The USC School of Cinematic Arts invites you and a guest to attend

A Special Panel Discussion on

NVIDIA: AI & CREATIVITY

Featuring:
Richard Kerris - VP of Global Media & Entertainment, NVIDIA
Rick Grandy - Principal Solutions Architect & SA Manager, NVIDIA
Alessandro La Tona - Workflow Specialist @ NVIDIA

Moderated by SCA Professor Habib Zargarpour,
Co-Head of the Virtual Production Program &
The Georges Méliès Endowed Chair in Visual Effects

7:00 P.M. on Monday, November 10th, 2025

The Eileen Norris Cinema Theater at the Frank Sinatra Hall
3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089

FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPs REQUIRED.
RSVPs ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE.

FOOD AND DRINKS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED IN THE AUDITORIUM.
 

CLICK HERE TO RSVP
 

About the Guests

Richard Kerris - VP of Global Media & Entertainment, NVIDIA

Richard Kerris is the vice president and general manager of media and entertainment at NVIDIA. He is responsible for the industry strategy, business development, product management, developer relations, and marketing of media and entertainment. With a career spanning Alias|Wavefront, Apple, Lucasfilm and other major tech brands, Richard has extensive experience driving product development and marketing with a focus on bringing new ideas to life. At Alias|Wavefront, he was director of Maya technologies and led the teams that brought the groundbreaking 3D software to manufacturers and new platforms such as Macintosh. At Apple, he was senior director of developer relations and managed the ProApps teams for Final Cut Pro, Logic and Aperture. At Lucasfilm, he served as chief technology officer, managing research and development, IT and information services. Richard has given keynote addresses at NVIDIA GTC, Asia Broadcast and China Joy Expo and delivered multiple Apple Worldwide Developers Conference presentations with the company’s CEO. He serves on the Bay Area Board of the Visual Effects Society and is an active member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. He is also an accomplished photographer and musician.

Rick Grandy - Principal Solutions Architect & SA Manager, NVIDIA

Rick Grandy is a Principal Solutions Architect and manager of the Media2 SA team at NVIDIA, overseeing technical engagements at the intersection of professional graphics and AI—from content creation and streaming to game development and advertising. He has nearly three decades of experience in visual effects and animation with highly respected industry leaders, including Industrial Light and Magic, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Digital Domain, and Bad Robot. Initially focused on digital character development, his expertise grew to cover the entire media pipeline end-to-end, encompassing real-time previsualization, asset management, post-production, and early AI development. At NVIDIA, Rick combines this profound industry experience with the latest production technology and advanced research to help customers build the impossible.

Alessandro La Tona - Workflow Specialist, NVIDIA

Alessandro La Tona is a Workflow Specialist at NVIDIA, specializing in the creative application of generative AI for industries like gaming, visual effects, and animation. Prior to his role at NVIDIA, Alessandro was a Compositing Supervisor at CoSA VFX, where his work included projects for Westworld, Lucifer, and Gotham. Originally from Italy, he studied Visual Effects at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/

About the Moderator

Habib Zargarpour - Co-Head of the Virtual Production Program
& The Georges Méliès Endowed Chair in Visual Effects

Habib invented the Virtual Production System used by Jon Favreau on The Jungle Book and by Spielberg on Ready Player One. He deploys real-time techniques for film making and combines his experience in film and real time engines to bring their benefits to Virtual Production. Habib has been nominated for two Academy Awards and won two BAFTAs for his work on Twister and The Perfect Storm. His visual effects career included developing groundbreaking effects while at Industrial Light & Magic, Electronic Arts, and as Director of Visuals for XBox Publishing at Microsoft. His film credits include Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania, Greyhound, Blade Runner 2049, and The Jungle Book where he pioneered Virtual Production using the Unity Real-Time Engine. Other credits are Signs, The Bourne Identity, Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace, Spawn, Jumanji, Star Trek: Generations, and The Mask. He has also been Senior Art Director on hit video games such as: RYSE: Son of Rome, and Need for Speed Most Wanted/ Underground.

He is on the executive board of the VFX Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, and a founding member of the Visual Effects Society and the 5D-Conference. Habib is also a Visiting Professor in Virtual Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

Check-In & Reservations

This program is open to all eligible individuals. The USC School of Cinematic Arts operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.

This screening is free of charge and open to the public A reservation confirmation will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 6:30 P.M.

All SCA screenings are OVERBOOKED to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.

Accessibility Needs

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Alessandro Ago, Assistant Dean, Programming and Special Events, at aago@cinema.usc.edu or 213-740-2330. It is requested that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least seven days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.

Parking

On-campus parking at the University of Southern California is limited. We recommend buying a day pass for the Royal Street Structure, located at the intersection of Royal Street and W. Jefferson Blvd. Parking passes are $20/car. For more information about parking at USC, please visit USC Transportation Website:

https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/daily-and-hourly-parking/
https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/about-us/entrance-hours/

Contact Information

Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu