others to explore the transformative potential of technology in creative fields.
Job Titles:
- Studio Manager, XR Studios
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Frame
Laura Frank spent her early career establishing herself as a top lighting programmer with projects spanning rock tours with David Bowie and Madonna, to Broadway shows like Spamalot and television events like the Concert for NY. As the media server market started to evolve, Laura made the shift to screen content and control.
After a decade of refining a media delivery workflow, she established herself as a Screens Producer leading a highly regarded Media Operations team for prominent events around the world. Her shows included the MTV Video Music Awards, The Game Awards, the Turner Upfront and the CMA Music Awards.
Currently Laura is focused on mentorship, community development and technical production for live events & permanent installation through her consultant practice, Integration Technology Advisors
Lucy Ockenden is a Media Server Programmer, Engineer, Creative Technologist and Producer.
Since 2004 she has worked with music artists ranging from Björk to Motley Crüe and in venues from F1 control Bahrain to Wembley Stadium; installations from shopping malls to soccer stadiums and events from online festivals to the world expo.
Originally from the UK, Lucy worked in the live-for-broadcast sector guiding the industry toward new standards as well as teaching as an Associate Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Luke Malcolm has spent the last two decades building. Building everything from businesses, interactive installations, experiences and teams. He knows enough C++ to make him dangerous and with visual parents for artists, he spent his childhood on stages, photo shoots and FOH.
In more recent years he's been pivotal in growing businesses in the AV and content industry, but also building experiences like the Nike Rise interactive basketball court. Today he spends his time as a founder growing Notch and raising his young family in London.
Matthew Ward founded the boutique company Tekamaki and co-founded Element Labs, the first company to successfully establish itself at the intersection of lighting and video. Element Labs' products won awards at PLASA, Lightfair, and LDI. The company released a series of unique products between 2003 and 2008 that defined entirely new segments in the LED market including Versa TILE, Versa TUBE, Stealth, and Cobra. Matt is focused on emerging technologies at Fuse Technical Group and is Head of Product at Superlumenary, a product design and consulting company focused on the hardware development for the entertainment technology industry.
Michael has extensive experience with Live Shows, Musicals, Performance Art, Music Festivals and Film & TV. He is passionate about design and the creative process of translating a client's dream into reality, using contemporary techniques, materials, and technology.
Innovation and leading-edge technology are the main drivers for Michael's designs and concepts. He believes we need to look forward on our way to explore new ways of design and entertainment.
Michael is involved in Film, Broadcast and Live Entertainment all around the world. He started in the movie industry as an electrician and made it through the ranks to Director of Photography for Film & TV. With the introduction of 3D design programs, a natural migration followed into 3D design for concepts, lighting, and visual content.
He is a pioneer in media server AR/XR technology and Virtual Production for film and broadcast and is co-founder of Virtual Innovation Partners in Belgium running the Benelux' largest Virtual Production Studio.
Molly Gray is a Content and Screens Producer specializing in live events. She has contributed to the visual language of tours for Jay Z, Kenny Chesney, Twenty One Pilots, Bon Jovi, and Lil Wayne. Her media work has also been featured in high-profile events including the Super Bowl Halftime Show, the Grammys, Fortnite's World Cup, and BlizzCon.
Molly began her career at Lightborne before launching the content company Tantrum.
A genuine fan of live music and performance, Molly is known for her hands-on style - immersing herself in the process, guiding creative teams, and keeping production running smoothly so artists can focus on what they do best: creating.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Project Director of London
Pod Bluman is founder and project director of London based entertainment technology and production consultancy Bluman Associates. Prior to that he was a freelancer in the industry working across the spectrum of live, including touring music shows, live theatre and opera, TV, raves, corporate and everything in between.
Job Titles:
- Head of Institution at the Academy
Rachel Nicholson is Head of Institution at the Academy of Live Technology. Her research interests include technology as performance, lighting design and digital scenography.
Rachel is interested in furthering her experience of the design and development of new courses in scenography and technology for live events.
Rich Porter is a seasoned professional in the entertainment industry, renowned for his expertise in video system design and media server programming. With over 18 years of experience, Rich has worked with some of the biggest artists and brands worldwide.
