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A little bit about Alan

I’m Alan Markowitz—Visual Effects Producer and founder of Visceral Image Productions. With more than four decades in the business, I’ve worked across the evolving landscape of visual storytelling—from analog optical effects and matte paintings to cutting-edge CGI and stereoscopic 3D.

I’ve spent most of my career in the large-format and special venue world, where the scale of the image matters just as much as the story behind it. My work has been seen in IMAX theaters worldwide, and I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most visionary directors in the industry—Greg MacGillivray among them—to create VFX that don’t just dazzle, but deepen the emotional impact of the narrative.

At the heart of every project is a deep respect for storytelling and a drive to deliver something honest, immersive, and unforgettable.

Why I love what I do

My journey started with the magic of moviegoing—watching How the West Was Won in Cinerama at Radio City Music Hall as a kid. That experience planted a seed. I realized the power of scale, of being transported by imagery so big and real it felt like you were living it.

I came of age in a filmmaking world defined by celluloid, optics, and chemistry. My craft was analogue — hands-on, tactile, a blend of instinct and discipline honed in the darkroom and on the screen. When the digital era arrived, I knew I could either reinvent myself as a pixel craftsman or lean into what I did best: shaping vision, storytelling, and cinematic truth.

I chose the latter. Instead of creating from scratch in the digital realm, I learned just enough of the new language to communicate fluently with my digital geniuses — the artists who could turn pixels into poetry. My role became that of the bridge: analogue instincts guiding digital execution, ensuring that every frame held both technical excellence and emotional resonance.

In the end, I realized the essence of filmmaking hadn’t changed. We still craft images that move people. Only the tools evolved — code instead of chemistry, pixels instead of film stock. And by embracing collaboration, by honoring both past and present, we’ve created work that not only wins awards but endures on the biggest screens in the world.

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