Meet Canopy Creative
AR, VR & Immersive Experience Experts
Canopy Creative is Australia's leading Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality development studio.
At Canopy, we bridge the gap between imagination and innovation, creating cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), 3D animation, and interactive digital experiences.
We believe technology should engage, educate, and inspire, which is why we design tailored, high-impact solutions that push creative and technical boundaries.
Our Mission
Our mission at Canopy Creative is to empower innovative businesses and bold brands through immersive VR, AR, and AI experiences that resonate, simplify complexity, inspire audiences, and transform challenges into opportunities for growth.
We are dedicated to crafting interactive, emotionally engaging, and data-driven solutions that educate, entertain, and connect users in ways that drive meaningful impact.
By seamlessly blending creativity with cutting-edge technology, we create transformative experiences that elevate brand storytelling, enhance training methodologies, and revolutionize engagement across industries.
Our goal is to not only push the boundaries of digital innovation but also to ensure our clients thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Jesse Barratt (JB)
CEO, CCO & Founder
Creative Vision Backed by Global Studios
Jesse has spent more than a decade and a half shaping digital experiences across VR, AR, gaming, and film. Before founding Canopy Creative, he honed his craft at Electronic Arts, Weta Workshop, WetaFX, Magic Leap, and PlaySide Studios, contributing to projects ranging from blockbuster films to cutting-edge AR.
Recognized as one of the Top 30 Entrepreneurs to Watch (Entrepreneurs Herald, 2022) and a Disruptive Business Leader (PerceptivX, 2023), Jesse’s track record demonstrates both creative flair and business acumen.
Today, Jesse leads Canopy Creative as CEO and Chief Creative Officer, where he transforms bold concepts into world-class immersive content. His philosophy is simple: design experiences that are as technically seamless as they are visually compelling. Under his leadership, Canopy continues to bridge artistry and technology, creating work that inspires audiences and drives measurable impact for clients.
Our Senior Leaders
Our mission at Canopy Creative is to empower innovative businesses and bold brands through immersive VR, AR, and AI experiences that resonate, simplify complexity, inspire audiences, and transform challenges into opportunities for growth.
We are dedicated to crafting interactive, emotionally engaging, and data-driven solutions that educate, entertain, and connect users in ways that drive meaningful impact.
By seamlessly blending creativity with cutting-edge technology, we create transformative experiences that elevate brand storytelling, enhance training methodologies, and revolutionize engagement across industries.
Our goal is to not only push the boundaries of digital innovation but also to ensure our clients thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Chris
dimopoulos
Co-Founder, COO & CTO
Three Decades of Engineering at the Edge of Innovation
Chris brings more than 30 years of experience in software engineering, broadcast technology, and multimedia innovation. His career includes pioneering achievements like launching the world’s first in-car internet radio with Blaupunkt at CES 2009. He has developed and overseen 50+ products across sectors including streaming, DSP, and image processing, always staying ahead of the curve in technical execution.
At Canopy Creative, Chris is the engine room, ensuring our most ambitious ideas become reliable, scalable realities. His mantra, “What Jesse makes pretty, I make work,” captures his unique role: translating vision into working systems. Chris’s deep expertise means clients can trust that every Canopy solution, from VR simulations to AR apps, is built on a rock-solid technical foundation.
Shawn
Marinakis
CSMO & Partner
Driving Growth Through Strategy and Storytelling
With nearly two decades of experience across B2B marketing and digital strategy, Shawn knows how to connect innovation with audiences. He has led campaigns for leading agencies and brands, including his role as Senior Performance Marketing Manager at The Hype Society, where he delivered measurable ROI through SEO, SEM, and data-driven storytelling. His strength lies in combining creativity with analytics to ensure ideas don’t just reach the market, they resonate. Shawn has an extensive background in 3D Art, Animation and CGi, giving him the upper hand to not only sell Canopy Creative services, but understands them as well as any of our artists, engineers or producers.
As Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Canopy, Shawn aligns breakthrough technology with real-world business needs. He shapes our go-to-market strategies, builds partnerships, and positions Canopy as a leader in the immersive space. By blending traditional marketing fundamentals with cutting-edge digital practice, Shawn ensures every project not only makes an impact but also builds long-term trust and visibility for our clients.
Beau
Barnett
Partner & Head of Advisory Board
A Veteran Innovator in Games and VR
Beau has spent more than 20 years in gaming and interactive media, building teams and launching projects that push the boundaries of technology. As CEO and co-founder of Oceanic Studios, he pioneered VR experiences for health and aged care, enabling residents to explore the world virtually. His work has been recognized by national media, including Kochie’s Business Builders and Australian Ageing Agenda, for its ability to merge empathy with innovation.
At Canopy Creative, Beau chairs the Advisory Board, offering seasoned perspective and a powerful industry network. He helps guide high-level strategy, ensuring the studio stays at the forefront of immersive media while also pursuing sustainable growth. With Beau’s insight, Canopy balances creative ambition with smart business execution, giving clients the confidence that our solutions are built on both vision and experience.
What Makes Us Great - Our Team
THE TEAM
Jesse Barratt
Creative Director | CEO
Starting his career at 16, JB has over a decades experience in 3D Art and Interactive media bringing industry leading ideation and technical execution to Canopy from an executive level. JB founded Canopy creative with chris in 2022 after working in some of the worlds largest and most successful interactive media Studios such as WetaFX, Weta Workshop, Magicleap and EA.
"What Chris makes work, I make pretty."
