ML
Teacher · Stage Director · VFX Supervisor

Martin Lipmann

A teacher and a visual-effects supervisor, at home on the stage and on the screen.

Montréal, Québec · French / Canadian · Drama, History & French

Profile

I’ve been lucky to work in two fields I love, teaching theatre to young people, and making visual effects for film.

On the Stage

I teach drama and history, and I direct the school’s theatre productions. Most of the work is hands-on: writing and adapting texts with the students, directing the acting, and getting a show onto the stage together.

On the Screen

For about twenty years I worked in visual effects for film and television, as a supervisor and second-unit director. On the bigger shows that meant coordinating teams across several studios, from early planning to the shoot, always trying to serve the story.

The Journey

A winding road

From a multimedia-obsessed student in Paris to film sets around the world, by way of classrooms in West Africa and a travelling circus. The path was never very straight.

West Africa, 1999. Mosaïques du Monde SÉNÉGAL · MALI · BURKINA FASO · TOGO · CÔTE D’IVOIRE · BÉNIN
1995

Web pioneer

Designer at one of France’s first web startups, working on early digital projects for Taittinger and Lancôme.

1998–2000

Mosaïques du Monde

A year across West Africa with three university friends, bringing computers and the web into classrooms.

2000

Cirque 360

A travelling-circus project mixing live performance with an early online platform.

Since 2000

A life in VFX

Two decades of visual effects, with stints in Paris, London, Melbourne, Adelaide and Montréal.

On the road, Mosaïques du Monde
After the rollover, on the piste
Getting the truck back up
Our truck, somewhere in Mali
A tow, at last
Bogolan cloth drying
Village in the Dogon country
A mud mosque
Market day
Under the market trees
River port on the Niger
A roadside workshop
Crossing by ferry
The Niger ferry

I grew up in an artistic family, my mother a film set designer turned sculptor, my father a writer and producer, my twin brother and my sister both in TV. Today I hold dual French–Canadian citizenship and live in Montréal with my wife and daughter.

The Stage

Directing young actors

Since I started teaching, I’ve built a varied repertoire with my students, classics, contemporary plays and original creations. On each one I adapt the text with them, direct the acting, and help carry the whole production.

Mostly at Salle Lefebvre, Orford

Incendies Sec. 5
Wajdi Mouawad

A demanding text we staged at Christmas, adapted and directed with my Sec. 5 group.

L'Énéide Sec. 5
Olivier Kémeid

A contemporary take on a founding story, staged last year.

La Valse des Secrets Sec. 5
Création collective

A two-act black comedy written by the students themselves. I helped shape the writing, the characters and the production calendar.

Histoires d'y voir Sec. 1–2
Création originale

An original cabaret piece weaving African and Québécois folklore, built around the group.

Suspe?-tacle Sec. 2
Murder mystery

A murder mystery I wrote and adapted for the group, with the students.

Brikville Sec. 1
Création originale

An original show devised with the youngest group.

Lecturing & teaching

2024–26
Drama & History Teacher
Montessori School of Magog
2025
Lecturer, Virtual Environments
UQAC · NAD
2024–25
Lecturer, Game Design & Ethics
Collège LaSalle
2020–24
Cinema-history workshops
Libraries & primary schools
The Screen

Twenty years in visual effects

I’ve worked as a VFX supervisor and second-unit director on a range of films and series, including Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget with Aardman Studios, for studios in the USA, France, the UK and Australia.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget · Aardman Studios
Known for
Chicken Run 2 The Greatest Showman Game of Thrones Pirates of the Caribbean Deadpool 300 Sin City Harry Potter

VFX houses

Aardman Rodeo FX MPC DNEG MELS Hybride

Studios & partners

Disney Netflix HBO Searchlight 20th Century

Selected credits

2023
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Visual Effects · Aardman Studios
2017
The Greatest Showman VFX Supervisor · Rodeo FX
2017
Game of Thrones VFX Supervisor · Rodeo FX
2017
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales VFX Supervisor · Rodeo FX
2017
Black Sails VFX Supervisor · Rodeo FX
2016
Race VFX Supervisor
2016
Deadpool Compositing Supervisor · Rodeo FX
2014
Pawn Sacrifice VFX Supervisor
2014
Brick Mansions VFX Supervisor
2009
Mr. Nobody Visual Effects
2009
The Young Victoria Compositing Supervisor
2006
300 Digital Effects Artist
2006
Marie-Antoinette Digital Compositor · Hybride
2005
Sin City Digital Effects Artist
2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Digital Effects Artist

43 credits · 2003 to present

From the set

The Greatest Showman, miniatures
Miniature builds on stage
Miniature city at night
Crowd plate, Race
Element shoot on location
Night unit
Period street, night
Second unit, on location
Motion-control stage
Creature element shoot
Camera-car rig
A thank-you from the Dumbo team
Recognition

Awards & nominations

Canadian Screen Award

Winner, for visual effects.

Winner
HPA Awards

Winner, Hollywood Professional Association.

Winner
Primetime Emmy

Nominee, outstanding visual effects.

Nominee
Annie Awards

Nominee, animation & visual effects.

Nominee
Gala Québec Cinéma

Nominee, Québec film honours.

Nominee
Gala Québec Cinéma, Race
Canadian Screen Awards
Creative Arts Emmys
Awards night
At the studio, Rodeo FX
Education
2000
Master's, New Technologies Université Paris 8 · Saint-Denis
1998
BA, History of Art & Archaeology Sorbonne · Paris
1996
Percussion Conservatory Agostini · Paris
Percussion has stayed with me. Conservatoire Agostini, Paris.
Contact
martin@lipmann.net
www.lipmann.net Montréal, QC
Martin Lipmann © 2026 Montréal, Québec