Samandari & Zargarpour

Setareh Samandari

Setareh Samandari has always been an artist at heart; she had finished her Master of Arts in Political Science from CSUN and utilized it for Human Rights activities of the Baha'i Faith's External Affairs in Los Angeles. She is working on her PhD in Film and Philosophy. She continued her education in the Gnomon School of Visual Effects.

In 2021 she directed and created visuals for the music video Breathe Free sang by Shani Rigsbee ft. Andy. She made use of LED screens and Virtual Production all using the real time rendering of the Unity engine. The video is about freedom and women's rights.

In 2020, she created her own series of videos called Virtues Basket and made visual effects for Jack Lenz's Here Comes Love about the Black Lives Matter movement. She also directed and created visual effects for three full CG music videos about The Garden of Ridvan to go with music Jack has produced and written in collaboration with James Seals and Kingsley Thurber. Setareh created visual effects for the films Steadfast, Exemplar, and Glimpses in 2021. She enjoys the creative possibilities offered by the world of visual effects and worked on the films Dark Asset (2022) and Vertical.

About Habib

Habib Zargarpour

Habib Zargarpour graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design with Distinction after receiving a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

He started his film career on 3D IMAX films in Los Angeles, then moved to the Bay Area to work at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) as a VFX artist, starting with The Mask. He developed the Nexus effect for Star Trek: Generations as well as the planetary explosion and first use of the CG Enterprise, working with VFX Supervisor John Knoll. He worked with VFX Supervisor Ken Ralston on the board game effects for Jumanji. Zargarpour also developed the first particle tornado for Twister, working with Senior VFX Supervisor Dennis Muren on the test shot and later with Stefen Fangmeier on the film's VFX. Nominated for two Academy Awards and winner of two BAFTAs in Visual Effects for his work on Twister and The Perfect Storm while at ILM, some of his other film projects include Star Trek: First Contact, Star Wars: Episode I, The Bourne Identity, Spawn, and Signs.

Zargarpour served as a Senior Art Director at Electronic Arts (EA) from 2002 to 2009, where he worked on Need for Speed: Underground, James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted, for which he received a Visual Effects Society (VES) Award in 2006. He collaborated with Crytek on RYSE: Son of Rome, a launch title for the Xbox One. In 2014, he became Director of Visuals for Global Publishing on Quantum Break, Crackdown 3, Scalebound, and ReCore.

Zargarpour has been passionate about using real-time techniques in filmmaking and combining his experience in film and games on Transmedia projects in order to cross-pollinate both industries with best practices of each. He is an active member of AMPAS and BAFTA, and a founding member of the Visual Effects Society and the 5D Conference.