Phil Saunders
Presenting
Phil Saunders has been a designer in the feature film, video game, theme park and automotive industries for the last 30 years. Best known for designing Iron Man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the original film, Phil's diverse body of work has covered many popular franchises including Star Wars, Tron, Kingsman, and countless MCU films as an original member of Marvel's Vis Dev team.
Participant Schedule
Friday 10/14
3:40PM
When Art Imitates Life: Concept Art for Live Action Entertainment
Friday 10/14 3:40PM - 4:40PM Room 104-105
Naomi Baker, Pablo Carpio, Pablo Dominguez, Alexander Mandradjiev, Phil Saunders, Banks Boutté
Join artists Alexander Mandradjiev (Avengers: Infinity War), Phil Saunders (Iron Man), Naomi Baker (Ghost of Tsushima), Danar Worya (The Last of Us Part II), Pablo Carpio (Captain Marvel), Pablo Dominguez (Star Wars Ep. IX), as they share tales from their celebrated concept careers and how they keep up with the ever-changing industry. Q & A to follow. Moderated by Banks Boutté from KitBash3D
Saturday 10/15
1:20PM
Tales From The Front Lines: ADG Veteran Illustrators Talk About Flexibility And Learning To Be Successful In Your Career
Saturday 10/15 1:20PM - 2:20PM Room 208
Art Directors Guild, Phil Saunders, Eric Ramsey, Sean Hargreaves, Benton Jew
Four longtime veterans of the industry, who began their careers from a variety of backgrounds, discuss the changing nature of the industry. Subject matter, budgets, working methods, and other aspects of the creative process always seem to be in flux – so how does an artist stay relevant and have a long career? You’ll hear what these veterans have done to adapt, change and evolve in order to stay on the leading edge of the film industry. Participants will also take questions from the audience.
Moderated by Benton Jew (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Wonder Woman, Logan). Panelists include: Sean Hargreaves (Star Trek Beyond, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Thir13en Ghosts), Eric Ramsey (Iron Man, Contact, Apollo 13), and Phil Saunders (Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, TRON: Legacy, Kingsman: The Golden Circle).
Sunday 10/16
12:00PM
Surviving a Career in Concept Design
Sunday 10/16 12:00PM - 2:00PM Demo Area 2 - HALL C
Back again, this time in person! A frank discussion with Marvel Vis Dev concept designer Phil Saunders about tackling all the personal struggles you assumed would go away once you’d “made it.” Imposter syndrome, blank page paralysis, performance anxiety, it’s all fair game. If you’ve ever felt alone in your creative journey, this one’s for you. You won’t learn that magic Photoshop trick but it may improve your quality of life.
