Half Rez is one of the biggest meetups of the year for motion designers, animators, producers, students, and studios across Chicago and the Midwest. Over 400 people come together for a full day and night of learning, networking, and celebration.

A one-day mini-conference, Half Rez blends creative inspiration with community energy.

During the day, attendees can join Creative Sessions featuring talks, demos, and insights from top artists and studios. In the evening, it’s all about the Half Rez Party where people connect, play, and celebrate the work we all love.

More details HERE
Grab your tickets HERE

Evening Highlights Include:
• Keynote speaker and featured studio talk
• Creative sessions
• Food included with every ticket
• Scavenger hunt with 20 hidden Half Rez cubes
• Realtime Cinema 4D Cube Races
• Prizes and Giveaways (with a Maxon One and Stash subscription prizes and more)
• Giant Jenga and Cinema 4D pinball
• Vendors, photobooth, and creative games
• A crowd full of friendly, creative people

Main Stage Speakers

Donnie Bauer
Director, Creative Director, and Designer with over a decade of experience. He leads cross-disciplinary teams on projects from arena tours to animated spots for Starbucks and Amazon. Currently adjusting to life as a first-time dad. Half Rez 2025

Kevin Gautraud – Head of Animation, OddBeast
Motion artist and 3D animator based in Newport, KY. Discovered his passion in 2010 while studying for a BFA in graphic design. His work has been featured in Stash and Best of Behance. He now serves as Chief Creative at OddBeast, which he co-founded. Half Rez 2025

Creative Session Speakers

EJ Hassenfratz (Host)
Multi-Emmy winning 3D artist and educator based in Denver, CO. With over 15 years of industry experience, he’s presented at NAB, Adobe Video World, SIGGRAPH and is Creative Director at School of Motion.

Casey Gu
Multi-award-winning motion designer blending 2D, 3D, and mixed media. Recognized by Stash Annual Pick, Red Dot, and Young Ones Gold Cube. Self-taught via YouTube videos and now devoted to sharing her knowledge with the community. Session: Flowing Between 2D and 3D: Transitions, Morphs, and Shading Tricks.

Untitled Army (Lucas Camargo)
Illustrator, animator, director, art director, and artist known for surreal, playful, and thoughtful animations with exquisite design.

Elijah Sheffield
3D artist, educator, and orange-belt taekwondo practitioner. Builds characters, tools, and shorts—and teaches them all. His whimsical animations double as R&D for intuitive tutorials (like translating rocket science into IKEA instructions). Session: Modular Thinking for Learning New Skills.

IG: @halfrezchicago
X: @HalfRezChicago