Visual Effects Society

Four years have passed since I was elected to the VES Board of Directors and the time has flown by. What amazing changes I’ve witnessed over the years serving on the VES Board: I’ve been involved in producing the VES Awards and numerous educational programs, re-tooling the bylaws to help us better succeed in the future, growing the organization from a few hundred members to nearly 1,300 in more than a dozen countries and creating new Sections to improve communication and participation throughout the VES community.

You should all be proud of your elected Board Members as they are some of the most talented people I have ever met and they fight every day to bring you the best programs and benefits possible.

I participated in bringing onboard our new Executive Director, Eric Roth, who went through some very tough interviews before we elected him. He has proven to be an outstanding guy with only your best interests in mind. I have seen many faces change on the Board, and with them, new ideas and renewed vigor to push the existing programs to new heights. I want you to know that Carl Rosendahl is one tough taskmaster, and because of his example we have all benefited.

The various committees always amaze me. I have worked on two and I will tell you that some of the hardest working people are in the Awards committee. They work year round to bring you the best awards show possible and during the final months before the awards, they meet weekly, even daily, to put together an awards show that we, and the industry, can all be proud of. If you want a fun and challenging committee contact Jeff Okun and join the Awards committee. The other committee I’ve participated in is the membership committee headed by Mike Fink which is also extremely active as we are averaging about 100 new members every six months!

As I reflect back, I have to say that it was worthwhile to be involved, and I urge you to consider running for the Board, or at least serving on a committee or two. Our organization needs you and your ideas. Step up to the plate and swing; you may hit a home run! Or at least you will get some exercise.

One last thing, VES Director of Operations Alan Chu is a hardworking guy. The next time you see him say “thanks” because he is the man who moves it all forward.

Thanks again for the past four years and I hope some time in the future to be back on the Board looking out for your best interests!

Sincerely,
Gene Rizzardi

The Hollywood Reporter
For VES members, The Hollywood Reporter is offering the Daily Edition for $179 or the Weekly International Edition for $125 (this is almost a 50% discount!).

If it’s happening in show business you’ll find it in the pages of The Hollywood Reporter. For 75 years The Hollywood Reporter has been the trade paper of choice for industry professionals of all kinds. As a VES member, you have an opportunity to subscribe to The Hollywood Reporter at a special organizational rate. Choose from the Daily Edition for $179 or the Weekly International Edition for $125 (this is almost a 50% discount!). If you want to take advantage of the special VES member rate, call 866-525-2150.

Cinefex
CINEFEX WANTS YOU! For a limited time only, VES members with U.S. mailing addresses may purchase a one-year introductory subscription to this quarterly journal for $16 -- half the regular subscription price. Limited Offer ends December 10th.

For more than 25 years, Cinefex has been the bible for visual effects professionals and enthusiasts, offering meticulously researched and lavishly illustrated articles on effects technologies and techniques. For a limited time only, VES member with U.S. mailing addresses may purchase a one-year introductory subscription to this quarterly journal for $16 -- half the regular subscription price. Similar deep discounts are available for members living outside the U.S. New subscriptions will begin with the upcoming year-end issue, covering two highly anticipated releases: Peter Jackson's remake of the classic King Kong and Andrew Adamson's adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Also featured will be: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, The Legend of Zorro and Zathura.

A page has been created on the Cinefex website for VES members wishing to take advantage of this offer: http://www.cinefex.com/VES. Only current non-subscribers are eligible for this special introductory rate. Offer expires December 10, 2005.

Free VFX Project Management Software From Tim Landry
VES Board Member Tim Landry is offering his VFX project management software as a FREE download to VES Members. Thanks Tim! http://www.vfxshowrunner.com

“Ellenshaw Under Glass”
Lynda Thompson is pleased to offer a “friends and family” discount to VES members on copies of the DVD documentary on the life and work of Peter Ellenshaw, “Ellenshaw Under Glass.” Log on to www.ellenshaw.com and mention you are a VES member to receive the discount when ordering.

Awards Submission Deadline is December 2!
Reminder: time is running out to send in your submission. If you have a feature film, TV show, video game, commercial, music video or large format project that has been (or will be) released before the end of the year, and want it considered for the 4th Annual VES Awards to be held at the Hollywood Palladium on February 15, 2006, you must send it in now! Again, the deadline is December 2nd, 2005, 5pm PST. Please go to www.vesawards.com for more info.

