A new black and gold Spider-Man suit channels Eldritch magic.
On June 5, 1962, teenage angst accidentally combined with a radioactive arachnoid in a story published in Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Since then, there have been various incarnations of Spider-Man living in different dimensions, but the original one resides in New York City on Earth-616. Swinging from the comic-book page into the live-action domain, the Web Slinger first appeared on the children television show The Electric Company, with the mask and tights being donned by puppeteer and dancer Danny Seagren. Hollywood came knocking when Marvel sold the film rights to Cannon Films in 1985, and six years later James Cameron (The Terminator) submitted a 57-page scriptment. However, the ambition was undermined not by the Sinister Six but the financial collapse of the studio.
Multiverse chaos ensues when Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to turn back time and interrupts the spell.
Subsequently, Marvel licensed the film rights to Columbia Pictures in 1999, paving the way for Sam Raimi (Army of Darkness) and Tobey Maguire to create a trilogy, with Spider-Man 2 (2004) often being listed as one of the greatest comic book adaptations. In 2012, the franchise was relaunched as The Amazing Spider-Man with Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) and Andrew Garfield collaborating on a pair of installments. A dramatic shift occurred as the Marvel Cinematic Universe became a box-office juggernaut worthy of Thanos, and a deal was brokered between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment for Tom Holland to make his MCU debut as Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War (2016) as well as a solo venture under the direction of Jon Watts (Cop Car).
Jamie Foxx returns as Electro to cause some multiverse havoc.
“The concept art, previs and postvis has been essential when tackling a project like Spider-Man: No Way Home. We rely on such items as the initial stage to begin the digital builds, which can be quite time consuming. … [S]ince the assets from previous movies had been created years ago, most of these previous assets were used as a reference guide. Also, various visual effects elements associated with specific characters had to be re-developed, and some took on a different look per creative direction.”
—Chris Waegner, Visual Effects Supervisor, Sony Pictures Imageworks
Spider-Man: No Way Home concludes the MCU trilogy that features Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). The entire Hollywood cinematic history of the Wall Crawler becomes part of the storyline thanks to some ill-advised timeline tampering that unleashes the multiverse, thereby allowing the three big screen iterations of the franchise to merge into one blockbuster event. Unlike his reckless egocentric mentor, Tony Stark, the considerate and self-esteem-hampered Peter Parker had no intentions of revealing his secret to the world, but the right to do so was taken away from him when special effects artist turned villain Quentin Beck aka Mysterio frames the high schooler for his murder and reveals the true identity of Spider-Man.
One of the best performances in Spider-Man: No Way Home is Willem Dafoe reviving his role as the Green Goblin.
Adding to the quota of villains are Electro (Jamie Foxx), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Lizard (Rhys Ifans).
Unlike Spider-Man 2, which relied on mechanical arms being puppeteered for Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), Spider-Man: No Way Home made use of CG.
A tabloid maelstrom worthy of the British Royal Family is unleashed, leading to Parker’s every move being the subject of public scrutiny and, in the process, making his friends and family targets of retribution from his growing list of enemies. Wishing his secret had never been revealed, Parker seeks out someone with the same curiosity and willingness to put aside caution as Stark, master of the mystic arts Doctor Strange. The challenge and perilous risk of turning back time is irresistible to Strange, and has second thoughts about his request and disrupts the spell. As a result, separate dimensions collide together bringing forth a multiverse where the multiple variations of the same person can co-exist within the same space.
Someone with a unique perspective on the project is Sony Pictures Imageworks Visual Effects Supervisor Chris Waegner (Men in Black: International) who partnered with Marvel Studios Visual Effects Supervisor Kelly Port (Beauty and the Beast), as well as with Digital Domain, Framestore, Luma Pictures, Crafty Apes, MR. X, Cinesite, Gradient FX, Folks VFX, SSVFX, MARZ and Perception to produce 2,400 shots. Waegner was an uncredited technical adviser on Spider-Man, a lead character setup artist on Spider-Man 2, CG Supervisor on The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Digital Effects Supervisor on Spider-Man: Homecoming. Comments Waegner, “The opportunity of having worked with three great directors and their creative teams on all cinematic franchises has been a wonderful experience. It has given me a wealth of knowledge that I’ve brought with me to the latest instalment depicting the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
“Fortunately, some of these concepts [in the new film] had been explored and visually developed within previous films, creating a visual language that fans can relate to. These previous films have become a great source that we were able to build upon. Often times, this requires new workflows, techniques and specific software development to ensure we meet the creative demands of the creative team.”
