Member Profile: Mark Flanagan
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I wear many hats …literally and metaphorically!
Currently, I’m Manager of Education at CDW Studios in Melbourne, where I help shape the next generation of artists.
I also mentor students at IIM College in Paris.
I chair the Melbourne SIGGRAPH chapter, and advocate for Access VFX across Oceania.
My consultancy work spans curriculum design, tutorial creation and government advisory submissions.
I’ve been working in the education field for more than 10 years, across universities and production studios including ILM, Dneg, Epic Games, Netflix Animation Studios, and Animal Logic.
I’m particularly focused on bridging the gap between education and industry – my core mission has remained constant: helping others realize their dreams.
2. What was your first job?
My very first job was working in my parents’ seaside shop as a kid. I absolutely hated the summer holidays because I had to work every day that it was sunny – which made me one of the few kids who actually looked forward to going back to school! But looking back, those long days dealing with customers taught me invaluable people skills that have shaped my entire career in ways I never expected.
My first graphics-related job was as an environment artist at Codemasters.
Ironically, I thought I was being hired as an animator, but because of my architectural degree, environments seemed to make more sense to them. It was a great introduction to the industry and showed me how transferable skills from other fields can find unexpected applications in games and VFX.
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
I don’t think my education is complete yet!
I earned my architectural degree from Dublin Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin. Much later I returned to study Computer Animation at Ballyfermot College of Further Education. I’ve been successfully dodging doing a PhD for the last 10 years, but I have a feeling it may catch up with me soon.
In this industry, learning never really stops, and I love that!
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
I first got involved as an attendee at the 2013 Anaheim conference.
To be honest, my association was pretty tenuous to start with… I wasn’t certain what I could contribute to such an established and impressive community.
It took me until SIGGRAPH Asia in Brisbane 2019 to feel ready to contribute with my first panel on “Bridging the gap between education and industry” (thanks to my amazing panelists Lara Hopkins, Chris Ebeling, Anna Hodge, and Alwyn Hunt.
By SIGGRAPH Asia Sydney 2023, I had found my voice and was submitting individual papers, panels, and Birds of a Feather sessions.
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
Getting my first ‘walking teapot’ at the Pixar booth!
It might sound simple, but there’s something magical about that moment.
I’ve gone on to develop quite an obsession with collecting them (thanks Dylan Sisson!). I even found a genuine Melitta Teapot on Ebay.. (The original model for the Utah Teapot)
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM SIGGRAPH community.
I’m working on what I call “The Rosetta Initiative”.
It’s a ridiculously huge project that aims to unlock the hidden language of computer graphics, animation, and VFX for educators, and creators.
Just like the Rosetta Stone helped us decode ancient languages by providing translations between scripts, this initiative is about creating bridges of understanding across the industry.
Knowledge gets siloed within specific software packages, rendering engines, or studio pipelines. Artists might be experts in one tool but struggle to translate those concepts when moving to another platform.
The Rosetta Initiative is my attempt to create a comprehensive resource that helps people develop a deeper, more transferable understanding of the fundamental principles that underpin all our tools and techniques.
7. If you could have dinner with one living or non-living person, who would it be and why?
I’d love to have dinner with Alan Turing.
His work forms the foundation of so much of our world today, yet he was treated so appallingly. Just imagine hearing his perspectives on the current state of AI. His insights into the cultural state of modern society would be equally fascinating.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
I was the Junior Frisbee Champion of Ireland… It was a very long time ago obviously. I still have the trophy somewhere. One day I may return to the sport and become the Seniors Champion also!
9. From which single individual have you learned the most in your life? What did they teach you?
My primary school teacher, Dermot Levy. More than anything else, he taught me to genuinely enjoy learning – a gift that has shaped everything I do today.
I was fortunate to have the same teacher from age 6 until I was 12 and went to high school.
Mr. Levy encouraged our entire class to learn well above what the curriculum required.
I got to create huge drawings on the chalkboard, dive into geometry concepts, learn French – he made learning feel like an adventure rather than a chore.
In some ways, the first couple of years in high school felt like a backward step after his classroom.
I’ve kept that love of learning throughout my life, and I hope I share it with the students and colleagues I work with today.
He showed me that the best teachers don’t just transfer knowledge, they ignite curiosity.
10. Is there someone in particular who has influenced your decision to work with ACM SIGGRAPH?
I blame Ian Failes for my becoming more active with SIGGRAPH!!! His passion for the art and industry is infectious – his enthusiasm and genuine love for what we do is impossible to ignore. Without his support Sydney and Melbourne would not have active Chapters.
11. What can you point to in your career as your proudest moment?
I don’t feel proud of personal achievements – I struggle with praise, though I’m working on that.
What gives me joy is seeing those I’ve mentored or taught succeed. That moment watching credits roll on a major film or game, and I see an ex-student’s name – that’s when my heart swells. I think “I knew they’d make it!” It’s not that I take credit for their success, but knowing I played some small part in helping them realize their potential is rewarding.
Whether it’s a student landing their first ILM job, or seeing someone I mentored years ago leading their own team – those moments remind me why I chose this path.