From the quiet beginnings in a Malaysian town to the vibrant creative landscape of Christchurch, Alyssa Zarate’s journey is one of determination. With a passion for film and a dream to create but no direct line on how to get there, Alyssa’s career began in programming and over the years has evolved into a set of skills that have shaped her and her career.

From supporting herself with hospitality jobs between gigs, training in several different programs and taking jobs in diverse disciplines, she never lost sight of the final goal: storytelling. Alyssa constantly took chances, risks, and seized opportunities that would later prove invaluable.

In this conversation, Alyssa shares her story of perseverance, and how she went from labouring over matte paintings to contributing to notable series and films including "Spartacus" and Prometheus before finding herself in Vancouver and a long tenure at Sony Pictures ImageWorks before taking yet another leap: giving back to the community via her new project The VFX Mentor.

Episode Links:

• Website
• LinkedIn