Payam Shohadai
Executive Visual Effects Supervisor / Co Founder
Payam Shohadai is co-founder of Luma Pictures and the leader of its creative and executive management teams. Under his guidance, the company has established itself as a premier provider of visual effects services to Hollywood with a reputation for artistic and business integrity, technical innovation and efficient production.
Shohadai has led Luma's visual effects team on more than 50 film projects, ranging from blockbusters such as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, to creature genre films such as the Underworld franchise, to dramatic Oscar Winning films such as Crash and No Country for Old Men.
Jonathan Betuel
Co Founder
Jonathan Betuel, co-founder of Luma Pictures with Payam Shohadai, wrote the first and classic CGI film The Last Starfighter and has directed and produced for both film and television. With his creative experience and first-hand knowledge of a filmmaker's creative needs in an ever-evolving VFX realm, he collaborates with studios, producers and directors on an ongoing basis for the purpose of realizing their visions at Luma.
Steven Swanson
Senior VFX Producer
Steven Swanson oversees all aspects of visual effects production at Luma Pictures. In addition to interfacing with clients and managing staff, Swanson has an extensive technical background as a self-taught programmer and visual effects artist. Swanson spearheaded the development of file architecture and workflow protocols that are the foundation of the studio's pipeline.
A graduate of USC Film school, Swanson began his career as a code monkey and interface designer in the energy industry and joined Luma Pictures in 2004.
Vincent Cirelli
VFX Supervisor
Vince Cirelli is the supervising creative at Luma Pictures with more than 40 films to his credit backed by many years of practical, hands-on technical experience in visual effects production. Vince directly leads and oversees show execution artistically and technically at Luma Pictures.
Prior to joining Luma Pictures in 2004, Cirelli was an award winning creative director working on many campaigns for fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, General Mills, Hasbro, Target, Toyota, the U.S. Army and United Airlines.
Lindsay Hallett
Director of Business Development
Lindsay Hallett joined Luma Pictures in 2009 as Director of Business Development. It is Hallett's second tenure with Luma, she previously served as a producer. In her current role, she is focused on developing and diversifying Luma's client base and enhancing its reputation in the film industry and beyond.
Hallett (formerly Burnett) has worked on more than 80 films over the course of her career. As Executive Producer at Riot, she oversaw visual effects production for such films as The Spirit, Live Free or Die Hard and The Time Traveler's Wife. During her previous tenure at Luma, she produced for such films as Underworld: Evolution.
Additional Key Staff
