I remember you would always like to go further in time for our sessions and even after you had a long day at work you always showed up with a smile and that was contagious

February 2025

ELMO!!

I will always look forward to your mentorship sessions because they were a space to tackle problems creatively. You made all sessions feel really light but truly informative. I remember you would always like to go further in time for our sessions and even after you had a long day at work you always showed up with a smile and that was contagious. Being late at night discussing VFX might be tedious but not with you.

I look forward to working with you more. I’ve had the pleasure of getting into the CG5 U Move project with you and even if it was for a brief moment it felt good being around you.

Thank you for all your mentorships, and for answering all my questions even if they deviated a little (sometimes a lot) from the main topic.

Moises Moreno – Compositor

You listened attentively to my concerns and thoughts, offering kind and thoughtful advice

February 2025

Hi Elmo!

I sincerely appreciate your thoughtful mentorship! You always take the initiative to communicate with students, listen to our thoughts and current situations, and speak with warmth and friendliness.

Your guidance has also made me think more deeply about realism in VFX. I’ve been reading the book you recommended whenever I have a break from studying! And I truly appreciate how patiently you answered all my questions—it was incredibly helpful.

I also admire how you always join gatherings and actively engage with students, showing how much you value connections and interactions. I was especially moved when the four of us, including me, went out for dinner. You listened attentively to my concerns and thoughts, offering kind and thoughtful advice. That conversation made me realize the importance of focusing on the present and looking forward. Thank you so much!

Hiroka Oizumi – Compositor

You have a unique way of analyzing our work, always spotting subtle tweaks and suggesting small improvements that make a huge difference in the final result

February 2025

Hi Elmo!

Thank you so much for guiding us through our VFX compositing journey. Your patience and dedication are very appreciated, and I truly value the time and effort you put into mentoring us.

I especially enjoyed the mentorship sessions where you demonstrated techniques we could incorporate into our shots, those were very insightful. 

You have a unique way of analyzing our work, always spotting subtle tweaks and suggesting small improvements that make a huge difference in the final result.

Your guidance has been invaluable, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn from you!

Suelen Rebello – Compositor

You never tired of our endless questions. and you are always patience and positive

February 2025

Thank you for supporting us trough the difficulties in our learning path!

You never tired of our endless questions. and you are always patience and positive.

I’m really grateful for all the time and effort you’ve put in to help us succeed.

Kun Xiao – Compositor

I loved your mentorship sessions that focused on highlighting different aspects of compositing that we can take into consideration when doing our shots

February 2025

Hey Elmo,

Thank you for taking the time to do the mentorships. I always appreciated your thoughtfulness and kindness. Your willingness to listen and respond in a contemplative manner was always appreciated.

I loved your mentorship sessions that focused on highlighting different aspects of compositing that we can take into consideration when doing our shots.

Your willingness to answer questions in a courteous and helpful way will always be remembered.

Thank you for the positivity and good vibes, I wish you nothing but the best! Hopefully in the future, we have the opportunity to actually meet.

Rose Hicks – Compositor

I first emailed you like… 3 years ago asking about your journey into VFX?? It’s so cool how you ended up being a mentor for us

April 2024

Hey Elmo!

Thanks for teaching us the ropes of things as we untangled the webs of photorealism throughout our time at ACE! It’s crazy to think that I first emailed you like… 3 years ago asking about your journey into VFX?? It’s so cool how you ended up being a mentor for us. Your positive attitude and feedback helped us to make our projects even more fresh.

I hope that we can work on the same team someday – thanks again for everything!

Ryan Lum – Compositor

It really meant a lot that you care so deeply for students and went above and beyond

April 2024

Thank you, Elmo, for being the person you are. Your enthusiasm is an infectious thing that has spread to all the students of ACE Class 1 and 2. You were the second person I talked to when I wanted to launch Alpha Chromatica, and you said yes even before I managed to finish my sentence. It really meant a lot that you care so deeply for students and went above and beyond, especially with our set budget, to deliver some of the best mentorship sessions a student can ask for.

