Norman Wang

CEO & Co-founder at Glassbox Technologies

Born in Taiwan, raised in Australia and now calling California home, Norman is a published
computer vision author, former Ph.D researcher in the field of cognitive psychology, university
lecturer, VR industry figure head and seasoned tech entrepreneur.

Glassbox Technologies
Glassbox Technologies is shaping the future of filmmaking by building tools that help realize the
Directors vision. Pioneering gaming technology in Virtual Production, utilizing Virtual and
Augmented Reality by creating a framework for visualizing performances, environments, virtual
collaboration, virtual location scouting, and much more for real-time production.

Glassbox designs next-generation software toolsets that enable content creators globally to
harness the power of game engines and real-time, virtual production to create stunning,
immersive content fast and efficiently for feature film, episodic TV, animation, games and Virtual
Reality experiences.

Aligned to the latest advances in Unreal Engine, leading 2D and 3D CG software applications, and
built in collaboration with innovative technology partners and major Hollywood studios,
Glassbox’s tools are crafted and battle-tested on the front line of cutting-edge virtual production
techniques, to ensure the creation of complex virtual performances is as easy as live action
filmmaking.

Founded in 2016 by industry veterans, combining expertise in VFX, Immersive, and real-time
technologies. Glassbox is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Germany, Australia and
Taiwan.

Phil Donahue

Philip Donahue is a seasoned game designer; his professional game development experience includes working on everything from AAA to indie game titles, published for console, mobile, XR and PC platforms. Over the last decade and a half, he has filled the roles of technical artist, game designer, producer, creative director and other titles while working on game and cinematic development published by Epic Games, Activision, Sega, THQ, and Chillingo. Phil holds dual masters degrees; having earned his MFA in Game Design from LCAD and MA in I/O Psychology from Argosy University.

Phil has taught at several college campuses over the years, having been involved in collegiate education since 2012 and is the founder of Game Design Network, the Creative Director on Pytheas (a Virtual Reality psychological horror game for the Oculus and HTC Vive HMD systems). Working with the Unreal Engine from Epic Games since 2007, Phil eventually became one of the first instructors worldwide to earn the title of UAI (Unreal Authorized Instructor/Training Partner) for Epic Games in 2019 and has been on contract with Epic games for the Unreal Fellowship since early 2021 (where he has been assisting filmmakers in using Unreal Engine for Virtual Production, Motion Capture integration and other cutting-edge methods for video production) at the Tribeca film festival and several film production studios assisting with VP, Mo-Cap, Light Volume Capture, AR/Holographic displays, and similar technologies.

Epic Games

Founded in 1991, Epic Games is a leading interactive entertainment company and provider of 3D engine technology. Epic operates Fortnite, one of the world’s largest games with over 350 million accounts and 2.5 billion friend connections. Epic also develops Unreal Engine, which powers the world’s leading games and is adopted across industries such as film and television, architecture, automotive, manufacturing, and simulation. Through Unreal Engine, Epic Games Store, and Epic Online Services, Epic provides an end-to-end digital ecosystem for developers and creators to build, distribute, and operate games and other content. Epic has over 40 offices worldwide with headquarters in Cary, North Carolina.

Alexandra Damsker

Attorney/Consultant, Web3/SEC Specialist

Alexandra Damsker is an experienced corporate/securities attorney and consultant, finding solutions to complex legal and operations problems in as little as one session.  Formerly with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and international firm Mayer Brown, she is also a 2x founder (one exit). She advises two funds, numerous projects, startups, and HNWIs, and serves as mentor to the top blockchain accelerator.  Her book, Understanding DeFi (O’Reilly 2024), was a #1 top new release and on several bestseller lists.  Mrs. Damsker has been in the blockchain space since 2016 and AI since 2019, serving as legal, operations and strategic advisor to a number of companies and high net worth individuals on a variety of blockchain, startup, and finance issues. Past speaking engagements include WebSummit, NASDAQ, the LendIt Fintech conference, VivaTech, the PG Gaming conference, the Opal private and family office conference, the Association of Independent Music Producers, the Fintech and Financing Conference, the Securities and Tokenization Summit, and SOURCE Nashville.