Judges Needed
As the 4th Annual VES awards quickly approaches, we are currently looking for judges to participate on our Nomination Panels. The panels will convene on January 7th, 2006 at Fotokem in Burbank, CA. Each of our 21 categories will be judged by a panel of 5 to 15 qualified VES members who will narrow the field down to 3 nominees that represent the finest visual effects work of the year.

Past participants know that this is one of the must-attend events of the season, and a key part of our Awards program. Not only will you have an opportunity to see how the most awe-inspiring effects of the year were created, you'll have a chance to rub shoulders with the best and brightest in the industry. And panelists will have the satisfaction of knowing our best work will be presented to our colleagues in the industry, the press, and visual effects fans worldwide at our Awards Ceremony on February 15.

Please block this day out on your schedules and fill out the attached Panel Judge application. Return it to the VES office by December 9, 2005 with a copy of your current resume. You can fax it back to the VES office, or send it via regular mail. Panelists will be assigned based on their field of expertise and their preferences, and also taking account any conflicts of interest they may have in a category.

Applicants will be given additional information regarding times and driving directions, as we get closer to the date. Click Here for Application

VES has a new logo!
Drum roll please. At its November 9th meeting, the Board of Directors adopted a new logo for VES, which just so happens to adorn the masthead of this newsletter. According to VES Executive Director Eric Roth, “As we continue to assemble the building blocks for our future growth, we now have a new logo that will stand the test of time and be something all of our members can be proud of.”

The new logo was designed by John Campagna of Campagna Design, a design studio in New York City. John was given the task of creating a design for an organization that is composed of over a thousand members who are oriented toward design and visual issues needless to say, this was no easy task! But with a client list including ICM Artists, Neiman Marcus, and Warner Bros., this firm was up to the VES challenge. The Board required that a new logo be graphically clean, possess a timeless quality, look professional, be a mark that would be instantly recognizable as the symbol of VES, and finally, that it be easily replicable at small sizes.

"The goal was to create a dynamic and classic logo that represents the Visual Effects Society as continuingly projecting new ideas out into the world,” stated John Campagna. “Starting with the organization’s initials, the center of the “E” acts as the light source. After exploring many options, I selected the font, Univers Ultra Condensed designed in the early 1950’s, which is known for its ‘factual and cool elegance.’ Then these elements are balanced inside the industry-familiar cinemascope format.”

Fortunately, John was able to meet all of our requirements and then some. You can see more of their work at www.campagnadesign.com.

Election & Member Nomination Results
VES congratulates and welcomes the following new members to the VES Board:

       Jeff Barnes, President, Café FX
       Richard Edlund, ASC, VFX Supervisor & Producer
       Ian Hunter, Partner, New Deal Studios

       Click here to meet all the VES Board of Directors

VES would like to send a warm welcome to its newest members. For a list of those who have just joined VES click here. For a full list of all VES members, click here.

Power Circle Launch
VES is delighted to announce the launch of the Power Circle – our new business membership program. Click here to see our Founding Members, such as Café FX and Electronic Arts. These businesses are making a vital contribution to our non-profit organization as each membership dollar enables VES to expand our educational outreach throughout the entertainment industry, media and consumers-at-large and helps VES speak with a louder voice on issues we all care about. In return, they are afforded benefits such as "Job and Talent Listings,” Think-Tank dinners, educational events, and special discounts. To learn more about how your business can get connected, get informed and get seen, click here or contact Johanna Burlingham at 310-822-9181 or johanna@visualeffectssociety.com.

Website Re-Design
Coming soon to your computer screen will be the new and very improved VES website! Not only will our site feature a new design built around our new logo, we are also upgrading its database and merchant functionalities.

Members will soon be able to easily manage their contact information, as well as pay for dues and tickets without calling the office. We are adding a “Job and Talent Listings” section will be accessible by only individual and select Power Circle members. Additionally, signing up for screenings and events will happen with only a click of a mouse. Thanks to the awesome work of our new Webmaster, Nasi Peretz, some of these new features will go live in the next few weeks and the totally redesigned site is scheduled to be completed by February. Stay tuned for more website announcements!

