Hollywood has always been defined by storytellers willing to embrace new technology. Few people embody that spirit more than Jacqueline “Jackie” Cooper.
Over the past 25 years, Jackie has helped bring some of cinema’s most iconic worlds to life as a Senior Nuke Artist on productions including Jurassic World, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Iron Man 3, Tron: Legacy, and many more while working at industry-leading studios including ILM and Digital Domain.
Today, Jackie is helping shape the next generation of filmmakers as Co-Founder and Production Manager of CG Pro, where she combines decades of production experience with AI, Unreal Engine, virtual production, and cloud-based creative workflows. Through both CG Pro and the nonprofit CG Empowers, she is building pathways for artists to learn emerging technologies while never losing sight of what matters most—great storytelling.
As AI rapidly transforms filmmaking, Jackie believes the industry’s greatest opportunity isn’t simply creating smarter tools—it’s empowering more diverse voices to tell meaningful stories.
We sat down with Jackie ahead of SIGGRAPH 2026 to discuss her journey, the evolution of AI filmmaking, and why community may be the industry’s greatest competitive advantage.
Jackie Cooper:
I got very lucky.
In the summer of 2002, I attended a public open house at a visual effects studio where I was hoping to interview for an editing internship. While I was there, I watched an artist demonstrate how they made the dinosaurs walk in Jurassic Park—and I was completely hooked.
I ended up asking a woman named Katherine if I could apply for an internship, and she kindly gave me my first opportunity in the industry.
I had just earned my degree in Film and Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz and was ready to begin my career. I simply needed someone to open the door, and Katherine did exactly that.
I’ll always be grateful to her.
Jackie Cooper:
Virtual production fundamentally changed filmmaking by bringing post-production tools onto the set.
Suddenly, artists who rarely collaborated—like animators and cinematographers—were solving creative problems together in real time. LED volumes transformed visualization and allowed creative decisions that once happened months later in post-production to happen during filming.
But AI has been the biggest disruption I’ve ever seen.
It completely reimagines workflows that have existed for more than thirty years. Tasks that once required large teams and significant time can now be approached in entirely new ways—and that transformation is only accelerating.
Jackie Cooper:
As technology accelerates, people naturally feel overwhelmed.
Many artists wonder how they’ll remain relevant or how they’ll continue telling their own stories.
That’s exactly why community matters.
At CG Pro, we’re not teaching vague prompting techniques—we’re teaching production workflows that working artists already understand while showing how AI can solve real production challenges.
We’re equally committed to making that education accessible regardless of someone’s financial circumstances or background because the future of filmmaking should include everyone.
Through CG Pro and CG Empowers we’ve created communities where artists learn together, share resources, and support one another through this enormous transition.
No one should have to navigate this shift alone.
Jackie Cooper:
The nervousness is completely valid.
This is one of the biggest technological shifts our industry has ever experienced.
But digital artists have always been technologists. Learning new tools has always been part of our profession.
Personally, I focus on understanding what’s actually useful about a technology and then learn from people who know it better than I do.
I don’t try to master everything overnight.
I start with practical applications.
My advice is simple:
Find a community like CG Pro, keep taking classes, stay curious, and never stop learning.
The artists who thrive will be the ones who continue growing alongside the technology.
Jackie Cooper:
Story is king.
That was actually the title of Episode One of the CG Pro Podcast nearly three years ago, and it’s still our guiding principle today.
Technology exists to support the emotions of the characters—not replace them.
No matter how advanced our tools become, audiences will always connect with authentic human stories.
That never changes.
Jackie Cooper:
I think small, agile remote teams are going to have a real advantage.
We’re entering the era of the creative generalist, but not every artist can afford the hardware required for modern AI workflows.
Cloud infrastructure changes that.
When you remove hardware barriers, you unlock more voices, more stories, and more opportunities for creative experimentation.
That’s incredibly exciting.
The challenge will be making sure these tools remain accessible and that artists understand how to use them effectively.
That’s exactly where education becomes essential.
Jackie Cooper:
Women who embrace empathy and collaboration bring something incredibly valuable to this industry.
They’re often nurturing, thoughtful, strategic, and exceptional at bringing people together.
If we can get more women leading productions and creative teams, I believe we’ll see stories that explore issues our world genuinely needs to hear—our environment, kindness, equality, and deeper human connection.
My own career began because a woman named Katherine opened a door for me.
I’ve never forgotten that.
What we’re building through CG Pro and CG Empowers is, in many ways, the community I wish had existed when I was beginning my career.
To every woman entering this industry today:
The tools have never been more accessible.
Your voice has never been more important.
Get in the room.
Jackie Cooper will be speaking at SIGGRAPH 2026 on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 11:00 AM, where she’ll showcase how CG Pro is helping artists build original films using AI-driven workflows, cloud production, Unreal Engine, and modern creative pipelines. The session will feature student-created films and practical insights into the future of AI filmmaking.
You’ll also have the opportunity to meet Jackie throughout the conference at the CenterGrid Virtual Studio booth, where she’ll be discussing AI filmmaking, virtual production, and the future of creative education.
Link to Jackie’s SIGGRAPH Session
https://cgvirtualstudio.com/siggraph-2026/sessions/siggraph-cgpro-co-founder-jackie-cooper-live
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