Event Sponsored by
Tokyo Race Lighting for Cars 2
By Mitch Kopelman – Master Lighting Artist at Pixar Animation Studios
January 18,2012
Autodesk Gallery – One Market St. 2nd Floor
6:30pm to 7:00pm: Networking with Pizza and Autodesk Gallery Exhibitions
7:00pm: Presentation
Mitch will discuss the strategies used in creating the lighting for the Tokyo Race scene.
Mitch Kopelman
Master Lighting Artist
Pixar Animation Studios
Mitch Kopelman joined Pixar Animation Studios in August 2003 as a shot lighting artist on the Academy Award® winning feature film, “The Incredibles.” As a lighting artist, Kopelman works directly with the director of photography on a film, to highlight story points using lighting and shadow. Kopelman continued on to work on “Cars,” as a master lighting artist, where he worked mostly on the neon lighting of radiator springs. Kopelman went on to work as a lighting technical lead on another Academy Award® winner, “Up,” and was a master lighting artist for Disney•Pixar’s most recently released feature, “Cars 2.” In addition to his work on feature films, Kopelman was also the lighting supervisor for “Dug’s Special Mission,” the short film released on the “Up” Blu-ray and DVD.
Kopelman is currently working as a master lighting artist on Disney•Pixar’s 2012 summer film, “Brave,” scheduled to release on June 22, 2012.
Prior to coming to Pixar, Kopelman worked for Blue Sky Studios on a variety of projects including feature films, commercials and special effects, primarily as a supervisor for lighting and effects. He also worked at Industrial Light & Magic, as a technical artist on “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” and “Deep Blue Sea.”
Raised in New Hyde Park, New York, approximately 12 miles outside of Manhattan, Kopelman graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He also attended graduate school at Texas A&M University. Kopelman currently lives in Berkeley, California with his wife and their two children.
