Nexus Studios has signed director and animator Hannah Lau-Walker for worldwide representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos.
With over 15 years of industry experience, Lau-Walker had been freelancing prior to joining Nexus Studios. Known for infusing charm, humor and warmth into her work, Lau-Walker has exhibited such talents as strong art direction, animation expertise and versatility in tackling diverse subjects. Starting as a 2D animator, Lau-Walker transitioned quickly into directing. She has since led a variety of large-scale projects, including the acclaimed docuseries She Creates Change for global charity Room to Read, which was selected for the London Short Film Festival. She led an all-female team on Boobs, a film featuring original โboob artโ from illustrators around the world. Her collaboration with TED-Ed brought philosopher Thomas Hofweberโs exploration of AI to life and tackled deforestation for Serious Tissues, who went on to win the top prize at Sky Zeroโs Footprint Fund. Her original short, Yeah, Iโm Good Thanks, also earned the top award at the Depict British Awards.
Lau-Walker is equally passionate about fostering diversity and growth within the animation industry. As a founder of She Drew That, she leads initiatives to mentor, support, and empower women in animation through workshops, residencies, and community-driven projects. Her advocacy for inclusivity and innovation extends to her work as a speaker and participant in festivals, including Raindance and Annecy.
In addition to her creative achievements, Lau-Walker has also been an Animation and Film juror for numerous industry panels including BAFTA Cymru, Latin American Design Awards, British Animation Awards, and The Young Animator of the Year UK.
โItโs been an absolute pleasure working with Hannah over the past few years, and weโre beyond excited to officially welcome her to the Nexus Studios roster of directing talent. Sheโs a true creative forceโan imaginative storyteller and a natural leader in collaborative projects. Hannah is shaping the animation industry on and off the screen, and the kind of exceptional talent that we are proud to champion,โ said Chris OโReilly, co-founder and chief creative officer, Nexus Studios
Latest Crop of VES Fellows Unveiled
The Visual Effects Society (VES) has announced the Societyโs newest VES Fellows, who will be celebrated with the other honorees at a special VES Honors event later this month. This yearโs venerated VES Fellows who will be bestowed with the post-nominal letters โVESโ are: Matt Aitken, Girish Balakrishnan, Randall Balsmeyer, Michael Conte, Lisa Cooke, Bryan Grill, Thomas Knop, Arnon Manor and Susan Rowe.
VES 2024 Fellows
VES Fellow Matt Aitken, VES. Aitken has been an integral part of Weta FX since it first opened its doors. With two Oscar nominations and five VES Award wins, including the top award of Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature for Avengers: Infinity War, Aitkenโs versatility and creative talent are foundational to the studioโs success. As head of visual effects, Aitken leads Weta FXโs artists across three countries, and is responsible for filmmaker and studio relationships. Prior to assuming this executive role, Aitken was one of Weta FXโs most experienced visual effects supervisors on projects including Avengers: Endgame, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Marvelโs Eternals. Aitken has been an active VES member for 20 years. He was instrumental in establishing the New Zealand VES Section in 2011, the 5th VES Section to be created, and was New Zealand Section chair for its first five years of operation.
VES Fellow Girish Balakrishnan, VES. Balakrishnan has more than a decade of experience driving business studio strategies, business development and production innovation across live action, animation and games. As director of creative innovation at Netflix, Balakrishnan leads the content & production studio investment strategy on the application of... Read More