The legendary Syd Mead announced as a speaker at THU/2014

Trojan Horse was a Unicorn 2014 (THU/2014) celebrates the addition of Syd Mead to an all-star presenter line up.

THU/2014, the international four-day artists’ conference to be held in Portugal this September, welcomes the master of design Syd Mead to an already impressive roster. Mead joins Oscar-winning artists Rob Legato and Andy Jones, and Scott Ross, founder of Digital Domain. Together, these four industry legends lead a bill of 25 additional industry speakers plus 13 artist mentors that will impart their wisdom to attendees from at least 29 countries.

The addition of Syd Mead – the father of inspiration – to the THU/2014 line up is just another step forward to shaping the digital arts event into a Mecca for artists the world over. THU breaks the traditions of what’s expected from typical conferences and provides educational talks and workshops with the addition of an atmosphere that will be crafted entirely to inspire and enthuse in one of the world’s most beautiful countries.

THU/2014 builds on the success of THU/2013 to create something even more magical for attendees. They will put faces to the names of talents they’ve admired for years on screen; they will shake hands with their idols and chat with Oscar winners over a beer; they can seek feedback on portfolios from recruiters and discover award-winning techniques; and, perhaps most importantly, they will revive their passions for an industry that is built on the raw skills of these remarkable people.

“Over the three decades I’ve been in this industry, I’ve attended every type of conference/festival imaginable,” said Scott Ross, Founder of Digital Domain. “There’s SIGGRAPH, a technical conference; FMX, an industry executive conference; Annecy, an animation conference… But there hasn’t been a conference focused on the artist. THU/2014 fulfills that dream: it’s a gathering of digital artists from around the world that share, play and imagine together in Europe’s best kept secret… Portugal.”

Syd Mead’s influence on the art world is immeasurable, having influenced the lives of so many with his iconic visual language. The opportunity to experience this 81-year old legend in the flesh is almost priceless. “Bringing Syd Mead to THU/2014 is making history in Portugal,” said THU founder Andre Luis. “He is a true legend – the kind that can inspire and change your life. The THU/2014 attendees will be in for a fantastic presentation by this visual design master. He represents everything that we want THU to stand for… and I’m anxious to see what he’ll present to the audience. It’s exciting!”

THU/2014 will take place in Portugal on 17-20 September, with the venue to be announced in March 2014. Early tickets are available now via www.trojan-unicorn.com, with tickets already sold to attendees from more than 29 countries across four continents. Those interested in mingling with the greats and like-minded artists are encouraged to follow the THU Facebook Page for future announcements and competitions to win tickets. A THU/2014 newsletter has also been set up to keep those interested in the loop.

THU is a not-for-profit venture that aims to invest any money that is raised at the end of each event back into new projects and funding scholarships.

Discover the THU/2013 experience Vimeo movies, which offer a fantastic insight into the unique aspects of THU:
THU/2013 welcome day movie and THU/2013 experience video

Registered attendees currently hail from at least 29 countries, including: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Speakers already confirmed for THU 2014 on 17-20 September 2014 include:
Christian Alzmann – Visual Effects Art Director at Industrial Light & Magic
Karla Ortiz – Concept Artist (clients include NCSOFT, Ubisoft)
Michael Kutsche – Character Designer and Concept Artist (clients include Disney Studios, Dreamworks, Marvel Studios)
Ian McQue – Lead Concept Artist, Rockstar North Ltd (Assistant Art Director on Grand Theft Auto V)
Kyle Mcculloch – VFX Supervisor, Framestore (Gravity)
Ben Mauro – Freelance Concept Designer (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug)
Catherine Mullan – Animation Supervisor, MPC (Wrath of the Titans)
Gavriil Afanasyev Klimov – Senior Concept Artist, Treyarch
Alessandro Baldasseroni – Lead Character Artist, Blur Studio
Andrew Hickinbottom – Freelance 3D Modeler and Character Designer
Rebeca Puebla – 3D Character Artist
Denis Zilber – Freelance Illustrator

For more information and updates to the expert panel of speakers visit www.trojan-unicorn.com and follow www.facebook.com/TrojanUnicorn.