Five questions with Jon Wadelton

Friday 30th January, 2015

Five questions with Jon Wadelton We grabbed our recently promoted Mr NUKE to find out what hes looking forward to in 2015 and how hes finding the transition.

Big news this week at The Foundry as we named Jon Wadelton chief technology officer of the company. Jon's been an integral part of of how we've developed our NUKE family over the years, earning him the nickname Mr. NUKE. He's always off meeting with customers, but we caught up with him in between trips to talk about his new role.

Jon spreading the NUKE word

So Jon, this is pretty cool, becoming chief technology officer of The Foundry. How are you feeling?

Excited! The last seven years working on NUKE have been great. It's been a long journey from when I first starting working on NUKE in our little office in Leicester Square up to the recent NUKE 9 launch. I've seen first hand how the industry has evolved and advanced - and I have to tell you, it's been amazing.

I also have to thank the NUKE community. They are such a talented group of artists and technical innovators. The work they create and the places they take us are mind-blowing. The group has played an invaluable part in the development of our solutions over the years and will continue to do so.

They've pushed us - and definitely me - to do more and to think bigger about what's possible. I hope this community and all creative artists out there keep pushing me in my new role.

What's next in your new role?

As CTO, I get to look at all the emerging technologies out there and think about how we can harness their power for our customers across all our markets, including Media & Production and Design. It's also about exploring the different nuances of each industry to see how the application of a technology can maximise its potential.

In Media & Production, I'm looking really closely how creatives work across the pipeline and how we build the bridges among all the components. So, personally, I'm really excited to work across all of our applications and make these connections.

The final thing we've done that's really exciting is putting together a great team to make all this happen. The combination of Philippa, Sean and Jack is powerful, with each bringing a great perspective, and unique skill set to the mix.

Jon with Hugo Guerra from The Mill

What's the coolest thing in the horizon?

Oh definitely the emerging tech around virtual and augmented reality. We've already started looking at the solutions that will support it. The Foundry is a perfect place to be leaders in this area. VR and especially AR is bringing some of the techniques that compositors in NUKE have been doing for years like set extensions and CG compositing to the real world'. But the bigger question is how will people tell stories with VR and AR? Will it only be a games thing? Do you become a character in the story? These are all the exciting ways we're working with our customers to explore options and find the most interesting way of interacting and telling the story.

You spend a lot of time on the road. Where are you headed next?

I'm off to India next week. Getting to spend time onsite with customers is, hands down, one of the best parts of my job. We have such a fantastic relationships with the studios, and a result, I get to work with industry thought leaders across the globe. Sitting with them, I learn what's going on in their region, in their country, in their community. There are so many clever people doing R&D who are pushing the envelopes and their insights, experiences and challenges help push us to get to what's next? Because it's always about what's next?

Where Jon has a glass of red wine at the end of the week

When you're not at The Foundry, you're ___________________?

Not at the Foundry? I'm not sure I understand... No seriously, let's be honest, my job is about geeking out all day every day. When I'm away from the office I like to get my head into a different space. One of the things I love is putting on my favourite music, throwing on my running shoes and going out running. This is especially good when I'm out travelling. I'm fortunate that my job sends me to some amazing places but it results in a lot of jet lag! So whenever I travel, I bring my running shoes and head out for early morning runs. There's nothing better than exploring a new city early in the morning pounding the pavement.

I'm also a big of a foodie too, I love my food, coffee and wine. Sometimes, there's nothing like a good glass of red out on the patio surrounded by my lovely garden. Perfect way to wind down after a busy week at the Foundry!

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LINK:	http://www.thefoundry.co.uk/about-us/news-awards/question-time-with-jo...
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