First speakers announced for AnimfxNZ 14
14 January 2014
AnimfxNZ is an animation, games and visual effects conference held in Wellington, New Zealand. It brings together some of the biggest and brightest names in the global digital entertainment industry for three days of learning, sharing and networking.
This year’s AnimfxNZ is scheduled for 13th, 14, 15th February and the event has just released the first names in its speaker lineup. This announcement follows a successful 2013 for NZ game designers where five New Zealand video game makers were acclaimed in international ‘Best of 2013’ lists, among them Grinding Gear Games, named GameSpot’s PC Game of the Year Award and PikPok as runner-up for Apple’s Best of 2013 Game of the Year.
James Gwerztman, Brian Robbins and Christian Rivers are the first to be confirmed for AnimfxNZ 14. Among Gwertzman’s many accomplishments was the relaunch of mobile game Plants vs.Zombies for the Chinese market, which was EA’s most profitable mobile game launch in China. Robbins is known for his marketing, technological and consultancy expertise on mobile and gaming projects across the globe, as well as currently serving as a director and trustee for the International Games Developer’s Association. Christian Rivers is a director and an academy award winning visual effects artist. His most notable credits include working on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, King Kong and the Hobbit.
This latest announcement also includes confirmation from Weta Digital that they will present highlights from their 2013 projects, including an insiders look at the characters and environments from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Now in its eighth year, AnimfxNZ 14 attracts a diverse range of digital entertainment expertise from around the world, where creative, technical and entrepreneurial talent gather in Wellington to share the latest advancements in game and vfx technology.
AnimfxNZ 14 is organised by the NZ GAV Trust, a group of digital media professionals dedicated to advancing the Games, Animation and VFX industries in New Zealand, with gold supporter assistance from Grow Wellington, the Wellington regional economic development agency.