—Chris Waegner, Visual Effects Supervisor, Sony Pictures Imageworks
Like Webb, Jon Watts made a name for himself as an indie filmmaker with the crime thriller Cop Car (2015), revolving around two 10-years-olds taking an abandoned cop car for a joyride only to be pursued by a sheriff looking for the missing vehicle. Marvel Studios has gotten in the habit of choosing those with a proven indie track record rather than established Hollywood directors. One theory for this is that Marvel Studios can exert more control over the production, while others suggest that it has to do with the ability for indie filmmakers to develop empathetic characters which are what immerse audience members in the storyline, not the visual effects spectacles. “Jon Watts is very passionate about the story he’s telling and his characters,” notes Waegner. “He’s collaborative and at times will even act out specific actions he feels are important for these characters.” Watts has collaborated through the trilogy with The LEGO Batman Movie screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, twice with Special Effects Supervisor Daniel Sudick (Ant-Man and the Wasp), and welcomed Production Designer Darren Gilford (The King’s Man) and Cinematographer Mauro Fiore (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) into the fold.
An overseer of the overall aesthetic of the MCU since Iron Man (2008) is Ryan Meinerding, Head of Visual Development, Marvel Studios. Upwards of 200 to 300 designs can be done for a character in the MCU before settling on the final version. “One of the fun parts of my job is the notion of knowing that the Iron Man suit could mean something different in the next movie, and figuring out how to make the character design a storytelling opportunity. Sometimes the storytelling is not that important, like the notion of Tony Stark’s armor getting more advanced. However, in other occasions, Captain America is wearing a shield outfit instead of a Captain America costume because he has left behind some of the patriotism that had been part of his previous looks.”
The web slinging and crawling techniques for Spider-Man get more refined with each film.
“The characters themselves all have their own unique style of VFX associated with their abilities. Since this franchise spans across many years, VFX styles for specific characters had to be reinvented, and in some cases refined/changed in order to craft a look toward Jon’s vision. Dr Otto Octavious had a small team associated just to him in order to resurrect the same visual demands with our modern software and pipeline. It was important to the filmmakers and fans that he literally matched to the previous movie.”
—Chris Waegner, Visual Effects Supervisor, Sony Pictures Imageworks
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) unleashes the Astral Form of Spider-Man (Tom Holland), which is when the soul exists outside of the body in a parallel dimension.
The Iron Spider Suit makes an appearance featuring a red, blue and gold color palette as well as the high-tech mechanical iron spider arms and nanobots that result in a quick suit transformation. “The concept art, previs and postvis has been essential when tackling a project like Spider-Man: No Way Home,” remarks Waegner. “We rely on such items as the initial stage to begin the digital builds, which can be quite time consuming.” For the most part, adds Waegner, the visual effects created for the previous films were not leveraged, as the technology is constantly evolving. “In some cases, yes, but since the assets from previous movies had been created years ago, most of these previous assets were used as a reference guide. Also, various visual effects elements associated with specific characters had to be re-developed, and some took on a different look per creative direction.”
Magic and the multiverse had their own unique technical challenges. “Concepts like the multiverse require quite a bit of visual research on many levels,” states Waegner. “It’s very important to create something the audience can relate to and is visually fresh. Hours have been spent going through visual media, which can be scientifically-based art concepts and found media, to help create images that are special to the show.” Adding an element of surrealism is the Astral Form, Eldritch magic, portals and Mandelbroting associated with Doctor Strange, leading to the various dimensional versions of the train sequence taking place at the same time. “Fortunately,” says Waegner, “some of these concepts had been explored and visually developed within previous films, creating a visual language that fans can relate to. These previous films have become a great source that we were able to build upon.” Most films requiring high-concept, intense visual effects will need development. “Often times,” Waegner observes, “this requires new workflows, techniques and specific software development to ensure we meet the creative demands of the creative team.