Illusion Arts, Inc. Begins it’s 21st Year by Creating Effects for Lasse Hallstrom’s Casanova
In 1974, Bill Taylor and Syd Dutton were hired within a few months of each other by Al Whitlock to join his team at the Universal Studios Matte Department. Whitlock, the pre-eminent matte artist who had just won his first Oscar® for Earthquake, was about to take on The Hindenburg, Universal’s next disaster epic. He needed a cameraman with blue-screen expertise and an assistant matte artist. Taylor and Dutton fit the bill. The Hindenburg won Al his second Oscar® and the two continued to work for Al for the next ten years.

After Al’s retirement in 1984, Syd and Bill decided to strike out on their own as an independent facility, Illusion Arts Inc. Universal made it easy to buy the Department’s equipment and continues to this day as one of Illusion Arts’ most important clients.

The company started by specializing in matte paintings in the Whitlock tradition, evolving into the digital era by creating synthetic environments in three dimensions. Along the way, the company has created matte shots for three Martin Scorsese films, effects for The Fast and the Furious (including the night street race), hundreds of composites and animation effects for Bruce Almighty, designed and produced the Transylvanian castles and countryside for Van Helsing, and most recently, subtly transformed 20th century Venice to recreate the city that the real Casanova might recognize for Lasse Hallstrom’s Casanova.

The company’s history includes landmark shots like the 5-mile fly-in to Miami that begins The Birdcage and the Star Trek-First Contact pull-back from Picard’s eye to the gigantic interior of the Borg mothership. Download Illusion Arts 160+ Credits



New Deal Studios Celebrates 10 years in Business
New Deal Studios is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. In 1995 Matthew Gratzner, Ian Hunter, and Shannon Blake Gans collaborated to form Hunter/Gratzner Industries, Inc. a miniatures and mechanical effects company with an emphasis on design and engineering. Over the years the company has grown and evolved into New Deal Studios, a full service, design-to-delivery visual effects and production facility.


New Deal Studios recently added a digital division to round out the tools in its pallet. As a boutique, full service company they offer the quality and diversity of a big facility at competitive prices. The ingenuity, creativity and craftsmanship of the New Deal team has earned them a reputation as filmmakers, not just effects artists. By carefully balancing creative vision with solid management practices and the latest visual effects tools, they provide filmmakers with the highest quality resources and results.

New Deal is proud to have brought its talents to some of the finest visual effects sequences seen in motion pictures and commercials over the last decade.

Jacobs Joins Mr. X
Visual Effects Supervisor Evans Jacobs joined Toronto based Mr. X Visual Effects in April 2005 after spending two years at Digital Domain. He’s currently overseeing several projects for the studio including Silent Hill, Justice and The American Way.

Autodesk Acquires Alias - On October 4th, 2005, Autodesk announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Alias, a privately held developer of 3D graphics technology, for $182 million in cash. This acquisition will grow Autodesk’s expertise and offerings in the film and video, interactive games, media, Web, consumer products, industrial design, automotive, architecture and visualization markets. Autodesk anticipates that the transaction will close within the next four to six months.

Autodesk and Alias Fact Sheet: Autodesk and Alias Fact Sheet
Autodesk to acquire Alias FAQ: Questions and Answers related to acquisition

Spielberg on Jurassic Park 4 & Indy 4 - Director Steven Spielberg just participated in a Q&A at the University of Southern California where he gave updates on both Jurassic Park 4 and Indiana Jones 4. Here are several clips:

He is working with writers on the script to Jurassic Park 4 and says that there is going to be a big dinosaur sequence where a pack of motorcycles are forced to out run a bunch of Raptors. Spielberg said that just with the other films in the series, he's going to "cherry pick" certain scenes he loved from the books and include them in the new film.

Not much was said about Indiana Jones 4 except that Lucas and Nathanson are locked away writing the script, and that Harrison Ford will be returning. He did casually mention that Lucas wants to simultaneously release Indy 4 in 3-D.

3D Plans for King Kong Remake - Upcoming remake of King Kong could be shown in 3D, say reports. Director Peter Jackson's follow-up to the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings starring Naomi Watts and Adrien Brody, is due out in the US on December 14. California-based 3D post-production house In-Three is currently working on the film, said the Hollywood Reporter. The paper said a 3D version of King Kong was unlikely to be screened until after its initial release. The 3D process has been used in recent years on a number of films in Imax cinemas but some big name film-makers are embracing the trend.

