RADiCAL, the developer of AI motion capture and real-time 3D creation tools has announced the addition of three heavy hitters to its advisory board:
- Habib Zargarpour, nominated for two Academy Awards and winner of two BAFTAs in Visual Effects while at ILM, and a founding member of the Visual Effects Society (VES)
- Joe Marks, former CTO of Wētā Digital and Vice President & Research Fellow at Disney Research
- Dane Allan Smith, whose VFX production credits include ‘The Mandalorian’, ‘Dune: Part One’, and ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’
The appointments mark an accelerated focus on growth for RADiCAL, with the next year unveiling expansions to the company’s product roadmap – especially within pre-production planning and visualization for filmmakers.
“The company will deliver a concerted push in its development of real-time 3D visualization features over the coming months,” said RADiCAL CEO and Co-founder Gavan Gravesen. “R&D is central to us – on both product and business strategy. The addition of Dane, Joe and Habib is going to help take RADiCAL to the forefront of real-time 3D content creation. It’s an exciting time for the team.”
Habib Zargarpour
A visual effects and virtual production supervisor, Zargarpour’s multimedia experience spans industry giants including ILM, EA Games, Microsoft, and Unity. His 30+ years of experience in the industry reflects his passion for visual development and virtual production – resulting in two Oscar nominations and two BAFTA wins for ‘Twister’ (1996) and ‘The Perfect Storm’ (2000). Zargarpour received a VES Award for the EA-developed racing game ‘Need for Speed: Most Wanted’ in 2006.
In his latest venture, Digital Monarch Media, Zargarpour is revolutionizing the storytelling process in film by implementing the strategies and technologies he explored in his game development career, working with the likes of Steven Spielberg (Ready Player One), Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book), and Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049).
On taking up the position with RADiCAL, Zargarpour comments: “I feel that online collaboration tools are going to change the way filmmakers visualize their projects. I have been looking for a platform that does that effectively and at scale. When I saw what RADiCAL is building, I was instantly excited to join their advisory board. We know a lot of tools have too much complexity, and RADiCAL’s approach will remove those barriers.”
Joe Marks
The former Wētā Digital / Wētā Tools at Unity CTO joins the RADiCAL advisory board with over 40 years of experience in applied computing and machine learning. Before Wētā, Marks served as the Executive Director of the Center for Machine Learning & Health at Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Vice President and Research Fellow at Walt Disney Company, and a Research Director at Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs (MERL).
On his appointment to RADiCAL’s advisory board, Joe added: “Democratizing and simplifying storytelling has long been a passion of mine, but it’s not easy to do. RADiCAL has made a huge advance in realizing this goal. Anyone can easily create worlds with props and animated characters to communicate ideas, drama, and emotions, even if they have no prior experience in 3D. How cool is that?”
Marks holds a PhD in Computer Science from Harvard University and his areas of expertise cover computer vision, AI, CG, video processing, human-computer interaction, and media distribution.
Dane Allan Smith
Smith’s portfolio as a media technology evangelist and visual effects producer is comprehensive. Having held professorships at Gnomon School of Visual Effects and Chapman University, in addition to in-house roles at Sony Pictures Imageworks (The Amazing Spiderman) and The Third Floor (The Mandalorian, Dune: Part One, Avatar: The Way of Water), Smith is an entrepreneurial tech executive with a passion for emerging technologies and innovative content creation.
Specializing in AI, XR, VFX, game engines, and virtual production, Dane Smith exemplifies a blend of technological proficiency and creative vision, pioneering new storytelling methods in the digital era. As a Business Strategist for emergent media and co-founder of ‘Parts + Labor’, he integrates Machine Learning and AI into production, contributing to projects like Apple TV and Alfonso Cuaron’s mini-series “Disclaimer.” He played key roles in launching the Mario Kart Attraction in Osaka and producing Charlie Kaufman’s Oscar-nominated film “Anomalisa.” His work influences major brands like Marvel Comics, Warner Brothers, and McDonnell Douglas, and he is a sought-after international consultant on next-generation visual experiences. Dane is featured in top industry publications, serves on multiple prestigious committees, and established the Virtual Production department at the Gnomon School of VFX + Gaming. His expertise spans the intersection of technology and creative industries.
Commenting on his decision to join the advisory board, Smith explained that “the world is now a blank canvas for artists and entrepreneurs. RADiCAL has seized the opportunity to define this paradigm shift, framing the next revolution in commerce, art, and technology. This is the perfect opportunity to influence the future of content creation.”
