Armando McIntyre-Kirwin
VR demo on location in Bláskógabyggð, Iceland

I spent the first decade of my career in feature film, starting as a production assistant and union crew member before moving into on-set visual effects. I was fortunate to be the VFX producer on The Book of Eli, one of the first major studio films shot on a digital cinema camera, just as Hollywood was beginning its shift away from film. From there I went to Paramount Pictures, where I worked on a variety of movies, including World War Z, Borat, and the Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Paranormal Activity franchises.

In 2015, I joined Vrse.works, a pioneering virtual reality studio, where I produced and led post-production on some of the first successful immersive films for clients including Apple, Facebook, Google, The New York Times, and the United Nations. Our work earned an Emmy nomination, a Cannes Lions Grand Prix, and other honors. Along the way, I collaborated with a roster of acclaimed directors, including Academy Award nominees Luca Guadagnino and Lucy Walker.

Beyond Vrse.works, I directed my own VR films, which were selected for Cannes, Tribeca, and the Venice Biennale, and exhibited at the Phi Centre and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. I also worked at Meta on the development of its first reality-capture camera system.

While working in VR, I became interested in how AI could make immersive worlds more believable. That led me to start Artie, one of the first AI companies focused on the entertainment industry. We raised $40M from investors including Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, Zynga founder Mark Pincus, and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley. We grew to nearly 50 people, launched multiple products, and earned several U.S. patents before the company was acquired by a subsidiary of VICE Media in 2024.

Since then, I've continued building in AI while returning to creative work. Most recently, I produced Azul, a sci-fi short film shot in Mexico that won an Ariel, one of Mexican cinema's most prestigious awards.

I've spoken about the future of entertainment at venues such as SXSW, Google, Meta, and Sundance.

Selected VR Projects

Selected Press

Keynotes & Panels

Artie Technology

Patents

Link to patents →