Meet the Doing DaVinci team — a group of experts trying to build Leonardo da Vinci's never-before-constructed inventions.
VALEK SYKES
Valek (Val) Sykes, the founder of Tech Works FX, graduated from the prestigious Tyler School of Art at Temple University with honors. After receiving a bachelor of fine arts degree in metals and C.A.D.-C.A.M., he turned his attention to Hollywood and the magic of special effects. Over the years, Val has trained and worked with effects legends like Stan Winston and Rick Baker. His talents as a sculptor and mechanical designer led him to open his own special effects studio. Since founding Tech Works FX, he has worked on feature films such as G.I. Joe, I am Legend, Minority Report, A.I., as well as numerous commercials, television productions and even inventive stage illusions. His goal is to leave his mark as an inventive and creative force in the entertainment industry. Although raised in Philadelphia, Val currently resides in Valencia, Calif.
JURGEN HEIMANN
As founder and principal partner of Brillig Productions L.L.C, Jurgen Heimann has worked in several areas of the filmmaking process, including camera, animation, special effects, performance and writing. Born in Germany and raised in the United States, he earned a bachelor of arts in motion picture production from Brooks Institute of Photographic Art and Science, graduating with honors and earning a departmental award for his short subject film, Fractions. Over the past years, he has worked as a designer, builder and puppeteer with effects wizards such as Rick Baker and David Allen, and is a current member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has completed three feature-length screenplays — Love Mad, Twas Brillig and Clambaked. Each are highlighted with his usual beyond-reality point-of-view and symbolic connections. Through Brillig Productions, he and his team are currently developing Clambaked as well as producing the episodic program Puphedz. Jurgen currently resides in Los Angeles.
BILL DUGGAN
Bill Duggan is a fifth-generation native of San Francisco. Bill's admiration for the performing arts was developed onstage at Santa Clara University, where he received an acting scholarship. After graduation, he pursued acting professionally throughout the San Francisco Bay area, both onstage and in front of the camera. Off camera, Bill honed his carpentry and craftsman skills, taking on home-improvement challenges such as landscape irrigation, plumbing, painting, electrical work, fencing and tiling. These skills led to his hosting Curb Appeal on HGTV. Bill can also be seen sharing his expertise as a host on Home Shopping Network. His acting credits include numerous television commercials and print ads, including the CW's Party With the San Francisco 49ers, The Shield, Nash Bridges, General Hospital, The Girl Next Door, Rapid Guy Movement, Dangerous Minds, Copycat, Princess Diaries II, First Yearsand Zoom Experience. Bill now resides in Hollywood.
FLASH HOPKINS
Born in Rhode Island, Flash Hopkins is a direct descendant of Stephen Tucker Hopkins, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Flash has worked in general construction and as a union bridge builder. He has also been an arachnologist and a botanist for the Federal Seed Bank. Flash is a co-founder of "Burning Man" — the largest art festival in the world. He attended Rhode Island College as well as Harvard University and has lived in San Francisco for 23 years. Over the past few years, he has built large-scale public art installations throughout the United States and is currently the artist-in-residence at the San Francisco Recycling Center (aka the dump!).
DR. JONATHAN PEVSNER
Dr. Jonathan Pevsner is a faculty member in the department of neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Haverford College and his Ph.D. in pharmacology and molecular sciences from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He pursued postdoctoral training at the Stanford University School of Medicine and joined the faculty of Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1995. Dr. Pevsner holds a primary faculty appointment in the department of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and specializes in childhood neurological disorders, including Down syndrome and autism. He is author of a textbook (Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics) and was awarded teacher of the year at Johns Hopkins. A longtime student of Leonardo da Vinci's work, Dr. Pevsner is considered a premier expert on the world's most famous Renaissance man. He has written articles on Leonardo; teaches courses on him; has delivered lectures all around the world at science and art museums, universities and schools; and has performed as Leonardo onstage. Over the years, Dr. Pevsner has collected hundreds of books about Leonardo, including books read by Leonardo himself.
ALAN BOVINETT
Alan Bovinett has always had a passion for innovative media and new product technology. He was a senior principal in the high technology practice of Diamond Technology Partners. For several years, Alan was also a senior consultant at Coopers & Lybrand Consulting. Within these roles, he created new products and technologies, analyzed and launched new business ventures, and created and implemented print, radio and TV marketing campaigns for multiple business entities. As a senior design engineer for McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Company), he designed, built, tested and installed satellite communications equipment. Upon becoming an entrepreneur, Alan followed his passion for media by accomplishing top-name client photo shoots, runway shows, voice-over, industrial/commercial and feature-film endeavors. Recent clients have included BMW, Time Warner Cable, ABC’s General Hospital and HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Alan has a mechanical engineering degree from Stanford University and a MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School Of Business. He resides in Los Angeles, where he enjoys rugged mountain-biking, being a mad-scientist and architecture.
