About Us

We're an award-winning & independent creative studio bringing magic to acclaimed movies & more since 2002.

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. With nearly 300 employees, we’re proud to have worked on over 100 feature-films including: Elvis, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Black Panther, 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, No Country for Old Men, Jojo Rabbit, and True Grit.

Over the years, we’ve kept that same hungry mindset and take pride in our creative partnerships. Our motto is simple: work with exceptional people on meaningful things. It’s what started our fire and continues to fuel our engine.

Meet our Executive Team

Luma Pictures was founded by Payam Shohadai on the belief that there was more to business than money. A belief that served as the foundation for how Luma launched, grew, and operated all these years. His unwavering commitment to working on meaningful projects with like-minded artists dedicated to their craft is the hallmark of what makes Luma a unique place. Today, Luma is led by our executive board. Meet them below.

Grady Gamble | CEO

Grady Gamble has held a variety of high-level management and strategy roles across the media and entertainment landscape for over 15 years with companies like Paramount Pictures, Miramax Films and Adaptive Studios, where he was the Chief Operating Officer. Grady joined Luma in 2019 as the COO to oversee the expansion and growth of the business and was promoted to CEO in early 2022.

Vincent Cirelli | Head of Studio

Vincent Cirelli 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 Bryan | Executive Producer of VFX

Shauna Bryan 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 Elvis, I Am Groot, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and Suicide Squad.

Jamy Zink | VP/Head of People & Culture

Jamy Zink 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 Method Studios) 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.

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:

Olivier Dumont | Sr. VFX Supervisor & Creative Director

Olivier joined Luma in 2020 and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role at Luma. With over 25 years in the industry, Olivier has built a reputation as an esteemed VFX Supervisor, having served as the VFX Supervisor at BUF for 11 years and at Method Studios for 12 years. He has collaborated with some of the most highly regarded directors in the industry, including Christopher Nolan, the Wachowskis, and Terence Malick. Olivier’s impressive portfolio includes serving as the client side VFX Supervisor on Guardians of the Galaxy and the overall VFX Supervisor on the critically acclaimed film Ford v Ferrari.

Anton Agerbo | Head of Production

Anton joined Luma in 2023 as the Head of Production, where he plays a key part of the management team and is responsible for managing the production of all work flowing through Luma’s three locations. With a solid background in both the production side and facility side of the industry, Anton's decision-making is guided by his extensive experience in the field. His credits include the Oscar-winning film, The Jungle Book at MPC, and other familiar blockbusters like Fantastic Beasts, Ghost in the Shell, Deadpool 2, Hobbs and Shaw, and Game of Thrones Season 5.

Michael Perdew | Senior VFX Producer/Production Director

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 Seals | VFX Supervisor

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 Zink | VFX Supervisor

Andrew joined Luma in 2008 and has worked as a supervisor on over 40 feature- films including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Candyman, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Space Jam: A New Legacy, 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.

Alexandre Cancado | VFX Supervisor

Alex joined Luma in 2006 and has worked on over 70 feature-films, commercials, and episodic. Recent credits include I Am Groot, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He previously served as Luma’s 2D and later CG Supervisor, where he led and managed artists in both creative and technical areas.

Jared Simeth | VFX Supervisor

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 Willow (2022), Loki, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Hawkeye, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Doctor Strange, Avengers, and No Country for Old Men.

Farhad Mohasseb | VFX Supervisor

Farhad joined Luma in 2022 and boasts nearly two decades of industry experience across multiple VFX houses. At DNEG Vancouver, he worked as a Compositing Supervisor on many high-profile projects, including Ant-Man and the Wasp, Wonder Woman, and Blade Runner 2049. Farhad also served as DFX Supervisor on AppleTV+'s multiple VES Award-winning sci-fi series Foundation, and has contributed to recent films such as Shazam 2, Bullet Train, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Adam Hammond | Associate VFX Supervisor

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 A. Pimentel | Animation Supervisor

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.

Oded Raz | Head of CG

Oded plays a key role in the long term planning, structure, and pipeline of the studio. With a focus on cross-departmental collaboration, Oded works closely with department heads and CG Supervisors to develop and optimize processes that drive success. With a wealth of experience in full CG animation for game cinematics, Oded brings valuable knowledge to the table, having previously served as the Head of Assets at Blur Studio. His impressive credits include I Am Groot, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Tomorrow War, and Guardians of the Galaxy.