Jacob Luamanuvae-Su'a

Having already led a successful career in Advertising, Jacob followed his dreams and started his film career as a Lead Motion Editor in Wellington’s WetaFX bringing Gollum to life in Sir Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Saga "The Two Towers".

Jacob worked with Sydney's Animal Logic as Motion Edit Supervisor who was instrumental in designing the Motion Edit tools and pipeline for the Academy Award-winning animated film "Happy Feet" directed by George Miller.

Jacob returned to Wellington, New Zealand in 2006 he tutored an Animation Degree at Natcoll Institute and directed an Award-Winning 3D animated short film in the process.

Jacob returned to WetaFX to work on James Cameron’s fantasy epic Avatar as a Sequence Lead Motion Editor and Facial Motion Editor where he has continued his career to this day.

During the Pandemic, Jacob founded TIKIPUNK Studios where he Directed several personal Pasifika projects inspired by his Polynesian (Samoan) heritage: an Animated film and an Animated Series. 

Jacob, as well as a keyframe animator, is an avid supporter and pioneer of the FAC System, Facial Tracking, Motion, and Performance Capture technology and is inspired by its artistic applications in the revolutionary era of RealTime 3D Game Engine production.