Laurent Buffi

Since early 2004, he has been teaching 2nd and 3rd year BA students at Paris La Sorbonne University on Film Financing and Producing systems in France and Hollywood as well as Key production, distribution and promotion strategies in the French and American Television industries.

In September 2003, Laurent served as 3D Production supervisor in a major architecture firm and is in particular in care of developing new production model based on AutoDesk 3D Max programs.

' The result was the creation in early 2000 of 'La Rochelle Digital Design,' a new kind of digital effects start up aimed at providing the industry with a new approach to affordable yet impressive VFX, hence the motto "CBS" (Cheaper Better Sooner).

From mid-2000 until the summer of 2003, Laurent served as Co-President Head of Production at 'La Rochelle', preparing and supervising budget with the Paris-based studio, co-managing the VFX graphic artists teams and promoting La Rochelle through pitches to major Hollywood studios.

In 1999, he conducted an extensive Visual Effects Market survey in Los Angeles, as well as several Business plans, to prepare the launching of his new venture with Patrick Tatopoulos and Paris-based digital studio 'Foret Bleue.

' Starting in May 1998, Laurent decided to venture in new territories by producing young directors' short films and being more involved in the physical production aspect of projects that caught his attention thanks to their high profile and original plot. In the same time, Laurent became the screenwriter, producer and director of 'The Window's Edge', a 15-minute futuristic short thriller shot in Super 16mm with a $21,000 budget, a 22-person crew on location in Downtown L. A. 's Union Station and aboard n a train from the 50s.

In October 1998, Laurent approached Hollywood leading production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, asking him to design the urban environment of a video game for Paris-based high-end video game developer 'Polygon Studio.

' Starting in January 1998, Laurent had acted as Polygon's exclusive representative, Product Coordinator and Executive Producer.

In May 1998, Laurent sold to Los Angeles based THQ Polygon's first video game ever for a $1 million.

' He stayed on until post production started in June 1997. While at Fox, Laurent was closely involved in pre-production, then principal photography and the director's creative process (storyboards, script revisions and updates). After completion of the blockbuster, Laurent decided to partner with screenwriter Robert Kramer to launch their own production company, 'Buffalo Entertainment. ' He acted as lead producer, attaching his writer/partner to 10 spec script projects, as well as co-producer on a CD-Rom Interactive game project called 'Sins.

Right after his graduation in June 1996, Laurent was hired by 20th Century Fox as the Executive Assistant to renowned French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children) on 'Alien Resurrection.

In August 1994, Laurent moved to Los Angeles in order to enroll as the only foreigner admitted at UCLA's School of Film and Television's MFA "The Independent Producer's Program," chaired by leading Hollywood tycoon Peter Guber, then Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. There, Laurent had the opportunity to attend classes taught by major entertainment industry leaders.

For his French MFA thesis back in 1990 at La Sorbonne, Laurent chose to write a hundred-page dossier on "Outer/Inner Space: the Maze and its double in Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and The Shining". Laurent's vision and analysis of these movies was motivated by the stunning high number of double images converted into many labyrinths, physical or psychic symbols which are heavily multi-layered.

In June 1987, Laurent was enrolled at UCLA Film School's Summer Session. During an intensive six-week production training, Laurent wrote then shot in U-matic three short film screenplays, prepared several production profiles as well as financial statements.

In 1986, Laurent completed his baccalaureate, thus finishing his curriculum at Paris leading private school founded by Alsatians in back 1874, called the 'Ecole Alsacienne. 'He attended the Paris III Sorbonne University, with major in sociology and film critical studies.

Laurent Buffi was born in July 1967 in Paris, France. His father is from Florence, Italy, and is now one of France's leading architects and urban planner, while his mother - from the French Riviera - works as an interior designer.