VES Production Summit '09

Shifting The Paradigm:
A collaborative conversation on production, technology and business in the 21st century.

If you are an active and interested member of the production community, we encourage you to join us for an inspiring day of collaborative conversation.

Recognizing the interconnected nature of the production community, and the to need convene as a group to discuss the present and future of our industry, the visual effects society is organizing this inaugural Production Summit. Necessitated by a quickly-evolving world economy, lightning-speed changes in technologies, this Summit convenes members of the production crafts in an effort to create a new, interactive production paradigm.

This day brings the numerous changes to the forefront, presenting a unique opportunity and a novel format to discuss production, technology and international business. Conversations among peers will clarify the process of production and, in an effort to open communication, will examine our industry from a common perspective designed to create guideposts toward the future..

The sessions are comprised of accomplished local and international industry contributors -- directors, producers, art directors, cinematographers, editors, post production supervisors and visual effects practitioners -- dedicated to both their own businesses, and the health of the larger production community. In a day that exchanges presentations for conversations, session speakers and attendees will be seated at semicircular tables, to encourage discussion and interaction.

Emphasizing the theme of shifting the paradigm to create our future, our keynote speaker, Dr. Eric Haseltine -- former head of Walt Disney Imagineering and a technology futurist -- lends a unique perspective.

For unique Sponsorship opportunities, please contact rob.m@visualeffectssociety.com

For more information, please contact Brent@visualeffectssociety.com.

Summit '09 Sponsors

Featured Speaker and Luncheon Sponsor

Morning Roundtable Sponsor

Business Sponsor

Presenting Media Sponsor

Media Partners

Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey Entry

Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey

4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, California 90292

USA

Phone: (310) 823-1700
Fax: (310) 823-2403

Website

Agenda

7:30-8:30 - Meet, Greet, Light Breakfast & Register

Session 1

8:30-11:30 - Through the Kaleidoscope: Three interactive one-hour sessions deliver a multifaceted examination of pre-production, production and post production

Every component in the production process affects every other, creating an intricate, complex structure. In a vital format designed to stimulate conversation among our speakers, this three-part session brings together creatives to explore every facet of making a feature, from the first idea to the final render.

Directors, art directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, visual effects supervisors and other members of the various crafts discuss the overlaps, gaps, cooperation and collaboration essential to the process.

Pre Production Component

Moderator:

Jeffrey A. Okun, Visual Effects Supervisor / Chairman – VES
Grant Curtis, Producer

Panelists:

Victoria Alonso, Executive Vice President of Visual Effects & Post Production - Marvel Studios
Dion Bebee, ASC, Cinematographer
James Bissell, Production Designer
Art Repola, Executive Vice President, Visual Effects and Production Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Marc Weigert, Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor

Production Component

Panelists:

Thad Beier, Head of CG, Digital Domain
Terry Clotiaux, Prime Focus Senior VP, Senior Executive Producer, Film VFX, North America
Volker Engel, Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor
Catherine Hardwicke, Director
John Scheele, Visual Effects Supervisor
Paul Martin Smith, Editor

Post Production Component

Panelists:

Eric Barba, Visual Effects Supervisor, Digital Domain
Dennis Hoffman, Senior Vice President and General Manager - CIS Vancouver
Steven Poster, ASC, Director of Photography, President – International Cinematographers Guild
Alan Silvers, New Business Development, Lowry Digital

Featured Speaker

11:45-12:30 - Dr. Eric Haseltine - An alternate world view

Eric Haseltine offers a view from the crow's nest, a vision of what's on the horizon and over the horizon, from two perspectives: Navigation - where we need to be going and Steering - how do we get there?

Eric is a Technology Futurist who was the former head of Walt Disney Imagineering and former CTO of the U.S intelligence community. A 'psycho-ecologist' as he calls himself, with a Ph.D in physiological psychology, Eric applies neuroscience to new technologies, using how the human brain naturally wants to interact with technology to improve performance.

Eric Haseltine is President and Managing Partner, Haseltine Partners LLC. He was Director of Research at the National Security Agency and then CTO for the entire U.S. Intelligence community under the Director of National Intelligence.

Before entering government service, Eric was Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering, in charge of R&D for Walt Disney Company, and Director of Engineering for Hughes Aircraft.

Eric has 15 patents in optics, special effects and electronic media, and more than 100 publications in science and technical journals, the Web and Discover Magazine.

Lunch

12:45-1:45 - Conversations and Collaborations by the boats

Session 2

2:00-3:30 -X-Ray: Decoding and Thriving in the 21st Century Post-Production Pipeline

Our industry has evolved into a stew of multiple file formats, color space issues, incompatible pipelines, and content designed for everything from an iPhone to IMAX. Add 3D stereo to the mix, then try archiving all your data, and what do you have? A post-production environment that looks more like sorcery than the last step of a well-organized process.

