Habib Zargarpour

Habib invented the Virtual Production System used by Jon Favreau on The Jungle Book and by Spielberg on Ready Player One. He deploys real-time techniques for film making and combines his experience in film and real time engines to bring their benefits to Virtual Production. Habib has been nominated for two Academy Awards and won two BAFTAs for his work on Twister and The Perfect Storm. His visual effects career included developing groundbreaking effects while at Industrial Light & Magic, Electronic Arts, and as Director of Visuals for XBox Publishing at Microsoft. His film credits include Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania, Greyhound, Blade Runner 2049, and The Jungle Book where he pioneered Virtual Production using a Real-Time Engine. Other credits are Signs, The Bourne Identity, Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace, Spawn, Jumanji, Star Trek: Generations, and The Mask. He has also been Senior Art Director on hit video games such as: RYSE: Son of Rome – a launch title for Xbox One, and Need for Speed Most Wanted/ Underground for which he received a VES Award.

He is on the executive board of the VFX Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, and a founding member of the Visual Effects Society and the 5D-Conference. Habib is also a Visiting Professor in Virtual Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

Role with the VES

Founding VES member
Previous Member of the Awards Committee
Previous Member of the Board of Directors