Cantina Creative
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2010
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 2
About Cantina Creative
Cantina Creative is a design and visual effects studio founded in Los Angeles in 2010 by Sean Cushing and Stephen Lawes. With studios in Los Angeles and Vancouver, it combines graphic design, motion graphics and photorealistic compositing for feature films, episodic television, advertising, game cinematics and immersive entertainment.
A central part of its work is the design of technology that appears on screen: futuristic user interfaces, heads-up displays, holographic projections, diagnostic displays and intricate monitor graphics. These elements help establish the visual language of fictional systems and environments while supporting the story. The studio also develops concept art, three-dimensional imagery, set extensions and title sequences, bringing design and visual effects together within the same production practice.
Screen graphics and visual storytelling
Cantina Creative’s work includes Tony Stark’s Iron Man HUD graphics, Avengers diagnostic holo-tables and other visual systems across Marvel productions. Its credits include Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther, alongside television series such as Loki and WandaVision.
Beyond Marvel projects, its screen graphics, title treatments and compositing appear in productions including Blade Runner 2049, First Man, Free Guy, Bumblebee and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. The studio’s production scope also extends to special venues and large-format immersive content, including work for Sphere in Las Vegas.
Development and production reach
Cantina Creative joined Territory Group in July 2022 as a founding studio member following its acquisition. It continues to operate autonomously, retaining its own brand, creative leadership and client partnerships while drawing on shared corporate services and the group’s international reach.
The Vancouver studio opened in February 2023, expanding the company’s North American production capacity and access to British Columbia’s visual effects talent. Across its two studios, Cantina Creative maintains a boutique operating model that supports both design sequences and visual effects shot production.
More about Cantina Creative
Leadership
Sean Cushing serves as Executive Producer and Stephen Lawes as Creative Director. Donna Cullen is also an Executive Producer, while Jason Dowdeswell leads the Vancouver studio as Executive Producer and Studio Manager.
The research also identifies Tony Lupoi and Aaron Eaton as Visual Effects Supervisors, Carly Cerquone as Art Director, Julianne Dome as CG Supervisor and Artist, and Matt Eaton as Compositing Supervisor.
Production approach
The studio describes a hybrid workflow using high-performance workstations and a software pipeline that includes Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D, Autodesk Maya and Foundry Nuke.
Founders’ background
Before establishing the company, Cushing and Lawes gained experience at visual effects businesses including Pixel Liberation Front.
Notable credits
40 creditsOffices
Where Cantina Creative is based
- 5410 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United StatesLos Angeles, California, United States
Los Angeles Headquarters
HeadquartersOverall company headquarters and principal creative, production, executive and administrative hub.
- 1062 Homer Street, Suite 300, Vancouver, BC V6B 2W9, CanadaVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Studio
Opened 2023
About this office
Direct regional production studio opened in February 2023 under Executive Producer and Studio Manager Jason Dowdeswell. Its Burnaby postal box is a mailing address for the same Canadian operating unit.
Open roles
Find your next role at Cantina Creative