Inside the Dojo: Unreal Experiences
Expert voices, shared knowledge, real impact.
Episode 02
Rig, Render, Repeat: Animating the Unreal
On this episode of Inside the Dojo, we welcome two master practitioners of Unreal Engine whose contributions to virtual production and animation education are nothing short of foundational.
Together, Gabriel and Franco will be lifting the lid on Unreal’s animation tools — demystifying the framework and showcasing powerful examples that blend artistry with real-time efficiency.
Gabriel Paiwa Harwat
Filmmaker | Unreal Gold Authorized Instructor
Franco Vialnova
Filmmaker | Unreal Gold Authorized Instructor
Gabriel Paiva Harwat is a first-hatch Unreal Authorized Instructor with Epic Games since 2019, boasting over a decade of deep Unreal Engine expertise. As the lead Unreal instructor for SONY/PXO and a seasoned mentor for the Epic Games Fellowship, Gabriel brings unmatched insight into real-time workflows and cinematic pipelines.
Joining him is Franco Vilanova, a Gold Unreal Authorized Instructor with roots in Argentina’s VFX scene, where he began his journey over ten years ago in 3D modeling and chroma keying. Today, Franco is the Lead Instructor at CG Pro, where he specializes in character and asset animation for linear content creation, guiding industry professionals through asset ingestion and real-time animation workflows with clarity and precision.
Jeasy Sehgal
Founder | Unreal GOLD Authorized Instructor Partner
Internationally acclaimed filmmaker. Unreal GOLD Authorized Instructor. Mastermind behind Virtual Production Dojo, AnimaSentio, and an academic Professor spearheading the MFA in Digital Filmmaking, Virtual Production & VFX at Georgia State University.
Jeasy is where cinematic storytelling meets emerging technology, a fusion of empathy-driven digital humans, real-time pipelines, and transdisciplinary pedagogy. Whether leading high-stakes Fortune 500 virtual production projects, pioneering AI and Virtual Production research, or reimagining civil rights history through XR, Jeasy is shaping the future of immersive storytelling with academic rigor and industry foresight.
From Aotearoa to Atlanta, Jeasy isn’t just pushing boundaries, he’s redrawing the map.
Brigita Biondić
Virtual Production Producer | Academic Director
A creative force with over 30 years of transformative impact in education, Brigita Biondić is the Academic Director of Virtual Production Dojo and a Virtual Production Producer. She doesn’t just teach innovation, she builds the frameworks that shape it.
With roots in science education and a passion for Design Thinking, Agile Learning, and mindful pedagogy, Brigita fuses classroom insight with cinematic vision. Her work bridges the gap between traditional education and real-time production, crafting immersive learning ecosystems where empathy meets technology and creativity powers career-readiness.
Brigita is redefining how we teach, produce, and lead in the 21st century. Where creative leadership meets immersive education—Brigita is already there.
