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Bruno Velazquez and Hal Hickel are on the program for separate talks at VIEW Conference 2026 in Turin: Velazquez will discuss the one-shot camera approach in God of War Ragnarök, and Hickel will discuss animating The Mandalorian and Grogu. They are not giving a joint presentation. Their appearance at the same computer-graphics conference offers a useful point of connection between game direction and feature animation, but the program does not establish that either talk directly compares the two media.
What are Velazquez and Hickel presenting?
VIEW Conference’s program lists two individual sessions on different days, each in person and in English at FUCINE. The times below are Central European Time (CET), as identified by the official program.
| Speaker | Session | When | Program details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Velazquez | “One-Shot Camera Approach in God of War Ragnarok” | Wednesday, October 14, 12:45–13:45 | In person, English, FUCINE; VIEW identifies him as Game Director of God of War Ragnarök at Sony Santa Monica Studio. VIEW program listing |
| Hal Hickel | “The Mandalorian and Grogu: Animating a Galaxy” | Friday, October 16, 17:45–18:45 | In person, English, FUCINE. VIEW Conference 2026 program |
The titles indicate different creative subjects: camera approach in a game and animation for a feature film. The schedule does not include full talk descriptions, transcripts, or recordings, so it does not support claims about specific techniques or takeaways beyond those titles.
Are they giving a joint talk?
No. The two named talks are separate sessions on October 14 and October 16. The program separately lists an October 12 “Ask me Anything about Games, VFX and Animation” featuring both Hickel and Velazquez among its participants. That is a distinct event, not a joint version of either speaker’s solo presentation. VIEW program listing
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Who are the speakers?
Bruno Velazquez: game direction and camera approach
VIEW identifies Velazquez as Game Director of God of War Ragnarök at Sony Santa Monica Studio. His scheduled talk focuses on that game’s “one-shot” camera approach. The program establishes the subject and his role, but does not specify how the approach was developed or what he will cover in the session. VIEW program listing
Hal Hickel: animation for live-action films
Hickel is an ILM Animation Director. His VIEW biography says he joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1996 after working at Will Vinton Studios and Pixar, where he animated on Toy Story. It traces his animation and animation-supervision credits through The Phantom Menace, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Rango, Pacific Rim, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Mandalorian, and The Mandalorian and Grogu. The biography credits him as HOD Animation Supervisor on the 2026 film. VIEW speaker biography
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The biography describes Hickel’s special interest as “the challenge of integrating fantastic characters and creatures into live-action films.” That background gives context to an animation-focused talk, though it should not be mistaken for a preview of the session’s specific content. VIEW speaker biography
How do games and film production overlap?
A concrete example comes from a May 21, 2026 D23 interview with The Mandalorian and Grogu director, producer, and co-writer Jon Favreau. He described technology shared across the series and a theme-park experience: “The technology that’s used in in Smuggler’s Run is Unreal Engine, a game engine, that we were using for The Mandalorian series; it’s also what we used in VR for planning and designing the sets.”
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Favreau also said, “So when I worked on Smuggler’s Run, I pulled in stuff and shared it with the Imagineers—all the assets that we had built for the series.” The remarks illustrate a practical bridge: a game engine and virtual-reality tools were used in production planning, while assets built for the series were shared with Imagineers. They are Favreau’s account of those workflows—not evidence that either VIEW talk will discuss them. D23 notes its interview was edited for length and clarity. D23 interview
D23 describes The Mandalorian and Grogu as a Lucasfilm feature directed by Favreau, filmed for IMAX, and bringing Din Djarin and Grogu to the big screen. Exhibition and release details can change; consult the interview and current official film information for the latest status. D23 interview
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When and where is VIEW Conference 2026?
VIEW describes the 2026 event as its 27th International Computer Graphics Conference, running October 12–16 in Turin. According to the program, October 12 events are at ITS ICT; events from October 13–16 are at OGR; evening screenings are at Cinema Massimo. The program says the Light Pass covers talks, panels, and keynotes. Check the official schedule for current event details and access information.
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The October 16 schedule also lists “ILM: 50 Years of Innovation Book Signing” after Hickel’s talk, with Hickel, ILM senior vice president/general manager Janet Lewin, and editor Ian Failes. The listing does not provide full publication details. VIEW Conference 2026 program
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