Ray Mosco
Developer Relations, Partnerships- Vive Studios (HTC)

Raymond Mosco is a Latino-American entrepreneur, producer, and technology evangelist. Mosco has held notable positions at Apple, Facebook, and Oculus during its highly publicized $3b acquisition. In 2014 he traveled the world providing over 1M initial impressions with the Oculus Rift. Since then he has guided startups and deployed immersive technology for organizations including TED, SeaWorld, Paramount, and Hulu. As a veteran of both Silicon Valley and Hollywood, Raymond serves as a conduit between entertainment and technology, focusing on how immersive technology will shape the future of storytelling. Los Angeles based, Raymond serves as the President of the LA Chapter of the Augmented World Expo (AWE), advises ARwall, and volunteers at Burning Man

HTC Vive

HTC Vive is a line of virtual and mixed-reality headsets produced by HTC Corporation. The brand currently encompasses headsets designed for use with personal computers as well as standalone headsets such as the Vive Focus line, Vive Flow glasses, and the Vive Elite XR mixed reality headset. The first-generation Vive was announced in 2015, as part of a collaboration with video game studio and distributor Valve Corporation and implementing its VR software and hardware platform Steam VR; the first-generation consumer model was released in April 2016. It has since been succeeded by newer models with upgraded specifications. HTC has also released accessories that integrate with the Vive and SteamVR, including sensors for motion capture and facial capture. Since 2021, HTC has targeted the Vive line towards the business and enterprise markets, moving away from the consumer market.

Roberta Augusto is Brazilian-born stalwart in the film industry, boasting an illustrious career spanning two decades. Her journey commenced at Summit Entertainment, where she made her mark by spearheading the release of blockbuster hits like “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Sahara,” among others. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Roberta has ascended to the esteemed position of Senior Vice President of Marketing, Distribution & Publicity at IDC, a Lionsgate Company. In this pivotal role, she oversees operations across more that 20 countries in Latin America, cementing her reputation as a dynamic leader in the field.

Throughout her tenure, Roberta has facilitated the theatrical release of over 165 movies, contributing significantly to the cinematic landscape. Her unparallel expertise has been instrumental in the success of iconic franchises in Latin America, including “The Twilight Saga,” “The Hunger Games,” “John Wick, and “Saw.” Notably, she played a pivotal role in the promotion and distribution of acclaimed films such as the Oscar-winning “La La Land,” further solidifying her reputation as a visionary in the industy.

Roberta Augusto’s remarkable journey serves as a testament to her passion, dedication, and unparalleled contributions to the world of cinema. With a keen eye for innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence, she continues to shape the landscape of the film industry, leaving an indelible mark on audiences worldwide.

Gary Shapiro launched his career in the movie business in NYC working for Columbia
Pictures immediately after graduating from college in Los Angeles to the present where
he has moved into the new digital technologies with several major Hollywood film
studios. He spent the 70’s as a very young man thru the present in various executive
marketing and distribution capacities at Columbia Pictures, MGM, Hemdale Pictures,
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Beacon Pictures, initially specializing in the United
States and Canada and later managing the marketing of major Hollywood studio films
and independent films worldwide. In the early years at Columbia Pictures he created
the prototype for a college/university program which was then adopted by most major
movie studios. He also was one of the early developers of grass roots marketing which
became a valuable tool in marketing movies and still is a valuable tool on the Internet.

In the mid 80’s Shapiro moved into the production arena and was Executive V.P. of
Production and Marketing for Longstocking Productions which produced the first
American PIPPI LONGSTOCKING movie along with legendary Swedish film company
Svensk for Columbia Pictures. He designed the worldwide search for the new PIPPI
which became a media sensation at the time. Shapiro managed worldwide marketing
activities with Columbia Pictures and Svensk.

During this decade, Shapiro also was appointed Senior Executive Director Marketing of
Hemdale Film Corporation which was one of the film industry’s most important
independent companies in Hollywood and London producing award nominated and Best
Picture Oscar winning awards from films like PLATOON, THE LAST EMPEROR, the
first TERMINATOR and HOOSIERS.

During the 90’s Shapiro was a Senior V.P. at Sony Pictures Entertainment working in
the Columbia Pictures division and shifting to Sony’s Triumph Films unit which
developed, produced and marketed the studio’s specialized films. His duties included
managing the studio’s marketing and production development. Triumph morphed into
Sony’s Screen Gems which continues in a similar tradition.

Following that in the 2000’s he moved over to Beacon Pictures as Senior V.P.
Worldwide Marketing. Beacon’s long slate of successful films were produced in
conjunction with and distributed thru Universal Pictures, The Walt Disney Co, and Time
Warner’s New Line Cinema. Among the titles he guided thru the global distribution and
marketing process for Beacon were SPY GAME, THIRTEEN DAYS, THE FAMILY
MAN, BRING IT ON, THE EMPEROR’S CLUB and TUCK EVERLASTING all with major
Hollywood stars.

Shapiro began consulting to various film and entertainment industry firms several years
ago. In this capacity, he helped create the initial worldwide marketing strategy for
Paramount Picture’s and Steven Spielberg’s WAR OF THE WORLDS, managed the
marketing and grass roots campaign for Anschutz Film Group’s /Walden Media GAME
OF THEIR LIVES, managed the strategy and execution of the highly successful and
controversial independent film A DAY WITHOUT A MEXICAN. He has been a U.S.
special consultant to one of Europe’s most important publishing and media companies,

Among the major film makers and talent he recently arranged to appear at major film
festivals are Robert De Niro, Danny Di Vito, Hillary Swank, Michael Douglas, Meryl
Streep, Clive Owen, Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, Rene Zellweger, Clint Eastwood and
Martin Scorsese.

