Dr Ben Ward

Dr. Ben Ward leads the Machine Learning Department at Rising Sun Pictures, overseeing the integration of ML & AI technologies into high-end visual effects production. He joined RSP in 2021 and has since driven the development of production-ready machine learning systems that empower artists and studios to realise ambitious creative visions more efficiently. Ben earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Adelaide, specialising in interactive 3D reconstruction. Prior to RSP, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), where he built machine learning and computer vision tools for applications ranging from medical diagnostics to agricultural imaging. At RSP, Ben has been instrumental in pioneering machine learning face replacement and performance-aware workflows across major productions, including Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Elvis, Deadpool & Wolverine, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mickey 17, continually expanding the studio’s capabilities in automated character manipulation, facial performance transfer and artist-centric ML workflows.