“Sony Picture Imageworks completed approximately 600 shots and many digital assets, with a production time of 10 months,” continues Waegner. “The digital scope of this show is quite vast. We shared many of our digital assets and several were shared with us. Modern software and technology have allowed the ‘shared asset’ concept to work much smoother these days between different VFX facilities.”
A major part of the visual effects centers around the supernatural powers. “The characters themselves all have their own unique style of VFX associated with their abilities,” states Waegner. “Since this franchise spans across many years, VFX styles for specific characters had to be reinvented, and in some cases refined/changed in order to craft a look toward Jon’s vision.” Digital effects have come such a long way that the practical arms which were puppeteered during the making of Spider-Man 2 for Doc Ock are now a CG creation, and de-aging has become a standard practice for the MCU. Says Waegner, “Dr. Otto Octavious had a small team associated just to him in order to resurrect the same visual demands with our modern software and pipeline. It was important to the filmmakers and fans that he literally matched to the previous movie.”
“Having worked on all the previous films, our web slinging and crawling techniques seem to get more refined with each film. In this case some small refinements were implemented achieving the same great results. The efficiencies in this area allowed the team to focus on other needs for the show.”
—Chris Waegner, Visual Effects Supervisor, Sony Pictures Imageworks
There can be no Spider-Man without web shootings, webbing and gravity-defying action. “Having worked on all the previous films, our web slinging and crawling techniques seem to get more refined with each film,” notes Waegner. “In this case some small refinements were implemented achieving the same great results. The efficiencies in this area allowed the team to focus on other needs for the show.”
If Spider-Man: No Way Home can channel the critical and box-office success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, one can expect more multiverse scenarios populating the MCU, as it will literally allow for different dimensions of characters to be explored which will result in unlimited storytelling possibilities. “On a show like this,” says Waegner, “the biggest challenge is to always meet the visual needs of our director and the adoring fans. There’s such a deep rich history with these characters and their individual stories throughout the entire franchise. It’s our responsibility to raise the bar and set a new standard for the franchise.”
2,400 visual effects shots were produced with the magic and the multiverse creating their own set of creative and technical challenges.
Special effects team lead Gerd Nefzer created 300 palm leaves that were later engulfed in flames for a brief scene in Dune. (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
The only James Bond outings to receive Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects were Thunderball and Moonraker, with No Time to Die looking to add to the total. (Image courtesy of EON Productions, United Artists Releasing and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios)
An action adventure about rival fishermen was the first to be acknowledged for outstanding achievement in creating Special Photographic and Sound Effects. The legacy started by Spawn of the North (1938) at the 10th Academy Awards would later see the two different crafts be given their own separate categories with Emil Kosa Jr. receiving the Best Special Visual Effects Award for Cleopatra at the 36th Academy Awards. A sign of what was to come occurred in 1979 when five rather than the usual three nominees vied for the renamed Best Visual Effects Award with two being the first installments of major cinematic franchises: Alien (the winner) and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Five nominees became the standard when Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb took center stage at the Kodak Theatre for Inception.
The past three winners First Man (2018), 1917 (2019) and Tenet (2020) have been rewarded for their ability to seamlessly blend practical and digital effects rather than being pure CG spectacle. As for what to expect at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022 predictions have been complicated by theatrical release dates being like moving targets with an expected nominee Top Gun: Maverick being jettisoned to 2022 while Venom: Let There be Carnage was moved up a couple of weeks. The only certainty is uncertainty. So here, after consulting a number of industry experts to get even a faint pulse of what might happen when the nominees are announced on February 8 are the best guesses for best effects.
One has to wonder what would have happened if Ridley Scott had not left the original production of Dune for family reasons and been replaced by David Lynch. But then Blade Runner would not have come into existence. Serving as a bridge between ‘what if’ and what actually happened is Denis Villeneuve, who directed the sequel Blade Runner 2049, which went on to win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 2017, and got to make his teenage aspiration of re-directing Dune a reality. The story revolves around a spice with supernatural properties, blue-eyed desert inhabitants, giant sandworms, insectoid vehicles, a manipulative galactic empire and a messiah.
