**FREE** Q&Awards: SINNERS VFX

Sponsored by Warner Bros. Pictures

After chasing success in the North, twin brothers Smoke and Stack return to their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi to open a juke joint. As music and dance meld in celebration of artistry, culture and history, an evil descends, threatening to devour the heart and soul of the community. (Description courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

Michael Ralla (VFX Supervisor) is a visual effects supervisor and Audiovisual Media engineering graduate from Stuttgart’s Hochschule der Medien (HdM). He began his VFX career at Scanline VFX in Munich in 2004, after initially training as a sound engineer and even pursuing a career in heavy metal drumming. Inspired by the pioneering short film 405, he shifted his focus to compositing.

Ralla’s professional journey has taken him around the globe, with roles at Animal Logic in Sydney, Framestore in London, MPC in Vancouver, and later Digital Domain and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in Los Angeles and San Francisco. His studio experience also includes time at Marvel Studios and additional high-profile facilities, contributing to major productions such as The Avengers (2012), Ender’s Game (2013) and Christopher Robin (2018. In 2022, he transitioned to independent and studio-side supervision, serving as a visual effects supervisor on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), John Wick 4 (2023) and as the Overall VFX Supervisor on Sinners (2025).

His work has earned industry recognition, including a Visual Effects Society (VES) Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Commercial for Welcome Home (2018), shared with Steve Drew, Alejandro Villabon, and Peter Timberlake. He has also received multiple nominations from both the VES and the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) for his contributions to projects such as The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) and several high-profile commercials.

James Alexander  (VFX Producer) is a prominent Visual Effects Consultant and Producer currently based in Los Angeles. He is widely recognized for his high-level production roles at major studios like Marvel Studios, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures. 

Career Overview

Alexander began his career in London at The Mill in 2001, initially working in commercial traffic and scheduling. Over the following two decades, he transitioned into senior production leadership roles across the globe: 

• Current Role: Visual Effects Consultant at Paramount Pictures (since October 2025).
• Recent Projects: Served as the Overall VFX Producer for Ryan Coogler's 2025 film, Sinners, where he managed over 1,000 VFX shots and spearheaded complex digital twinning effects.
• Studio History:
• Warner Bros. Discovery: VFX Producer (2024–2025).
• Marvel Studios: VFX Producer (2020–2023), with credits including WandaVision and The Marvels.
• Framestore: Spent over eight years as an Executive and Senior Producer, working on blockbusters like Skyfall. 

Notable Work & Recognition

• Key Credits: Sinners (2025), The Marvels (2023), WandaVision (2021), Skyfall (2012), and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013).
• Awards: He has received two award nominations, including a Primetime Emmynomination for his contributions to television visual effects. 

Guido Wolter - Guido is a seasoned and passionate VFX Supervisor with over seventeen years of industry experience. His drive to produce exceptional images for his clients has enabled him to deliver a wide range of projects during his career, including "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" (2024), "Mickey17" (2025), "Sinners" (2025) and "Star Wars: Episode VIII" (2017).

As well as his experience as a VFX Supervisor, Guido also has an extensive credit list as both Compositing Supervisor and On-Set VFX Supervisor from his time at Rising Sun Pictures, Animal Logic and One of Us. This includes "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" (2023), "Elvis" (2022), "Captain Marvel" (2019), "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" (2017) and "Doctor Strange" (2016).

He has been at the forefront of Rising Sun Pictures development and use of machine learning techniques to achieve industry leading results. His leadership, fueled by his sharp eye and creative prowess, has consistently brought directors' visions to life, helping to ensure that each of their projects reaches its full potential.

Nick Marshall - Nick began his VFX career at DNEG London in 2009, working as a roto and paint artist on films like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Pt1 and Pt2, before moving into a matte painting role for Captain America: The First Avenger.  

Since then Nick has occupied various roles as a matte painter, concept artist, environment generalist and compositor, before eventually moving into the Head of Environments and Generalists role at DNEG Vancouver in 2017.

After 5 years in management, Nick jumped back into a creative role as DFX Supervisor for HBO's The Last Of Us, which earned him an Emmy award. He continued in this position on Dune: Part 2, before leaving DNEG in 2023 to join Industrial Light and Magic as an Associate VFX Supervisor. Since then, Nick has worked on various shows such as 'Smoke' for AppleTV, and Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners'.

Espen Nordahl, Donnie Dean bios forthcoming.