Member Profile: Stacey Pearson
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I am the Managing director of The Media and Entertainment Division of The Modena Group in Southern Africa , My company represents Autodesk and Chaos solutions, amongst others to the M&E industry in branches in South Africa.
I have been in this position since 2018 and have been in my own business called Touchvision since 1993 before I moved over to Modena
2. What was your first job?
I worked as an Interior Designer and Space planner for Office design and retail companies , working on the first DOS based CAD systems ( showing my age )
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
Technikon Witwatersrand ( Architectural Design ) in Johannesburg, South Africa
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
After visiting a Siggraph conference in LA in 2023, I met with the AJ Christianson and the Chapters Org and I was inspired. I decided it would be a good idea to create an organization together with a Colleague, Wicus Labuschagne here in Africa- Siggraph has a well respected name in the industry
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
There were many , I only attended the one Siggraph conference in 2023, I enjoyed the NVidia Keynote by Jensen Huang and among the various captivating talks that took place during the Autodesk Vision Series.
Two customer testimonials stood out to me. The first testimony, titled “Boundaryless Creativity in the Cloud,” featured Aaman Akram, the head of VFX at Untold Studios. Akram and his team provided a fascinating glimpse into their groundbreaking work on projects like Sandman, the Citadel, and the Crown. What set Untold Studios apart was their status as the world’s first fully cloud-based studio, redefining how studios operate. Learning about bringing the studio to the talent, rather than the other way around. The other testimonial was from Ian Cope from Rising Sun Productions , he gave a special behind-the-scenes presentation of the making of the Indiana Jones film, “Dial of Destiny.” The VFX shots showcased during the presentation were real cinematic magic, I felt very inspired by both these talks
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM SIGGRAPH community.
For the past 12 years I have helped run and market an animation festival and various animation events and creative projects, The Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF) is where Africa’s animation community comes to life every year , I have worked together with an awesome group of women who have brought together the freshest talent, top studios, and animation lovers from across the continent for creativity, connection, and inspiration.
Our most notable event was the 2018 conference, where we held screenings and behind-the-scenes masterclasses to workshops, talks, and networking events.
We’ve hosted Academy Award-winning artists and directors, Peter Ramsey, (Spiderverse fame ) sparked co-productions,(Kizazi Moto ) and helped launch projects that went on to make waves around the world.
7. If you could have dinner with one living or non-living person, who would it be and why?
A comic /comedian like Ricky Gervais or Robin Williams, people who would laugh at the same things I do, However, I wouldn’t just want one person, I have an 8 seater dining room table and would always want to fill it, so would also invite Nelson Mandela, my friends and my parents.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
Going back to the last question , I laugh at things most people dont, I have a dry wit
9. From which single individual have you learned the most in your life? What did they teach you?
If I have to say work wise, I learnt a lot from the CTIAF festival director , Dianne Makings, on how to prioritize, strategize and keep focused in the events industry, also that everyone makes mistakes sometimes, its how you learn from them and move on..
10. Is there someone in particular who has influenced your decision to work with ACM SIGGRAPH?
NO, I have always been interested in the organization, but working with the chapters team have made it easy to get started
11. What can you point to in your career as your proudest moment?
I have won Industry choice awards for best reseller in the past , however I think my career highlights are still to come .