Jason Reitman follows in the paranormal footsteps of his father, Ivan Reitman, in bringing Ghostbusters: Afterlife to the big screen. (Image courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
There is a possibility that only covering half of the first book, as well as aspects of the narrative making their way into Star Wars, might work against the production. However, the term ‘visionary’ is not used haphazardly when describing Villeneuve, who is able to create epic worlds that do not overshadow the trials and tribulations of the characters. His emphasis on naturalism, which is built upon real locations and sets that are digitally augmented, will avoid the campy and outdated effects that plagued Lynch, and pave the way to Oscar glory for a second time.
What are going to be the contenders that could possibly usurp House Atreides? Marvel Studios has made a heroic effort with the Phase 4 release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals. Marvel Studios President and COO Kevin Feige has a developed reputation for what are seen to be risky projects that turn out to be box office gold with the prime example being Guardians of the Galaxy, which received one of the 10 Oscar nominations for the MCU when it comes to visual effects; however, the comic book empire that Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko built has yet to see that translated into a win. Shang-Chi features Destin Daniel Cretton utilizing the crowd-pleasing bar-brawling of Captain America with the iconic Vibranium shield replaced by magical bracelets.
The fight choreography is elevated by paying homage to the death-defying Hong Kong action films that pride themselves on showmanship. Much has been said about the bus and scaffolding fights that embody the mischievous spirit and determination of Jackie Chan, which is a welcomed addition to the MCU. As for Eternals, Chloé Zhao follows the Villeneuve philosophy of naturalism and the avoidance of vibrant, saturated colors. She is essentially dealing with celestial beings echoing the Gods of Olympus, with the major exception being that their view of the world comes from ground-level rather than a mountaintop.
Also, banking on the popularity of comic book adaptations is Sony Pictures which has partnered with Marvel Studios on Spider-Man: No Way Home (2018) and gone solo with Venom: Let There be Carnage.
Not surprisingly, epic visuals were created for the rematch between iconic kaiju in Godzilla vs. Kong. (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
Jungle Cruise channels the African Queen via Pirates of the Caribbean, which was also inspired by a theme park ride. (Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios)
By taking cues from Hong Kong martial arts films, the fight sequences in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings rise above what has been seen before in the MCU. (Image courtesy of Marvel Studios)
Doctor Strange brings some of his magic to Spider-Man: No Way Home, such as summoning the astral form of Peter Parker. (Image courtesy of Sony Pictures)
Symbiotes reign supreme with serial killer Cletus Kasady making a pact with the main adversary in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. (Image courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
A dream becomes a reality as Steven Spielberg finally gets to make a musical with his remake of West Side Story. (Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Studios)
For the sheer fun factor and nostalgia appeal, the edge has to be given to the quick-witted Web Slinger from New York City. If Jon Watts can capture even half of the innovative and narrative craftmanship exhibited in the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, that will go a long way to satisfying the masses and Academy voters. Just the thought of the various cinematic incarnations of Peter Parker and his adversaries appearing together for the first time is enough to spark giggles of glee, but is also a recipe for utter disaster like Spider-Man 3 which was riddled with the ‘way too many characters’ syndrome despite being directed Sam Raimi.
For the adult crowd craving an R rating rather than a PG13, have no fear as the symbiote that debuted in Spider-Man 3 has gained enough popularity to warrant the Venom sequel directed by Andy Serkis. The true act of wizardry has been the ability to create the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dynamic without obscuring the performance of Tom Hardy as a mild-mannered investigative journalist having to share his body with an aggressive and perpetually hungry alien parasite. Undoubtedly, the blood and gore factor will be upped as a serial killer portrayed by Woody Harrelson gets infected and fully embraces the opportunity to greatly increase his sociopathic mayhem.
