In partnership with RENDR Festival and supported by the National Talent Academy for VFX, we are delighted to present a very special speaker series.
Recorded on location at RENDR 2026 in Banana Block, Belfast, we catch up with CG & On-Set Supervisor Noel O’Malley and BAFTA-winning DFX Supervisor Dean Koonjul of Union VFX. With credits spanning Ex Machina to 28 Years Later and Poor Things, they discuss their exciting careers, creative collaboration, and the changing demands of high-end visual effects across film and TV.
After, (at timecode 31:37) we speak with James Carson, CG Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, whose recent work includes KPop Demon Hunters and the upcoming feature Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling. In this conversation, he reflects on his career journey from Belfast to supervising major international productions, sharing insights into working in animation and live-action, and working with teams on ambitious projects.
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This series of talks was recorded in The Spinners Mill Studio, a podcast and DJ studio based in Banana Block offering tailored solutions for DJ sessions, small-scale events and podcasting from concept to final distribution. Follow them on Insta / Facebook / TikTok
James Carson - CG Supervisor
James is a CG Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, most recently working on the global phenomenon KPOP Demon Hunters for Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix. Carson is currently supervising the live-action feature Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and starring Ryan Gosling. His other CG Supervisor credits include the animated feature In Your Dreams and the Academy Award®-nominated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Carson joined Imageworks in 2015 and has served as a Lighting TD and Lighting Lead, working on both animated and live-action projects. His additional Imageworks credits include: In Vaulted Halls Entombed, Mulan, the Academy Award®-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Smurfs: The Lost Village, The Angry Birds Movie 2, The Meg, and Alice Through the Looking Glass. Prior to Imageworks, Carson worked in various roles at Image Engine, ScanlineVFX, Prime Focus World, MPC, DNEG, and Zoic Studios. Carson is from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He graduated Manchester Metropolitan University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Computer Games Technology.
Noel O'Malley - CG & On-Set Supervisor
He began his career as a runner at Cinesite in 2003 and has since built a broad portfolio across some of the UK’s leading VFX studios, including Framestore and Milk VFX - where he was part of the team that won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects on Ex Machina. Noel has worked at Union twice, returning most recently to take on senior roles within the CG department.
At Union, Noel has been the CG lead on Operation Mincemeat, The Banshees of Inisherin, and The Power, and most recently served as CG Supervisor on 28 Years Later, overseeing the delivery of complex visual effects for the much-anticipated sequel. He has also worked on set across a number of productions, including Mamma Mia!, Here We Go Again, The Power, Operation Mincemeat, Misbehaviour, Yesterday, Emma, and The Beautiful Game, bringing his technical insight and collaborative approach to both on-set and post environments.
Noel’s credits include: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, John Carter, Skyfall, World War Z, RoboCop, The Inbetweeners 2, The Theory of Everything, Black Sea, Ex Machina, Far from the Madding Crowd, Everest, Suffragette, The Martian, The Take, Bridget Jones's Baby, Mindhorn, T2 Trainspotting, Happy!, My Cousin Rachel, Victoria & Abdul, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Mercy, Annihilation, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Fighting with My Family, The Two Popes, Operation Mincemeat, The Banshees of Inisherin, and The Power.
Dean Koonjul - DFX Supervisor
Dean did a foundation in Art and Design at The University for the Creative Arts. He then studied Animation at Arts University Bournemouth before completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Screen Arts and Animation Direction at the National Film and Television School. Dean’s 16-plus years of compositing experience has been gained at renowned VFX studios in Paris, Mumbai, Singapore, Wellington, and London, including MPC, Framestore, Weta Digital, Industrial Light & Magic, DNEG, and now Union.
He joined Union in early 2020 and quickly proved himself a technically savvy, innovative, and creative lead artist. Dean’s work as DFX Supervisor on Yorgos Lanthimos' award-winning Poor Things earned him a BAFTA for Special Visual Effects and a place on the 96th Academy Awards shortlist for Best Visual Effects. Most recently, Dean served as VFX Supervisor on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, an exciting continuation in the 28 Years Later trilogy, bringing his visual storytelling expertise to one of Union’s most exciting feature film projects to date. Dean’s credits include: Wonder Woman, Brahmastra, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Venom, Spectre, Assassin's Creed, Greyhound, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Wheel of Time, Against The Ice, Moon Knight, Poor Things, Hedda, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Union VFX
Headquartered in Soho, London with a sister company in Montréal, Union has established an unrivalled reputation for seamless invisible effects on a wide range of projects building strong creative relationships with really interesting directors including Danny Boyle, Susanne Bier, Martin McDonagh, Marjane Satrapi, Sam Mendes, Fernando Meirelles & Yorgos Lanthimos. The studio’s regular clients number some of the world’s top filmmakers, who return to Union time and again as a trusted technical partner and creative ally. The team works closely with clients throughout every phase of the creative process.
Union has been the sole visual effects studio behind many prestigious film projects, including Three Billboards Outside, Ebbing Missouri, Florence Foster Jenkins, T2: Trainspotting, 127 Hours, Black Sea, The Two Popes, Radioactive, The Dig, Stan & Ollie, Mamma Mia! Here we go again, The Gentlemen, Empire of Light, The Banshees of Inisherin and Poor Things. Episodic projects include Black Mirror, The Regime, Moon Knight, Trust, The Third Day, The Irregulars, Pistol, The Undoing, Happy!, The Crown, Outlander, For All Mankind, The Wheel of Time, The Sandman, The Power and Slow Horses. A significant highlight on the Union roster saw the company joining Danny Boyle’s creative team to deliver the short films for the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony.
RENDR FESTIVAL
This is a unique event celebrating creative craft and artistry in a fully immersive two-day festival exploring the space between Creativity and Technology. Ignite your imagination with inspiring speakers from the worlds of Film, Gaming, Animation, Immersive, and more! Learn from the best, with 30+ creatives from the likes of Netflix, Pixar, Walt Disney Studios and Epic Games among others.
Witness creative uses of new technology, explore the gallery of digital art, chow down at the food village or play in the arcade. You will be transported to the future, and provide you with unforgettable and inspirational nights. Like nothing you have experienced before, our unique combination is guaranteed to provide two nights you can’t miss. Come for the talks, stay for the experience!
National Talent Academy for Visual Effects
As the newest of the Academies, the National Talent Academy for VFX provides support and opportunities for anyone interested in a career in VFX. Launched in 2024, the National Talent Academy for VFX is an initiative of Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland, managed by Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet. Their mission is to transform aspiring VFX artists into industry-ready professionals while providing ongoing upskilling opportunities for current talent.
Through comprehensive courses and programmess, we introduce participants to best practices both locally and globally, creating clear pathways and solidifying Ireland’s reputation as a premier destination for VFX. The National Talent Academy for VFX is dedicated to attracting individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, fostering greater awareness of VFX as a viable and exciting career choice. Learn more about the work they do here.