As the co-founder of The Hive, Rich has been instrumental in the company's success, making it a go-to destination for top-tier artists and brands seeking innovative multimedia solutions. He has collaborated with industry giants such as Avenged Sevenfold, Disclosure, Gorillaz, Dave, Stormzy, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé to deliver cutting-edge visual experiences.
Rich's expertise also spans high-profile events and productions like Marvel Universe Live, Jurassic World Live, Disney On Ice, the Brit Awards, and the MTV Awards. His work consistently elevates the visual spectacle of these productions.
Roberto Cabezas Hernández is a transmedia software developer, deep generalist, and Creative Technology Director at CENTRO. He has collaborated with organizations such as Microsoft, Meta, BBVA Foundation, and Santander OpenAcademy to drive experimentation with emerging technologies in the creative industry. He holds a Ph.D. in Music Technology, graduating with honors from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audio Visual
Leaning on her expertise in display technology and specifically its application within the Audio Visual (AV) industry, Sam provides strategy consulting and advisory services for a range of clients. She has a proven track record of providing solid advice on product development, innovation and roadmaps, identifying and analysing partnership and investment opportunities and facilitating collaborative technology projects and research.
Sam Phenix has a 25+ year career that has spanned engineering, business development, and corporate leadership. She has a history of driving display technology innovations across multiple, demanding vertical markets, while serving in leadership roles at companies such as Leyard, Planar, Intel, Dell, and Barco. Sam now runs a consulting business, and is a founder and board member of Magwire, Inc.
Sam is an active member of the Audio Visual (AV) community; having previously served as the Chair of AVIXA board of directors, as well as director at large for the AVIXA Foundation board. She is also heavily involved with SID; volunteering to lead several different initiatives over the years, and currently serving on the board of directors as the Regional Vice President for the Pacific and South Americas. She is the founder of Phenix Consulting.
Sarah Cox started her professional career as a Stage Manager at the Comedy Store in London but fell in love with the emerging digital video industry for "live" in the mid-noughties. She has spent every day since, immersed at the cutting edge of video technology, assisting companies looking to adopt new workflows within the live experience, broadcast and immersive installation realms.
Sarah spends her time connecting with people and working as a translator between commercial and technical needs. She works with the commercial teams of the industry's leading technology companies, helping them tell their story, grow their communities and nurture the next generation of talent. In 2022, she launched her own company, Neutral Human. Focused on bridging the gap between the ever changing world of technology and business.
Sharon Huizinga has been a lighting and projection designer, programmer and educator for over 20 years, living and working around the world and in many different areas of our industry.
She spent years touring the world with a variety of music artists as well as designing for theatre, dance, opera, and corporate events. She was most recently living in Amsterdam where she was working for the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, for ETC as the Field Project Coordinator for Northern Europe, and teaching at the Academy voor Theatre en Dance Amsterdam. She is is currently head of the MFA lighting program at University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music (CCM) and is really interested in the intersections of art, technology, psychology and spirituality in education and in life.
Job Titles:
- Creative Director
- Designer
- Producer, Frame
Shelly Sabel is a NYC-based designer and creative director, who recently joined the team at Fuse. Her 25-year design career spans art, fashion, theater, dance, live events, immersive experiences, and virtual production.
Favorite projects involve storytelling through content and experiences that showcase emergent technologies as well as then getting those technologies into the hands of a broader spectrum of artists. As a creative producer, she communicates clients' visions with technology teams to create strong communities and push the boundaries of what can be accomplished.
Shelly holds an MFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she is an adjunct faculty member.
Soren West is an executive producer of original immersive entertainment and live events of all kinds serving performance artists and experiential brand communications. He currently serves as Chief Executive, MENA for TAIT
His decades of experience include work with the biggest names in recording & touring entertainment and companies such as Turner, Nike, iHeart Media, Live Nation, AEG, the NFL, Viacom, A&E, CBS, and icons of Silicon Valley. Through 2016, Soren served as CEO of Atomic Design, a live events business, where he helped drive that company's growth in offices across the globe.
He was a founding partner of Beame Lighting, which was sold to 4Wall in 2016, and a founding contributor to Rock Lititz, a live entertainment production campus & rehearsal studio.