Godzilla vs. Kong, Jungle Cruise and The Suicide Squad would make an interesting threesome battle. The safe bet would be Adam Wingard’s rematch between the iconic Kaiju that became a cultural institution in Japan and later to the entire world. Interestingly, the original King Kong (1933) sparked the discussion about establishing a visual effects award with producer David O. Selznick petitioning the Academy Board of Governors to recognize the groundbreaking work of animator Willis O’Brien. It is a testimony to how far the digital technology has matured that a project like this required no major pipeline overhaul and the artists could focus more on crafting the performances of the creatures. Jungle Cruise by Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra takes place in an African Queen setting and mixes together the Oscar-winning effects of Life of Pi and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest by bringing to life a photorealistic leopard and living-dead buccaneers. When it comes to The Suicide Squad, what is there not to love about Sylvester Stallone voicing a giant shark that is an aquatic manifestation of Rocky Balboa with a much lower IQ and treats his opponents as edible snacks? James Gunn has done a great job in the past of integrating CG characters into the principal cast, in particular a monosyllabic anthropomorphic tree.
Considering the harsh critical reaction to the two sequels, it is hard to imagine Lana Wachowski returning to the franchise that launched her blockbuster career, unlike her sister Lilly who decided to take the blue pill this time around. The Matrix was lauded with an Oscar, while Reloaded (2003) and Revolutions (2003) were not even nominated despite being a training ground for a lot of the top visual effects talent in the industry today. The Matrix Resurrections brings Neo and Trinity back to life by having Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss return to their signature roles. The storytelling ambitions of the Wachowskis always go way beyond the realm of what is physically possible, which means that Reeves and Moss will be surrounded and supported by boundary-pushing technology.
James Gunn is no stranger when it comes to incorporating CG characters into the principal cast, such as the monosyllabic King Shark voiced by Sylvester Stallone in The Suicide Squad. (Image courtesy of Warner Bros.)
David Lowery deserves credit for re-imagining an Arthurian legend on an independent budget that features a talking fox, walking giants and a defiant tree adversary in The Green Knight. (Image courtesy of A24)
Defying their AI overlords, Neo and Trinity resurface once again in The Matrix Resurrections. (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
Another franchise revival has become a family affair as Jason Reitman follows in the footsteps of his father, Ivan Reitman, with the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Homages have been woven into visuals with miniature rather than skyscraper-sized Stay Puft Marshmallow Men making an appearance along with Slimer, an ominous thunderstorm, and the station wagon emblazoned with the Ghostbusters logo. Despite the supernatural premise, both Reitmans use visual effects to heighten the dramatic and comedic situations that reveal something about their characters.
Visual effects are not only found in the action and science fiction genres as they assisted Steven Spielberg in fulfilling his ambition of shooting a musical with his remake of the West Side Story; the closest for him previously was the opening sequence in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). There will be no digital doubles or massive explosions to be simulated, but expect invisible environmental work to get the necessary size and scope that will enhance the already gorgeous cinematography by Janusz Kaminski.
For the outlier that might surprise everybody, David Lowery took the time during the pandemic lockdown to re-edit The Green Knight and added another 60 visual effects shots. The work consists of a talking fox, a tree-like adversary, wandering giants and fantastical landscapes done with an indie budget. That in itself is a major feat worth celebrating.
We regularly hear about the incredible artistry inside visual effects studios to pull off final shots. But a key step in the VFX component not always discussed is the intricate concept, design and visualization processes carried out within visual effects studios, which often helps shape the particular story being told.
In this roundtable discussion, representatives from Framestore, ILM, Pixomondo, Scanline VFX, Technicolor Creative Studios, TRIXTER and Weta Digital break down their role in this story-shaping process, especially within their internal art departments.
THE PROCESS BEGINS
Daniel Matthews, Concept Artist, TRIXTER: “We will get our very first brief via our internal supervisor on a project, who distills a short, open ‘TL;DR’ version of what’s been discussed with the client. This minimal brief helps us to keep our creativity totally free-flowing, and allows us to cast the widest net possible for ideas. It gives us the freedom to mess up – which is a fantastic thing as an artist – and get bad ideas out of our system. It allows us to brainstorm and build on each other’s ideas as a team. At this stage, ‘happy little accidents’ can happen which often work their way into the final result.”