This vital session addresses how studios, colorists, visual effects supervisors, and post-production supervisors can work collaboratively to triumph over the challenges moving their projects to release effectively while maintaining their sanity.

Moderator:

Richard Hollander, Producer, Pixar Animation Studios

Panelists:

Steve Beres, Director of Engineering for nextLAB, a division of FotoKem, Inc.
Fred Chandler, Executive VP Post Production, 20th Century Fox
Ben Grossmann, Visual Effects Supervisor, CafeFX/The Syndicate
Daryn Okada, ASC, Cinematographer
Steve Scott, Vice President, Creative Director / Colorist, E-Film

Session 3

3:45-5:15 - Hot, Flat and (getting) Crowded: The Business of Production and the new Global Economy

As our world continues to shrink, businesses must adjust to the challenges of a universal economy. This session brings together business leaders from around the industry and around the world to engage in a discussion of the cultural, technological, ethical and economic issues that both stimulate and impede our progress.

Moderator:

David S. Cohen, Variety

Panelists:

Jeff Barnes, CEO & Co-Founder, CafeFX/The Syndicate/Sententia Entertainment
Lee Berger, President, Film Division, Rhythm & Hues Studios
Colin Brown, British Film Commissioner, UK Film Counci
Chris DeFaria, Executive Vice President, Digital Production, Animation and Visual Effects, Warner Bros. Pictures
Anshul Doshi, Global COO, Prime Focus Group

5:30 til ... - Ritzy Cocktails: Mix, Mingle and Shmooze…

	Victoria Alonso Executive Vice President of Visual Effects & Post Production - Marvel Studios Click here to view Victoria Alonso's bio
	Eric Barba Visual Effects Supervisor, Digital Domain Click here to view Eric Barba's bio
	Jeff Barnes Co-Founder & Executive Producer, CafeFX Click here to view Jeff Barnes' bio
	Dion Bebee, ASC Cinematographer Click here to view Dion Bebee's bio
	Thaddeus Beier Head of CG, Digital Domain Click here to view Thad Beier's bio
	Steve Beres Director of Engineering for nextLAB, a division of FotoKem, Inc. Click here to view Steve Beres' bio
	Lee Berger President, Film Division – Rhythm & Hues Studios Click here to view Lee Berger's bio
	Jim Bissell Production Designer Click here to view Jim Bissell's bio
	Colin Brown British Film Commissioner, UK Film Council Click here to view Colin Brown's bio
	Fred Chandler Executive VP Post Production, 20th Century Fox Click here to view Fred Chandler's bio
	Terry Clotiaux Senior Vice President / COO, Visual Effects Worldwide for Prime Focus Group, and Senior Executive Producer for North America Click here to view Terry Clotiaux's bio
	David S Cohen Reporter, Variety Click here to view David Cohen's bio
	Chris de Faria Executive Vice President, Digital Production, Animation and Visual Effects, Warner Bros. Pictures Click here to view Chris de Faria's bio
	Anshul Doshi Global COO, Prime Focus Group Click here to view Anshul Doshi's bio
	Volker Engel Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor, President of Uncharted Territory, LLC Click here to view Volker Engel's bio
	Ben Grossmann Visual Effects Supervisor, CafeFX/The Syndicate Click here to view Ben Grossmann's bio
	Catherine Hardwicke Writer / Director Click here to view Catherine Hardwicke's bio
	Dr. Eric Haseltine - Featured Speaker President and Managing Partner, Haseltine Partners LLC Click here to view Eric Haseltine's bio
	Dennis Hoffman Senior Vice President and General Manager - CIS Vancouver Click here to view Dennis Hoffman's bio
	Richard Hollander Producer, Pixar Animation Studios Click here to view Richard Hollander's bio
	Randy Lake Executive Vice President and General Manager, Sony Pictures Imageworks Click here to view Randy Lake bio's
	Paul Martin Smith Visual Effects Editor Click here to view Paul Martin Smith's bio
	Daryn Okada Director of Photography, ASC Click here to view Daryn Okada's bio
	Jeffrey A. Okun - Moderator Visual Effects Supervisor / Chairman – VES Click here to view Jeffrey Okun's bio
	Richard Pearson Editor Click here to view Richard Pearsons' bio
	Steven Poster, ASC Director of Photography, President – International Cinematographers Guild Click here to view Steven Poster's bio
	Art Repola Executive Vice President, Visual Effects and Production Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Click here to view Art Repola's bio
	Steve Scott Vice President / Creative Director, EFILM Click here to view Steve Scott's Bio
	Alan Silvers New Business Development, Lowry Digital Click here to view Alan Silvers bio
	Marc Weigert Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor, CEO of Uncharted Territory, LLC Click here to view Marc Weigert's bio