Luma Pictures is a globally renowned independent visual effects studio that builds compelling art and technology with a strong focus on company culture. We formed in 2002 in Venice, CA with the unwavering goal to create standout work with exceptional people.

Spanning two continents with studios in Los Angeles, Melbourne, and Vancouver, Luma continues to grow and evolve to build more beautiful and compelling visual art for those who work for us, and those who work with us. We’re proud to have worked on over 100 feature-films and episodics including: Ahsoka, Elvis, I Am Groot, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Guardians of the Galaxy; as well as Academy Award-winning films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Jojo Rabbit, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit.

What if we did it our way?

Luma is founded on the belief that you don’t need to follow the rules or playbook. We love doing things our way and breaking free from the status quo.

The question "what if" drives us, sparks our creativity and propels us to push the boundaries of possibility. To help get us there, we have a set of guiding principles that keep us all in sync and on the right path.

How we got here

It all started in the late '90s in Venice, CA, when our visionary founder, Payam Shohadai, inspired by the endless possibilities of CGI, embarked on a mission to assemble a collective of like-minded artists dedicated to their craft.

In 2004, Vincent Cirelli, now Head of Studio, joined and brought with him a unique set of leadership skills and grit. After months of hard work, Luma landed our first big project—Underworld: Evolution— awarded by VFX mogul James McQuaide.

The influx of projects propelled Luma on a trajectory of rapid growth. In 2013, we opened our sister studio in Melbourne, Australia. Jamy Zink, now the Vice President and Head of People & Culture, became our very first employee down under, shaping our culture to what it is today. In 2021, we ventured into new frontiers with the opening of our virtual Vancouver office to expand our global reach.

Today Luma is led by our executive board. Meet them below:

Vincent oversees the production of all three studios. With over 25 years of experience, Vincent brings a comprehensive understanding of client needs from a creative and technical standpoint. Since joining Luma in 2004, Vincent has worked on over 80 feature-films including Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit. Most notably, he was Oscar-nominated for his work on Doctor Strange and is one of the founding fathers of our Melbourne studio.

Shauna leads client acquisitions and production strategy. With over 25 years of experience, Shauna brings a unique and forward-thinking approach to business development in VFX, with a focus on supporting studios, filmmakers, and artists. Prior to joining Luma, Shauna served as VP of New Business, Production Executive for Sony Imageworks, as well as the Vice President of Method Studios, Vancouver. Some of her recent credits include Ahsoka, Elvis, I Am Groot, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and Suicide Squad.

Jamy oversees the growth and development of all staff across the three studios. She has an extensive background in operations and marketing management within the film industry in Australia, having worked at Iloura (now Framestore) and Film Victoria’s Melbourne Film Office. Jamy joined Luma in 2012 to spearhead the creation of the culture department. With a focus on leadership, talent management and initiatives that support a culture of people first, Jamy’s passion lies in ensuring that Luma provides engaging opportunities for great people to do their best work, in the most creative environment possible.

Oded oversees every facet of the company's operations, ensuring the seamless and efficient flow of production. He steers the planning of future projects, resource allocation, and budget management, all aimed at optimizing resource utilization. With a wealth of experience in VFX and full CG animation for game cinematics, Oded brings valuable knowledge to the table, having previously served as the Head of CG at Luma. His contributions to a portfolio of notable projects include I Am Groot, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Tomorrow War, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Meet our Production Leaders

Our Producers and Supervising team have worked on some of the biggest blockbusters and award-winning films, collaborating with notable directors like the Coen Brothers, Taika Waititi, James Gunn, Ridley Scott, Ryan Coogler, and Christopher Nolan. Let us introduce you to them here:

Michael joined Luma in 2009 and has since played an integral role of managing all aspects of the VFX production process, ensuring the seamless integration of technology, people, and processes. Michael's keen eye for detail and passion for innovation have helped him lead the VFX team to new heights of efficiency and creativity. He works closely with the Development and Systems team to stay ahead of the curve in terms of automation, big data, and AI-driven technologies.

Brendan joined Luma in 2013 and has since worked on over 30 feature-films, including Marvel Studios' highly successful Spider-Man franchise, The Tomorrow War, and Jojo Rabbit. As a highly skilled VFX Supervisor, Brendan works closely with the global VFX Supervisors and department heads to oversee the creative direction of each project. His exceptional work leading the Melbourne team on Spider-Man: Far From Home earned him the AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects in 2019.

Andrew joined Luma in 2008 and has worked as a supervisor on over 40 feature- films including Spy Kids: Armageddon, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Candyman, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and The Tomorrow War. In 2019, he received the AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects on Spider-Man: Far From Home. As a traditional artist in painting, sculpting, and drawing he brings his creative background and traditional skills to his role.

Jared joined Luma Los Angeles in 2006 and brings with him a rich set of skills and experience in both traditional art and production including compositing, matte painting, lighting, model/texturing and supervision for over 70 feature-film and episodic projects. His credits include Ahsoka, Loki, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Hawkeye, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Doctor Strange, Avengers, and No Country for Old Men.

Adam joined Luma in 2020 as a Compositing Supervisor and was recently promoted to the role of Associate VFX Supervisor. Prior to Luma, he spent 13 years at DNEG where he honed his skills as a compositing artist on a range of highly acclaimed projects, including Cloverfield, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Inception, and The Dark Knight. Adam served as the DFX Supervisor on Tenet, for which the team received an Academy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects. At Luma, Adam was the DFX Supervisor on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, for which he won an AACTA Award.

Raphael joined Luma in 2004 and spearheads the global animation teams. He has led the animation department on nearly 100 feature-films and series. While at Luma, Raphael has performed motion capture for over 20 characters, including body performance for Baby Groot in I Am Groot, Miss Minutes in Loki, Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy, Hulk and Ant-Man for Marvel and Coca-Cola’s “A Mini Marvel” Super Bowl ad, Ironman, Molten Man and Dr. Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange.