Date: 17 September 2026
Time: 18:00
Location: The Electric, 48 Canterbury St, District Six, Cape Town
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SIGGRAPH Cape Town Chapter invites you to:
Craft at Speed: How the fast evolution of new tools is changing the work, for artists – panel discussion
Join us for an evening of honest discussion, drinks, and snacks.
The tools are moving faster than they ever have: real-time and virtual production, machine-learning assists, generative models, neural rendering. This is not a business-of-VFX panel, and it is deliberately not a tired “is AI coming for our jobs” debate.
Everyone on the panel takes part as an individual, sharing their own view rather than a company position. Expect a warm, candid, peer to peer evening, with plenty of room for the audience to jump in.
What we will get into
What’s changing in the craft. We start with the tools themselves, and with the wonder rather than the anxiety. What has actually changed about what you can make, and what would you not want to give back now?
The real picture. A straight read on the state of things: who is busy, what the AI money means, and whether the frozen local rebate really matters to post, VFX and animation.
The working artist. Where the craft is genuinely shifting: the “good enough” ceiling, and how the next generation still learns the fundamentals.
Looking forward. Do audiences even notice, or care? What should someone starting today build in themselves, and is there a real chance for artists here to lead?
Overhyped or underhyped? A fast, fun lightning round on the tools everyone is arguing about, from generative video to Gaussian splatting to AI digital influencers.
On the night
18:00 Arrival, drinks, networking
18:30 Welcome and framing
18:38 The conversation, in four parts
19:50 Overhyped or underhyped lightning round
20:18 Audience Q&A
20:40 Networking and drinks
The panel
Listed with affiliations for context. Everyone takes part as an individual, sharing their own view.
Wicus Labuschagne
Moderator, SIGGRAPH Cape Town. Midnight VFX, hosting the conversation.
Rob van den Bragt
Chocolate Tribe. VFX and animation supervisor, and COO, with over 20 years across international VFX and animation.
Marco Raposo de Barbosagne
Continuum Pictures. VFX supervisor and producer, working at the intersection of art and technology.
Beverly Toweett
Netflix. SSA VFX Manager, joining as an industry voice.
Bradley Stilwell
Lenscowboy. AI tools and VFX artist working with the newest end of the toolset.
Emile van Straaten
Creative director and animation director at Lucan studios.
Tim Argall
Animation School. Animation director, and one of the pioneers of the South African animation industry.
Rory Mark
The Refinery. Head of VFX at the Cape Town post and VFX house.
Sponsors:
The Refinery
Modena Media and Entertainment
RSVP:
Please fill out the form below if you’d like to attend, and feel free to forward this invitation to anyone who may be interested. Please note , any additional guests and Plus 1’s will also need to fill out the form.
Please RSVP Below:
For any additional information, please contact Stacey at capetown-chapter@acmsiggraph.org