Chris Dimopoulos
Technical Director |
CTO
With over 3 decades in Engineering, Software Developement, entrepreneurship and Broadcast expertise for a range of applications, purposes and businesses, Chris is the head of Canopys Engineering department after years of running successful startups.Standing as an exemplar veteran in the software developement industry chris co founded Canopy with JB in late 2022.
"What JB Makes Pretty, I make work."
Beau Barnett
Head Advisory Board Member
As CEO and Co Founder of oceanic studios, Beau is the head of Canopy Creatives advisory board, Contributing over 2 decades of game design and business ownership experience in the interactive media indsutry.
Richard Kickbush
Videography
Director
Industy leading veteran of cinematography and filmmaking with 3+ decades of experience shooting all around the world on land, sea and air.
Working with some of the most well known directors in the world such as James Cameron, Richard is the head of all things cinema 2D and Capture at Canopy Creative.
Marcus Machen
Head Of Camera Operations
With more than half a decades experience in emerging capture technologies such as 360 VR, 180, Photogrammetry and more.
Marcus prioneers Canopy Creatives most unique 2D videography and video production projects as Machen Film.
Mitchell Saville
3D Generalist
With a passion for games and digital art, Mitchell Saville is a 3D artist who specialises in creating moments of awe and imagination. Mitch focuses on bringing ideas to life, utilizing industry standard and technically profficient skills developed through comprehensive study.
William Lane
3D Generalist
Well known for being a dedicated 3D generalist with broad experience working on corporate projects ranging from CGI animations to 3d applications. Will has worked with both VR and AR, in realtime and offline as well as leading photogrammetry, animation and 3D Visualization pipelines.
Mikaela Butcher
Lead Animator
Mikaela is a passionate, professional and hardworking 3D Character Animator who adores storytelling and character acting, with the intention to connect, entertain, and inspire audiences. She has worked across animated feature films, series, and short film for release in cinema, and on Netflix and YouTube. Mikaela has also worked in Character FX and Technical Animation.
Paula Nunez
Jnr Animator
As a Uruguayan 3D artist and motion graphic animator, with a passion for 3D/2D character design, animation and texturing.
Paula has a background in graphic design and is incredibly versatile, jumping into any part of the creative process when needed.
Ryan Gribben
3D Generalist
Ryan is a passionate, professional and hardworking 3D Artist who with a passionate and hardworking ethic, Ryan consistently delivers top-quality work, reflecting a history of success in diverse industry applications.
Fluent in Industry standard softwares Ryan is ready to channel his enthusiasm into creating new modes of entertainment, marketing, and digital art at Canopy Creative.
Virtual Reality (VR)
We develop immersive VR experiences designed to train, educate, and engage. Whether it’s realistic simulations for employee training, interactive walkthroughs for real estate, or fully immersive environments for brand storytelling, our VR solutions provide hands-on learning and exploration without real-world risks.
Augmented Reality (AR)
We create interactive AR activations that enhance customer experiences, product visualization, and education. Our AR solutions blend digital content with the real world, making marketing campaigns more interactive, training more engaging, and product demonstrations more dynamic.
3D Art and
Animation
Our team of artists and animators craft high-fidelity 3D assets, animations, and motion graphics for marketing, gaming, simulations, and product visualization. Whether it’s cinematic animations, hyper-realistic 3D models, or real-time rendered assets, we bring ideas to life with detail and precision.
Next Generation Digital Signage
Through our partnership with Sparc Signs, we’re revolutionizing digital communication with interactive, real-time signage solutions. Whether for retail, corporate environments, or large-scale installations, our dynamic digital displays make content more engaging, adaptive, and intelligent.
Why Choose Canopy?
✅ Custom Solutions for Real-World Impact
Every project is tailored to meet specific business objectives, ensuring technology serves a purpose.
✅ Cross-Industry Expertise
From corporate training to experiential marketing, we understand how to apply immersive technology to solve industry challenges.
✅ Creative & Technical Excellence
Our team brings together 3D artists, developers, UX designers, and industry specialists to create seamless, engaging experiences.
✅ End-to-End Development
From concept to execution, we handle everything—including design, development, optimization, and deployment.
✅ Future-Proof Innovation
We stay ahead of trends, ensuring our clients benefit from the latest advancements in VR, AR, AI, and real-time rendering.
WORK WITH
AUSTRALIAS LEADING VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY STUDIO
Whether you’re a team member, partner, or client, the experience at Canopy is built around collaboration, expertise, and a shared passion for innovation.
✅ Innovation-Driven Mindset
We explore the latest in immersive tech, AI, and digital interaction to create industry-leading experiences.
✅ Hands-On Creative Development
From concept to execution, every project is a deep dive into the future of 3D visualization, real-time interaction, and digital storytelling.
✅ Cross-Disciplinary Teamwork
Our team brings together designers, developers, artists, strategists, and technologists to create holistic, impactful solutions.
✅ Future-Focused Growth
We’re always learning, experimenting, and evolving—pioneering what’s next in immersive media.
What It’s Like to Work With Us
We pride ourselves on fostering a culture that values creative freedom, problem-solving excellence, and a global perspective. Our approach is centered on collaboration, working closely with clients to understand their goals and develop custom solutions that align with their brand and messaging.
This synergy ensures that every project we undertake is not only innovative but also tailored to create real value and open new doors for our clients.
From Industry Professional Insight and Experience
Our team boasts over 65 years of combined experience from leading interactive media companies such as Weta, EA, Sony, and Warner Brothers to name a few. This extensive background enables us to deliver high-quality solutions across various industries, including games, film, marketing, advertising, technology and product visualization.