Mujia Liao, Head of Virtual Art Department/Art Director, Pixomondo Toronto: “Generally, we create mood boards, sketches, illustrations and key art frames that describe a particular moment in the show to help drive the direction for other departments to follow. Aside from creating designs from scratch, we collaborate closely with the asset department. We create paint-overs on renders for quick design changes, mocking up texture/color variations, as well as provide reference photography to help the asset team look dev the character/creature/environment.”
James Clyne, Senior Visual Effects Art Director, ILM: “I don’t think there is a part of the production pipeline that ILM’s art department doesn’t touch. The department is involved in ‘blue sky’ conceptual designs, working directly with the director or with the production designer, sometimes just with the studio. Then we’re involved in everything from character design to vehicle design, prop design, environments and creatures. I think VFX has also allowed filmmakers to make some of the design decisions a little later because we can actually tackle some of those design decisions in post-production like we couldn’t before.”
Martin Macrae, Head of Art Department, Framestore: “As well as designing for projects internally, we’re also able to work independently on projects that don’t necessarily come through the company’s VFX team. Another part of what we do is to help directors put a pitch package together for studio presentations to help get a film greenlit. This will involve discussions with the director to try and establish their vision for the film, taking extracts from early drafts of the script, if there’s one ready, and creating concept art for film beats that evoke the right look and feel for key scenes in the story.”
Leandre Lagrange, Art Director, Technicolor Creative Studios: “We often get pulled in for greenlighting a project. At that point there is no VFX involved at all. Either we’re being reached out to by studios or we already have a VFX supervisor attached to the project who invites us to create images as a pitch to do the final shots. There are lots of different roles we play.”
Jelmer Boskma, Visual Effects Supervisor and Art Director, Scanline VFX: “There have been projects where we were involved early enough to help establish the look and influence the shoot in a way that complemented our ideas and designs wonderfully. Obviously, this is particularly beneficial to us as we can ensure thelighting and general shot setups will translate well later in post. Just as common, though, is for our design services to be requested at a later stage during production. It’s not uncommon for a director to have a change of heart with regards to a certain design, or to find the production’s art department to have simply ran out of time to fully flesh out an idea.”
Sidney Kombo-Kintombo, Animation Supervisor, Weta Digital: “I’m an animation supervisor, but I do lots of previs as well now. It’s even sometimes previs at the end, in the post-production process. It can be previs, postvis and shots all melded into one thing. For example, Marvel always comes up a very strong concept of what they want – ‘Let’s have a dogfight in a canyon.’ They’ll have super-strong art development. But then the missing link is the connection between that strong concept design art and the thrill of the visual. It’s basically taking the strong concept that already exists and adding all the little elements that make that concept visually as interesting as it can be.”
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
James Clyne, ILM: “There are many applications that we use. I would say Photoshop is probably the most dominant, but there’s a lot of 3D applications from Maya to Modo that people are using every day. The strength lies in not just being really good at one thing, but being pretty proficient at not only 2D drawing, but 3D model modelling as well, and being able to do rapid sketching, all the way up to doing photorealistic environments.”
Martin Macrae, Framestore: “It’s a very organic process, every project is done in its own unique way with no set ways to get things done. Artists can use whatever means they need to get an idea out, be it a pencil sketch or a 3D sketch – it doesn’t really matter what tools they use. Concept artists need to be flexible in the way they work as the creative idea is the most important thing to get out, so they have access to any software they need to use. When it comes to software the trend now seems to be Photoshop and Blender, but, again, anything goes.”
Daniel Matthews, TRIXTER: “Some of my colleagues like to explore 3D with Blender or ZBrush, or even using 3D fractals like Mandelbulbs as a base for their concept art. However, I prefer to start out with free-flow using Photoshop and sketches, which sometimes allows happy accidents to occur. If I want to explore 3D, it’s usually with cool software called 3D Coat.”