Titanic director James Cameron has said his next film will be a futuristic 3D movie called Battle Angels. And Star Wars creator George Lucas is working on a number of 3D projects related to the sci-fi series. Another firm, Real-D, worked on transforming Disney's computer animated fable Chicken Little - the current US box office number one - into a separate 3D release.

Sony Imageworks Covers Jolie in Sensors - New pictures of dot covered Angelina Jolie on the set of Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf have surfaced.

The Columbia Pictures performance capture film is based on the Old English epic poem about a knight who slays a monster and becomes king.

The site, JustJared, says: “Angelina Jolie recently started work on Robert Zemeckis's animated film Beowulf. To ensure that every nuance of Angelina's every facial expression was recorded, over 150 sensors were strategically glued onto Angelina's face. Around 50 more sensors were added to Angeline's body suit to capture all of her movements from all angles. Each of these 200 sensors on Angelina's face mask and body suit recorded and layered a 3-D digital skin to use as a base for animators to work with.”

You can view the images at the link above. Ray Winstone, Crispin Glover, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Alison Lohman, Brendan Gleeson, Dominic Keating, Ric Young and Chris Coppola also star in the November 21, 2007 film, written by Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman.

See Angelina Mocap'd: http://justjared.blogspot.com/2005/11/angelina-jolie-beowulf.html

Visit George Lucas’s New Dream Factory - A look into the new ILM: http://www.lucasfilm.com/press/presidiopreview/

"Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination" In Photos - On Wednesday, October 26, 2005, the exhibit "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination" debuted at the Boston Museum of Science. A joint venture between the museum and Lucasfilm, the $5 million exhibit includes real props, costumes, and models from all six Star Wars movies. However, it's not just meant to be an exhibit for Star Wars fans, it's also meant to be a hands-on tool to inspire young people to take an interest in science and engineering.

See the exhibit in photos: http://techrepublic.com.com/2300-10877_11-5918647-1.html

VFX House Moves Into Hollywood’s El Capitan Theater - Look Effects, the Hollywood-based visual effects company whose credits include The Life Aquatic, The Passion of the Christ, Into the Blue, Malcolm in the Middle and CSI: NY, announced its expansion and relocation to new facilities inside Hollywood’s historic El Capitan Theater. Look Effects, renown for its visual effects work in feature film, television and commercial productions, selected the new location overlooking Hollywood Boulevard to better serve current and future clients in addition to the provision of greatly expanded work stations, larger edit bays, a client review/preview room, roomy conference and dining rooms, and the availability of a host of other client offerings and amenities absent at its prior headquarters.

New Location: Look Effects
6834 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 300
Hollywood, California, 90028

Indiana Jones 4 to Shoot Digitally? - Lately, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have been arguing over whether to shoot the fourth episode of Indiana Jones, one of the many projects on Spielberg's to-do list, in digital. "If anybody is able to get me to shoot on digital, George is the one," he says. "But do we want to evolve things to a clarity that is indistinguishable from real life? Movies suspend reality - suspend and extend reality. We're interpreters. If things get too clear, it won't look like there's an interpreter."

Autodesk Systems Roadshow
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas & Chicago

The Visual Effects Society and Autodesk Systems invite you to a cutting edge evening as Autodesk shows you the details of their latest and greatest systems. Registration for these events start at 5:30 p.m. Cocktails will be served following the sessions and there will be the opportunity to ask questions and mingle with your peers! Although this event is free, registration is required and space is limited. Register at med_ent@autodesk.com or by calling 1-800-869-3504.

Autodesk will demonstrate their state-of-the-art editing, effects, color-grading, and compositing solutions:

- Discreet. Smoke.7 - Powerful editing and finishing
- Discreet. Flame. - Legendary visual effects - now faster than ever
- Autodesk. Lustre. - Intuitive and interactive digital color correction
- Autodesk. Toxik. - Shaping the future with collaborative compositing

For all the Roadshow Info, click here

Sponsored by: IBM, Intel, nVIDIA, Max T and the Visual Effects Society

Visual Effects Society
The VES, a professional, honorary society, is dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community, and promoting industry recognition.