Volker Helzle

Volker Helzle is the director of the Carl Laemmle Institute for Research and Media Innovation (CLI) at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. CLI focuses on artistic-technological research, digital innovation, and future proof production methods. It has its origins in the 20+ years of experience of the former Research and Development Department of Animationsinstitut.
After graduating from Stuttgart Media University in 2000, Volker moved to California and worked at Eyematic Interfaces on the eve of markerless facial tracking tools and content. In 2003 he joined Filmakademie to supervise Research & Development at Animationsinstitut. He established the Technical Directing course and is FMX program consultant. In 2013 Volker received the honorary professorship of Filmakademie.
During the past 20 years Volker raised funding for a substantial amount of regional and European Union projects in the scope of Animation, VFX, Virtual Production and Immersive Media. The most recent projects are EMIL, the European Media and Immersion Lab (emil-xr.eu) and MAX-R (max-r.eu).
Being a C-64 kid of the 80ties, Volker's life was strongly influenced by video games and early computer graphics. To this day he is a passionate gamer, and he also finds interest in analog activities like mountain hiking, gardening or yoga. As of January 2019, an improved version of Volker is available that keeps him busy day and night.