A special “VFX Celebration”, our annual Visual Effects Industry Night, is celebrating the global VFX industry and showcasing Adelaide University’s suite of visual effects programs. Attendees will learn about studying VFX, view current UniSA student work, discover what it takes to break into the VFX industry, and see the latest groundbreaking projects from some of the biggest VFX studios in the world.
We Are Framestore
Lara Hopkins | Head of Studio, Melbourne
Lara will explore the history of Framestore, the memorable scenes created by the Melbourne Studio and the ways students can begin a career in the VFX industry.
How to Make Your Dragon
Dom Hellier | VFX Supervisor
A special presentation from VFX Supervisor, Dom Hellier, on the visual effects of How to Train Your Dragon - he’ll chat all things behind the scenes of how Framestore animated the dragons and collaborated directly with on-set teams from pre-viz, through final delivery.
Meet the Speakers
Lara Hopkins | Head of Studio, Melbourne
Lara brings over 30 years of international animation and VFX experience to her role as Head of Studio, having worked in Australia, UK, USA, and Canada in both production and talent roles. She started working in traditional animation in 1992 at Adelaide's Anifex, before moving to Animal Logic as a Producer in Sydney in 1997. Her journey with Framestore started in 2001 as a Senior Producer in the London Advertising division, before moving to a CG manager role in the Film and Episodic division, which is where she started her career in VFX management.
After four years at Industrial Light & Magic in Sydney, most recently as Director of Talent Management, Lara rejoined Framestore. One of the first two employees, Lara leaves ILM having helped expand and establish the studio. She brings a passion for identifying the best talent, building and managing creative teams and shaping workplace culture to our Melbourne studio.
Dom Hellier | VFX Supervisor
Dom has been part of Australia's vibrant VFX sector for over 20 years, working on blockbuster titles like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and It: Chapter Two.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die was one of 2024’s biggest films, and the work Dom supervised covered a ferocious albino alligator, a plane flying into a building, and complex digital environments. "Dom is an extremely talented and creative supervisor," said production VFX supervisor Kris Sundberg of his experience working on the film's VFX. "I'd worked with Dom on a previous show, so I knew Framestore would knock it out of the park."
In 2025 Dom moved onto some decidedly friendly reptiles on the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, and he is now channeling his talents into the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, set to release in 2026.
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