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OMPA teams up with VFX/PDX for networking event

Hear from the attendees of last Monday's mixer.
| By Lilly Joynes

We weren't kidding when we said last Monday's VFX and stop-motion job mixer would be a sequel worth seeing! The Art Institute was packed with roughly 200 talented folks promoting their skills and 16 local studios recruiting new hires.

We know it was hot and busy. But we also heard everyone had a pretty awesome time!

The mixer was a great opportunity to meet new people and re-connect with old friends. There was a ton of talent in the room and we’re likely to turn to several of the folks we met for future projects. It’s awesome to see OMPA extending its member base and reaching through partnerships with other professional groups like VFX/PDX to serve as a connector of talent and opportunity. — Noah Stanik, NIKE Global Brand Communications; OMPA Board Member:
Everyone I talked to was great - the studios and vendors were really gracious with their time. Thank you OMPA for all the support and the hard work you do! — Christian Kendra, Post-Production Supervisor
Being able to meet artists from all over Portland at one event is very helpful as an employer because you get to see who's out there and what they can individually bring to the table. It's also helpful for young artists to know what companies are out there and what work is currently happening in the Portland/Oregon area. — Matthew Barish, Bent Image Lab Director of Operations & Production; OMPA Board Member

Our event partner J of VFX/PDX deserves a huge shout out for not only helping put together an awesome event, but also working double-duty representing his studio Sprocketship. We're grateful for the opportunity to better connect with and promote Portland's post-production artists! So was it a success? We'll let the stats speak for themselves...

Here's a by-the-numbers look at the night:

16 studios sent representatives to recruit new talent for their teams

200 local professionals (in stop motion, VFX, and beyond) came to rub elbows

20 pizzas from Hot Lips Pizza devoured

60 bottles of Brew Dr. Kombucha enjoyed

84 bottles of Viso energized

150+ photos taken by the amazing Danny Rawson

(♻️ And yes, we recycled!)

Sounds crazy, we know. You may need to see it to believe it... Take a look at what our photographer Danny Rawson captured last Monday:

Stay tuned for our next networking event!

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