Spend your lunch hour with CIA faculty members Dan Cuffaro and Jeff Simonetta as they discuss the production of “Operation: Blast Off!”—a proof-of-concept short film that follows a little girl's journey from her backyard to outer space and the first film created in CIA’s Interactive Media Lab (IML). 

This lecture will take place during Lunch on Fridays from 12:15 to 1:30pm Friday, January 30 in CIA's Peter B. Lewis Theater.  

This project showcases the incredible possibilities facilitated by the IML: crafting sets, props and costumes; filming with Unreal Engine in its state-of-the-art XR Studio; and editing and color grading in the Experience + Edit Center equipped with industry standard software. Every step of this project reflects what’s possible when your imagination meets technology. 

Speaker Bios:

Dan Cuffaro ’91 is the Anne Fluckey Lindseth Professor of Industrial Design at the Cleveland Institute of Art. As long-time member CIA faculty, Dan has championed curricular redesign, fostered partnerships, and participated in envisioning the 2015 campus redesign and the Interactive Media Lab. His former students have won dozens of design awards and work in top design studios around the world. 

Outside of CIA, Dan is the co-founder of nCamp, an outdoor goods brand launched in 2017. Prior to joining CIA, Dan worked as a design consultant for clients like Nike, Colgate, LEGO and Baxter. 

Dan has won several IDSA/IDEA awards and holds over 20 design and utility patents. He has written for Innovation Magazine and dmi:Journal, and co-authored the book Industrial Design Reference & Specification Book. 

Jeff Simonetta is an Assistant Professor of Animation at the Cleveland Institute of Art whose teaching and creative practice explore the full spectrum of possibilities and pipelines in animation and emerging media technologies. With over a decade of professional experience, he has directed and produced animation, visualization, and AR/VR/XR content for clients including Meta, Microsoft, AWS, and Oneida, among many others. 

Before joining CIA full-time, Simonetta served locally as Director of Creative Technology at Pulse and as Creative Director at Lachina Creative and Halo Media Works. His professional work directly informs his teaching of creative pipelines, technology, and CGI production; all of which have contributed to advancing the capabilities of CIA’s new Interactive Media Lab. 

A strong believer in community, Simonetta actively organizes student events and opportunities, including CIA’s participation in the 24-Hour Animation Challenge and professional development trips to LightBox Expo, CTN, and the Ottawa International Animation Festival. His ongoing work bridges technology, design, and storytelling to prepare students for the evolving landscape of digital production. Simonetta earned his BFA in Digital Arts from Bowling Green State University. 

Parking: Lunch on Fridays attendees may park in CIA's Lot 73 and Annex Lot, both of which surround our campus. Please note that signs posted around those lots correctly state that parking typically requires a CIA permit or visitor pass and that violators will be ticketed. However, to accommodate our valued Lunch on Fridays attendees, that policy won't be enforced during the program. Have questions? Please contact Reinberger Gallery at reinbergergallery@cia.edu or 216.421.7407.

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