Rick Pearce

About

RickPearce

Director · Creative Director · Creative Technologist

Queensland, AU

I started at Walt Disney Animation Australia. Since then I've worked behind the camera, in edit and VFX, on LED stages, in game engines and running studios. I care about the final frame and the system that makes it.

On set

Behind the camera
Camera rehearsal on a set painted with white geometric lines
Reviewing a shot on an iPad beside the camera team
Talking through a shot with an iPad on a dark stage
An actor lifts off a VR headset between takes on the LED stage
Checking a lookbook and laptop with the crew on set
Briefing performers wearing VR headsets
Crew silhouetted against an industrial scene on the LED wall
Wide view of the LED stage and lighting rig
Crew around the camera rig with a laptop
Reviewing takes on a laptop on a neon-lit set

Through-line

  1. 2001–2005Learning the image

    Digital matte painting at Walt Disney Animation Australia, inside a feature pipeline where every frame had to hold to a larger visual language.

  2. 2000s–2010sLearning the camera

    Retrained as a cinematographer, then worked across film, commercials, broadcast, VFX, motion design and agency creative direction.

  3. 2016Building the missing tools

    Co-founded Spectre Studios to find out what Unreal Engine, VR, capture and virtual cameras could do for filmmaking.

  4. 2019Beyond entertainment

    Co-founded EmergiSim and applied the same real-time stack to first-responder and military medical training.

  5. 2022–Worlds, games and teams

    Creative direction on Human Park, then Fenix Studios, Office Fight and cinematic work for location-based entertainment.

  6. 2026Authorship

    Ares Machina X1: ECHO, an original animated science-fiction series I created, write and direct.

Studios

2016–2022

Spectre Studios

Co-founder / Technical Director

Co-founded with filmmaker Mark Grentell. Unreal, VR, capture and virtual production for film and TV. Part of the partnership that launched Australia's first full-service LED virtual-production solution. Acquired by Virtually Human Studio in 2022.

2019–

EmergiSim

Co-founder / CTO

VR simulation for high-pressure first-responder and military medical training. The platform was publicly reported in use with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Department of Defence.

2023–

Fenix Studios

Founder / CEO / CCO

Games, trailers, virtual production and original IP under one roof. Unreal Engine Service Partner.

Point of view

Image and system
The strongest work comes when a visual idea and a production system reinforce each other. I design the system to make a particular image possible.
Real time as a creative method
Real time moves decisions earlier. Camera, light, environment, performance and edit rhythm can be explored together, ahead of long render and post cycles.

Career markers

  1. Disney Animation2001
  2. Cinematography2000s
  3. Creative Direction2007
  4. Spectre Studios2016
  5. Virtual Production2017
  6. EmergiSim2019
  7. Human Park2022
  8. Fenix Studios2023
  9. Ares Machina X1: ECHO2026

Capability

What I do.

Directing on a virtual-production stage01

Direct

Film direction, performance, cinematography, lighting, trailers and visual storytelling.

Age of DinosaursDirectorWarhammer + Outbreak 2DirectorZED RUN cinematicDirector
Ares Machina X1: ECHO character and visual development artwork02

Design

Creative and art direction, visual development, world building, environments, characters and original IP.

Ares Machina X1: ECHOCreator / DirectorRoborovskiArt DirectorHuman ParkCreative Director
A pilot in front of an Ares Machina X1 machine03

Build

Unreal Engine, virtual production, real-time animation, games, interactive worlds and technical pipelines.

Unreal FellowVirtual ProductionFenixUnreal Service PartnerSpectreReal-time / ICVFX R&D
Leading a multidisciplinary production team04

Lead

Creative strategy, multidisciplinary teams, R&D, production planning, partnerships and delivery.

Spectre StudiosCo-founderEmergiSimCo-founder / CTOFenix StudiosFounder / CEO / CCO

Today

Now directing, creative directing and developing ECHO, and building toward a small senior-led studio.

Queensland, AU · Working worldwide

Let's build
the next
world.

Available for directing, creative direction and real-time production.

[email protected] ↗