TJ Donoghue has over 20 years expertise in leading teams designing and installing complex video playback and interactive systems for entertainment and experiential events. A known technical expert, team leader, and consultant with the ability to achieve creative goals despite production challenges.
Traylor Woodall is a lifelong storyteller, artist, musician, and experience creator. What began as a traditional graphic design background, expanded and evolved over his 30+ year career as motion graphics, film and interactive media were added to his creative palette.
Fast forward to today, Traylor's passion is enabling what he calls ‘bad math' - empowering creative teams and clients to realize 1+1=3 levels of collaboration. Currently, he is the CEO of Fivestone Studios, an immersive multimedia agency that leverages design, media production, technology and storytelling to create wonder and drive human connection.
Trevor Burk is a trained lighting designer with a specialization in multi dispensary design and execution of new technology. Trevor's early career was spent merging lighting and video in the Opera while splitting time developing new ways to merged lighting and video designs for some of the Walt Disney Companies largest scale productions and special events.
Trevor holds creative direction and production design credits helming world tour and festival appearances for Main St. Electrical Parade, Tokyo Disneyland (Media Design), James Bay- Electric Light (Creative Director), Foster the People, Sacred Hearts Club, Torches, (Creative Director) Animal Collective Centipede Hz World Tour (Production Designer), Kilimanjaro Safari Ride(Sr. Lighting Designer/Media Design), Glass' civil warS , Los Angeles Philharmonic (Lighting Design) Pitch Perfect 3 (Production Lighting Designer) The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, (Theatrical Lighting Design) Billboard Music Awards 2017, 2018 (Screens Producer), MTV-VMA 2019,2020 (Screens Producer), CMA Awards 2019 (Screens Producer)
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Media Server Programmer
Troy Fujimura is a veteran lighting and media server programmer whose work bridges the worlds of technology and art. With over 30 years of experience across opera, ballet, theater, installations, concerts, and immersive events, he brings a deep understanding of how light and media can be used to shape emotion and narrative.
Holding degrees in both Computer Science and Theatre Arts, Troy combines rigorous technical knowledge with a keen artistic eye. Since 2010, he has been a specialist in d3 (now disguise) media servers, and his programming work has become an integral part of many visually complex productions.
Troy is the founder of ooggoo, a lighting and media server solutions company, and currently serves as Head of Design and Technology at Centerstage Global. Past roles include Product and Support Director, Americas at disguise, where he worked closely with artists and creatives to bring ambitious ideas to life.
Troy is driven by a passion to collaborate with artists and directors to explore how technology can deepen meaning, evoke feeling, and transform space.
Job Titles:
- Creative Content Department Director
Valéria Petit is the Creative Content Department Director at Normal Studio, a creative studio based in Montreal.
She has nearly two decades of experience spanning 2D Motion Design, Offline/Online Editing, VFX/Compositing, Projection Mapping, and Directing. Her career has taken her across a wide range of sectors, including broadcast design, advertising, film, music videos, architectural mapping, and live events.
Valéria's progression within Normal reflects her blend of creative vision and technical rigor. She is particularly invested in mentoring emerging talent and fostering collaborative environments where innovation thrives.
Prior to her tenure at Normal, Valéria built a rich career and held key roles at independent studios in Montreal. She also taught an Introduction to After Effects workshop at the Université de Montréal.
Outside the studio, Valéria enjoys attending concerts and immersive experiences around the world - preferably with a glass of Austrian wine in hand. She's also an avid cyclist, a devoted softball player, but a terrible tennis player. She can identify just about any Seinfeld quote on demand.
Job Titles:
- Certified XR / Virtual Production / VFX Producer
Zoltan Batho G is an award-winning and PRINCE2 certified XR / Virtual Production / VFX Producer with over 15 years of digital experience in various industries and markets. His passion is to create immersive and engaging experiences that leverage the power of real-time technologies, such as Unreal Engine, VR, and AR.
Currently, Zoltan works at Cradle, the digital R&D division of Breda University of Applied Sciences (NL). He also founded Virtualproduction.services, a news aggregate website that showcases the latest trends and innovations in the Virtual Production industry.