Digital Hollywood: The AI & Entertainment Summit
Tuesday, July 21st, 2026
1– 1:50 PM Eastern Time Zone
Session III: A Virtual Event
The Virtual Production Studio: Revolutionary Experience – Revolutionized Industry
It is almost impossible to exaggerate how much has changed in the world of visual creativity and film production in the past five years. What began with green screens and CGI has exploded into a universe of generative AI video, prompted 3D imagery, full AI audio tracks and a vast arsenal of pre-visualization tools — all placed directly in the hands of our greatest storytellers. Feature films, television shows, commercials and YouTube videos that once required months of production are being conceived and realized in days and weeks. The Virtual Production Studio is not a future concept. It is the present reality of an industry revolutionizing before our eyes. In this session we examine the phenomenon, the tools, the artists and the extraordinary experience of making something that has never been made before.
Speakers:
Seth Hallen, Founder & Managing Partner, Hallstone Ventures, Moderator
Jess Loren, founder & CEO, Global Objects
Ramy Katrib, Founder and CEO, DigitalFilm Tree (DFT)
James Blevins, Owner, Mesh, former LucasFilm & Netflix
Diana Colella is executive vice president of Autodesk’s Entertainment & Media vertical solutions group. In this role, she manages product, strategy and execution for the company’s portfolio servicing the film, TV and games industries. Colella has been with Autodesk for more than 20 years occupying a range of leadership roles, including head of product management and worldwide support. She has extensive experience in strategically transforming business models, creating new product offerings and optimizing processes on a global scale. Most recently, she served as vice president in Autodesk’s Business Strategy and Marketing group, leading the M&E and AutoCAD businesses, which represent more than $1B in annual recurring revenue. In this role, she drove the company’s strategy for digital conversion of non-compliant users and launched One AutoCAD. She is the executive sponsor of the Autodesk Women’s Network.
