Alejandro Franceschi
Contents
Introduction
Alejandro Franceschi, born in Puerto Rico, is an Emmy-awarded producer, director, and senior technologist renowned for his creative direction, animation, visual effects, and immersive contribution to online media.
As a Lumiere-awarded storyteller and technologist, Franceschi has created a name for himself in the domains of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). His expertise excels in creative partnerships, team leadership, and the delivery of quality content that reaches global audiences.
He currently serves as the Director of Creative Technologies at a stealth startup, Franceschi is at the forefront of developing real-time emotion synthesis, procedural lip-sync upgrades, and autonomous animation for embodied artificial intelligence, often manifesting as photorealistic avatars. His strategic implementation of advanced tools has not only transformed creative workflows but has also facilitated dynamic collaborations with major players in the media and entertainment technology sector.
Franceschi's career has also witnessed significant stints with industry giants such as Amazon, where, as a Senior Technologist, he collaborates with strategic and functional peers to deliver scalable solutions across diverse sectors. Alejandro likes to stay ahead of global technology trends, networking with innovators, and providing thought leadership, evident in his presence online.
Franceschi has been a driving force in the realm of virtual production, having participated in the Unreal Engine Virtual Production Fellowship offered by Epic Games. His work includes beta-testing Metahumans, a cutting-edge technology for creating and developing photorealistic, parametric human avatars. Franceschi's journey also led him to establish INVAR Studios, a decentralized, remote-first digital studio startup, and he served as an Associate Creative Director at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), working on cross-functional projects for Fortune 500 clients.
Alejandro Franceschi is also recognized as a thought leader. His insightful contributions have garnered an insightful following and positioned him as a go-to expert. Franceschi's creative prowess has been further celebrated with a collection of accolades, including a Silver Telly Award, a Bronze Telly Award, an Aurora Award, and an International Platinum AVA Award—all garnered for his exceptional work in the same domain of Outstanding Children's TV Series.
He has also earned the distinguished Lumiere Award for "Best Live Action VR." This accolade specifically acknowledges his exceptional work on the short film titled "Rose Colored," a venture into Virtual Reality that showcased his unparalleled ability to blend narrative storytelling with cutting-edge technology.
With a portfolio that stretches from Emmy and Lumiere Awards, as well as a constellation of other industry honors, Alejandro Franceschi continues to shape the landscape of creative storytelling, setting new standards for excellence in the dynamic intersection of technology and entertainment.
Early Life and Education
Born in Puerto Rico. Franceschi's early years were characterized by a fascination with the intersection of storytelling and technology. Alejandro Franceschi holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Animation & Visual Effects with a focus on Compositing from the Academy of Art University. During his time there, he actively participated in various activities and societies, such as The Animation Collaboration Treaty and the VFX Club. He took on roles like Treasurer for the VFX Club and contributed to projects like "Battlefield" (PSA) and "I am Not Vietnamese" (Short) while also engaging in real-world production compositing through "The Production Compositing Intensive."
Franceschi's commitment to education is highlighted by his completion of the program at the Academy of Art University, where less than 33% of students graduate with a degree. His proficiency extends across both Mac and PC platforms.
His skill set encompasses a broad spectrum, including creative direction, production management, HD, UHD, 4K, HDR, and HFR video production, as well as expertise in compositing using tools like After Effects and Nuke. He is adept in chromakey matte extractions, 2D & 3D tracking, camera match moving, rotoscoping, stereoscopic conversion, and motion graphics design with applications like Cinema 4D. Additionally, Franceschi possesses skills in original texture map and shader creation using Photoshop and Substance Painter, as well as proficiency in zBrush and digital visual effects.
Alejandro Franceschi has also earned a B.S. in Media Arts & Animation, specializing in Honors Compositing from The Art Institutes. His undergraduate studies equipped him with skills in entertainment, video production, research and development, Adobe Creative Suite, visual effects, digital production, advertising, post-production, marketing strategy, and digital media.
Career
Early Career and Founding INVAR Studios (2015-2017
Franceschi's career began to take shape when he founded INVAR Studios in 2015, a decentralized, remote-first digital studio startup. Focused on VFX and animation, INVAR Studios became a testament to Franceschi's vision of pushing technological and storytelling boundaries in the realm of Extended Reality (XR). Under his leadership, the studio produced groundbreaking work, including the award-winning 360 monoscopic short film, "Rose Colored," which earned the prestigious Lumiere Award from the Advanced Imaging Society for its innovative techniques in 360 filmmaking.
Prior to INVAR Studios, Franceschi served as the Design Manager for Corporate Communications & Brand at Cisco, managing global stakeholder requests and pioneering the development of Cisco's initial AR marketing collateral. Subsequently, he played a pivotal role as the Senior Multimedia Producer at Splunk, spearheading the design, development, and construction of a $2 million USD broadcast-compliant production and post studio.
Facebook and Creative Generalist Role (2017-2019)
Franceschi's journey continued to evolve during his tenure at Facebook, where he served as a Creative Generalist from 2017 to 2019. In this multifaceted role, he contributed to various departments, leveraging his multimedia creative expertise in video, motion design, VFX, animation, and more. His collaborative efforts spanned internal and external marketing, editorial communications, brand development, recruiting, sourcing, operations, engineering, and C-suite interactions.
Tata Consultancy Services (2019-2022)
At Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Franceschi assumed the role of Associate Creative Director at "Studio-X." Here, he enhanced his expertise through extensive training in leadership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), Business, Blockchain, AI, and Industrial IoT. His responsibilities included leading cross-functional projects covering design thinking, graphic design, video production, VFX, VR, AR, and UX for corporate briefs.
Amazon and Senior Technologist Role (2022-2023)
Collaborating with strategic and functional peers, he delivered scalable solutions across all Amazon sectors. His role extended beyond technical contributions, as he stayed at the forefront of global technology trends, networking, and engaging with innovators. Franceschi's work on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Voice User Interface (VUI) design for an advanced, photorealistic AI Virtual Assistant & Coach showcased his expertise in simplifying complex ideas for maximum strategic impact.
Director of Creative Technologies (2023-Present)
Currently serving as the Director of Creative Technologies at a Stealth Startup, Franceschi continues to be at the cutting edge of technology. His focus on developing real-time emotion synthesis, procedural lip-sync upgrades, and autonomous animation for embodied artificial intelligence underscores his commitment to pioneering advancements in creative workflows and production quality.
Contributions to Epic Games (2022-Present)
In parallel with his other roles, Franceschi has actively participated in the Unreal Engine Virtual Production Fellowship offered by Epic Games. This initiative aims to educate artists about applying Unreal Engine in the media and entertainment industries.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout his career, Franceschi's contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Youth/Children’s Educational Programming: Series, a Lumiere for Best Live-Action VR Short Film, Telly Awards, a Platinum AVA, and more.
These accolades not only attest to his creative and technological prowess but also position him as a thought leader and innovator in the dynamic landscape of entertainment and immersive media.
External links
Franceschi's LinkedIn
Franceschi's Youtube
Franceschi's Instagram