Ganz Ramalingam – Founder & VFX Supervisor
Alpha Chromatica

Your photo collections of different light rays and fog, and your reading recommendations all set the bar for how a good compositor should be investing his/her brain aside from working

April 2024

Hey Elmo,

I will be missing the paper scissors competition! 🙂

Your mentorship sessions are fun and informative, you were always full of energy to share and teach us the knowledge that is essential to train our eyes. Your photo collections of different light rays and fog, and your reading recommendations all set the bar for how a good compositor should be investing his/her brain aside from working.

Thanks for being consistent and patient in critiquing our work. I learned a lot from how you approach my questions, not only the solutions but also how you perceive the issues.

All the best to your future and keep in touch!

Alison Yang – Compositor

Your precision for seeing inconsistencies in colour and mistakes was unmatched, it made it really easy to know what to fix

April 2024

Dear Elmo,

One thing that really stood out to me about your teaching style is your dedication. I remember one day you could’ve just cancelled class one mentorship when you knew it would be just me showing up, instead we spent that whole 2 hours going over my projects.

I like that you’d take your time to explain complex problems, it makes it easier to understand in the recording after

Your precision for seeing inconsistencies in colour and mistakes was unmatched, it made it really easy to know what to fix.

I’ll miss your positive energy in class and hope for your continued success in Ace as well as in the movie industry!

Iyas Hassine – Compositor

Your hobby of taking pictures of different optical phenomena you encounter in life is extremely meaningful and valuable

April 2024

Hey Elmo,

You brought photography terminology and techniques into our classroom. This seems to me to be the essence of our work. Know what really happens on the physical level in this world and restore them through technical means. Your hobby of taking pictures of different optical phenomena you encounter in life is extremely meaningful and valuable. I think many of us have similar hobbies, like shooting interesting things, which also include optical phenomena, but we may not be as aware of its value in VFX as you are, and purposefully collect photos of optical phenomena.

I also thank you for inviting us so many great guest speakers so that we can have a more diverse understanding of the ideas and experiences of people in different studios and in different positions.

Thank you!

Chris Xiao – Compositor

It made learning a low stress and almost meditative process

April 2024

Hi Andrew!

Thank you Elmo!

I appreciate all your feedback in your very calm and reassuring vibe. It made learning a low stress and almost meditative process. I still really found many of your lectures very useful in seeing how you approached different solutions in overcoming creative obstacles. And also the fact that there was no one single way to accomplish this. I loved how you also brought the concept of photography and the different types of lenses and artifacts that they brought to the situation, and how to recreate these effects artificially in the comp. Thanks again! 

Mike Massey – Compositor

He is without a doubt an incredible artist, a great team player, and a friend

January 2021

Elmo and I studied together at Lost Boys School of Visual Effects. I had the pleasure to be Elmo’s classmate during our 12 month intense program. He is without a doubt an incredible artist, a great team player, and a friend. He always comes up with something creative and brilliant to tackle any shot. He is indeed a talented artist, people person, and a down to earth guy. I remember everytime when I needed someone to talk to, he would always be there. I can’t recommend him enough!

Endily “Andy” L – Senior Digital Paint Artist

Like a sponge, he continuously absorbs knowledge from all of his experiences, every tutorial he can find, and the people around him

August 2020

I have never seen Elmoatasem (Elmo) bored. He is always learning something new, working on shots, or doing both at the same time. Elmo’s passion for Visual Effects has been evident since the first day that I met him, nearly 1 year ago. In the future he will undoubtedly become a lead, supervisor, instructor, or mentor, as he loves helping people around him solve problems just as much as the work itself. He remains awake, alert, and invested in even the most tedious and technical lectures. In addition to his strong technical skills and perceptive eye, his soft skills are also excellent.

Elmo is also an incredibly positive person: able to spot and bring out the best in everyone. He can work with anyone. Perhaps it has something to do with all of the fruit he eats. Like a sponge, he continuously absorbs knowledge from all of his experiences, every tutorial he can find, and the people around him. Because he is also generous with that knowledge, his personal development directly benefits the whole team. Just don’t play board or card games with him if you want to win. He will always win. But we accept it because he’s so nice to everyone afterwards. It was my pleasure to be one of his instructors at Lost Boys, and I recommend him highly as a BG Prep Artist and Compositor.

Andrew Zeller – Compositing Supervisor
Former Student