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Christophe Leyder
CG & VFX Supervisor
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Available October 2026 · UK & EU · Belgian, full EU/EEA right to work

About

Christophe Leyder, CG & VFX Supervisor

Self-taught since the age of 12, I've been immersed in 3D for over two decades, fifteen of them professional. I grew from generalist artist to on-set VFX supervisor without ever letting go of the tools: I still do look development and lighting myself, and I'm still the person who works out why the render is wrong. I'm as at home advising a director on camera setups for a VFX-heavy scene as I am inside the pipeline that has to deliver it. Belgian and South African dual citizen, currently based in Johannesburg with full EU/EEA right to work (no sponsorship required), and pursuing the UK Skilled Worker or Global Talent routes for UK roles.

I've supervised teams of 20+ artists on award-winning feature films, Netflix series, and international commercial campaigns. I've been on set guiding camera placement, tracking marker layout, HDRI capture, and lighting references, then carried that knowledge straight into post to deliver the final shots. From shipping one of the most graphically advanced mobile games of its time to delivering full-length feature animation, every production has brought unique problems that needed solving. I personally drive look development, lighting, and compositing for the majority of the work, while simultaneously developing custom tools, HDAs, and automation that multiply our team's output. South African productions run on a fraction of international budgets, and that constraint is the best training there is: it taught me to plan early, cut work the camera will never see, and know exactly where the render hours should go.

Skills & Tools

DCC & Software

Houdini FX
Nuke
Blender
Substance Painter
DaVinci Resolve / Fusion
Unreal Engine
Unity
Adobe Suite
ComfyUI
Maya

Renderers

Arnold
Karma
Cycles
Redshift
RenderMan
Mantra

Pipeline & Languages

Python
USD / Solaris
VEX
AYON / OpenPype
Deadline
MaterialX
Git
PySide / Qt

Career Timeline

2018 – Present
CG & VFX Supervisor
Luma Animation — Johannesburg, South Africa
On-set and post-production VFX supervision for Netflix series and feature films. Led 20+ artists on the animated feature Headspace (20+ countries), delivered 600+ VFX shots for SAFTA-winning Shaka iLembe, and served as principal VFX supervisor on Kings of Jo'burg S3 for Netflix. Building custom pipeline tools, HDAs, and automation to extend what the team can deliver within tight budgets.
2017 – 2018
Lead Content Developer
New Leaf Technologies
Led content development for interactive instructional materials. Led R&D for VR, AR, and Unreal-based interactive experiences.
2011 – 2017
3D Generalist → CG Lead
Luma Animation
Grew from generalist to lead, owning all look development across the studio's output. Contributed VFX, lighting, and shading to the award-winning Ra.One (National Film Award, Filmfare Award for Best Special Effects) and delivered international commercial campaigns for Master Good, MTN, Kemps, and Cowbell.
2011 – 2013
Game Dev Artist
Luma Arcade — Luma Animation's Game Division
Unity game developer and 3D artist on Bladeslinger, which at launch was one of the most visually advanced mobile action games on iOS, pushing Unity's renderer well beyond what most mobile titles attempted at the time. Also contributed to Pure, an unreleased title developed for Google. Handled 3D art, level design, and C# gameplay scripting.
2010 – 2011
Lead Content Creator
Penmac
Graphic design, animation, and live multi-projection setups.
15+ Years On-Set & Post Supervision
100+ Projects Delivered
20+ Artists Largest Team Led

Credits

Changan South Africa CG Supervisor & Director of Photography 2026
Visit Qatar VFX Supervisor 2025
Kings of Jo'burg S3 VFX & CG Supervisor 2024–2025
Master Good — Holidays CG Supervisor 2024
Castle Double Malt CG Supervisor 2023
Master Good — GenZ Chicken CG Supervisor 2023
Shaka iLembe S1 & S2 CG Supervisor (S1), VFX & CG Supervisor (S2) 2022–2025
MTN Supersonic CG Supervisor 2021
Headspace CG Supervisor / Art Director / Lighting Lead 2020–2023
Every Dog Has Its Day CG Supervisor (Stop Motion Short) 2024
Dupixent CG Lead 2019
Of Kings and Prophets FX TD 2016
Cowbell Creamier CG Lead 2015
Kemps — It's the Cows! Texture & Lighting 2015
Dole Fruit Dippers CG Lead 2015
Ra.One VFX / Lighting / Shading 2011
Bladeslinger Game Dev Artist (Unity) 2011–2013
Pure (Google — Unreleased) Game Dev Artist (Unity) 2011–2013

Awards

SAFTA Best Achievement in Visual Effects Shaka iLembe
National Film Award Best Special Effects Ra.One
Filmfare Award Best Special Effects Ra.One
German Design Award Excellent Communication Design Master Good GenZ Chicken
IIFA Awards Best Special Effects (Visual) — Technical Excellence Ra.One
NEIFF Best Animation Headspace
International Children's Film Festival Best Animation 2023 Headspace
Los Angeles Animation Festival Best International Stop Motion 2025 Every Dog Has Its Day
Loerie Award South Africa's premier creative awards OUTsurance Talking Wallets

Press & Coverage

christopheleyder@gmail.com LinkedIn IMDB Johannesburg · EU & UK on-site or remote Citizenship: Belgian & South African · EU/EEA right to work, no sponsorship needed UK: Skilled Worker / Global Talent visa routes in evaluation Languages: English · Afrikaans Available from October 2026 · open to conversations earlier
Download CV (PDF) ↓

Open to EU and UK supervision roles from October 2026.

Contact Me →