Shapiro is currently consulting with a number of film companies including the Canadian
company Inner City Films, a major supplier of diverse film and TV content. Thru his
association with Showbizzee, he has been engaging the Hollywood movie studios
(Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony, Warner Bros, Dreamworks, Paramount,
Amazon Studios) on utilizing a global digital platform and media player for extending
the marketing value and e commerce revenue streams of their content. He has
consulted with The Telluride Film Festival in the U.S., and with The Karlovy Vary
International Film Festival in The Czech Republic, The Berlin International Film Festival
in Berlin and The Montblanc Company in Hamburg. He has advised The Cuban Film
Institute (ICAIC) in Havana on cultural exchange programs between the U.S. and Cuba.
He has been a periodic guest lecturer at UCLA and is a longtime member of The
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and serves on The Foreign Language
Film Selection Committee.

Award-winning filmmaker Frederico Lapenda is a global executive who has worked in the entertainment industry for almost 30 years. Lapenda is a pioneer of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and is credited as one of those responsible for the globalization of sport.

In addition to presiding over the Beverly Hills Film Festival® Grand Jury, Lapenda has produced films, MMA events, video games, commercials and documentaries. His documentary, Kidnapping, was eligible for an Oscar nomination in 2011.

Lapenda received a national honor for his lifelong achievements while serving as Tourism Ambassador, appointed by the President of Brazil, placing him among fellow nominees Ronaldinho, Vitor Belfort, Renzo Gracie and Romero Britto.

One of his most significant achievements was the creation of Amazon Allies, a mix of Avengers and Lion King, a children’s book about four super-powered talking animals that protect the Amazon rainforest, co-authored with Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee.

Katerina Munis

Katerina Munis is a visionary writer, director, and extended-reality filmmaker who innovates at the nexus of art and technology, propelling change in the next frontier of filmmaking. Katerina received an MFA from the U.S.C. in Film & Television Production.

She executed her debut film Daedalus using XR technology, creating 3D worlds and shooting within immersive environments on an LED volume. Daedalus was awarded the Fox Productions grant, won “Best Director” at the Beverly Hills Film Festival, and has received myriad awards during its current international festival circuit.

Most recently, Katerina was Director of Productions at XR Stage, a global studio for immersive 3D filmmaking. At XT Stage, Katerina propelled cutting-edge extended-reality worlds for major studio film, television, commercial, and music productions. Today, Katerina lectures on AI, XR, and immersive filmmaking, teaching artists how to wield this dazzling technology while prioritizing human creativity.
Katerina’s work has been recognized by the Academy Awards’ Nicholls Fellowship, the Sundance Institute, FOX productions, European Cinematography Awards, Women in Media, HBO, and more. Katerina is driven by creative enterprises that ignite the mind and the enthrall the imagination.

Jason Chen

Starting his career in the entertainment industry at the age of 17, Jason’s experience in Visual Effects began on Avatar working for Weta Digital and Lightstorm Entertainment in a variety of capacities revolving around virtual production and live-action integration.  Having a role in such a groundbreaking technological film, allowed Jason to continue working with some of the best creatives in the industry (Jim Cameron, Peter Jackson, Stephen Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Marvel Studios).

In 2020 he joined BRON Studios to lead their digital division, building Virtual Production and real-time game engine-based workflows to help revolutionize the way content creation is produced.  Not only did he bring the experiences of his past, but was able to truly integrate award-winning artists from around to globe, into COVID-safe real-time remote Animation workflows.

Currently, Jason serves as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer at the newly formed DESERT ECLIPSE, a technology-based Virtual Production and Finance Company, enabling creatives to use technology as a toolset for developing IPs across Linear Content, Interactive Gaming, Animation, and Visual Effects.

c. Craig

Hailing from New Orleans and an alumnus of the University of Southern California (USC) and Columbia University, c. Craig’s accomplishments have spanned globally. His ability to craft stories while pushing boundaries on the technological front has set him apart from filmmakers of his generation, attracting the likes of talents such as Yara Shahidi, Daveed Diggs, Roy Wood Jr, and Ruth E. Carter.

In addition, industry giants such as Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Bad Robot, Epic Games, Amazon Studios, Paramount and HULU have all signed on to work on his various projects.

Craig underscored as a Nicholl Fellowship, honoree of AmPav at The Cannes Film Festival, distinguished by the George Lucas Family Scholarship and the Edward Small Award for his work in writing and directing. His innovative film FATHEAD was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and his body of work has garnered accolades from The Blacklist, the Sundance Development Track, Hillman Grad’s Rising Voices, and the Academy.