Jelmer Boskma, Scanline VFX: “Some artists are more comfortable working in 3D and are able to provide high quality iterations in a highly economic manner that way. Others rely more on their traditional drawing and painting skills to communicate ideas. Certain tasks call for a specific approach, but, in general, whatever gets the job done well in a quick and organized manner wins. Whether that is through painting in Photoshop, sculpting in ZBrush, photo-bashing, a rough 3D render, a mock-up in SketchUp, or most commonly a combination of all of the above.”
Leandre Lagrange, Technicolor: “We do create a lot of FX simulations with 3D tools such as Blender and Vectron to give us a base to work from. With painting skills and photo-manipulations, there’s quite a lot that you can do for concepting those. It’s preferable not to have a Houdini artist go into it on their own and start shooting in the dark because it’s very time consuming and it’s so heavy. The idea is we’re giving them a look and feel and some direction, and then they can work with that. As it goes on, they can create more and more accurate FX simulations based on the images that we create. We have a close relationship with VFX artists for that type of complex FX work.”
Sidney Kombo-Kintombo, Weta Digital: “I storyboard a lot. I always try to have a really quick visual sketch of what I’m after. So Photoshop is a big part of it, just like any concept artist will do. But right after that it’s straight into Maya [for previs or postvis]. The best way to make sure that you’re not going to hit any hiccups is to make sure that you are doing this in the software package that will be used ultimately for the shots.”
KEY PROJECTS, KEY CHALLENGES
Daniel Matthews, TRIXTER: “The photostatic veil in Black Widow stayed in the refinement stage for a long time. As they say, 20% of the work takes 80% of the time. We had a rough idea of the look we were aiming for, but of course we wanted to make something new, exciting and as good as possible. The idea was to make this mask look like one of those peel-off self-care masks, with the ability to make the wearer look like someone else entirely. There was also the matter of finding the right shapes. In the end, we settled for the hexagon pattern, which fans say is a shape that features heavily in the Marvel Universe. We definitely get it – hexagons look great, have a futuristic tech-y feel and fit together neatly.”
Jelmer Boskma, Scanline VFX: “We worked on designs for Mysterio’s smokey FX appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home. We provided concept illustrations in which we tried to capture the look and feel of the effect as much as possible within the constraints of a still image. For FX like these, illustrations only provide part of the solution. Much of the final design is based on the motion, timing and behavior of the simulation. We find that approaching design challenges like this from multiple angles is essential to finding the answer for a director. As a general principle, we like to instill as much real-world reference and logic into any design to give the idea a grounding in reality.”
Sidney Kombo-Kintombo, Weta Digital: “On the canyon chase in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we tried to see what we couldchange in the original design of the canyon to make that a more thrilling experience. The first thing I do is go to dogfight reference – Star Wars comes to mind, and Japanese anime. We say, ‘How can we make this interesting?’ I try to come up with the idea for the sequence first and then the environment that makes that idea shine. We rebuilt the canyon from scratch. We did that in the animation department. Usually, the build comes out of modeling and layout, but here it was more a rough model of blocks of rocks done in the animation stage. Animation then passed it back to modeling who adjusted it. It’s a different way of creating the same type of work.”
Leandre Lagrange, Technicolor: “For Prometheus, some of our pieces of artwork were actually concepted by an artist who had a digital matte painting (DMP) background. So, they would actually end up being projected and used in the final VFX shots in the film. Then on Godzilla: King of the Monsters, for example, we worked on an image of Rodan emerging from a volcano. For that we used a design that was already done by Amalgamated Dynamics. We used their design and then built on top of that to make an image. That was more about making a key frame.”
Mujia Liao, Pixomondo: “On The Mandalorian, we worked on several environments on the planet of Arvala-7, a very barren, desert-like planet covered in wet mud, home to creatures like the iconic Blurrgs. I turned to what I knew best and ended up matte painting the looks we needed for approval. We looked closely at a large number of deserts and found some good images of Atacama Desert after rainfall, although none really provided us with the level of detail we needed. Our CG Supervisor, Winrik Haentjens, then came across this area in Toronto’s Scarborough Bluffs with snow that was just starting to melt, creating these streams that flowed across a muddy surface, giving us some beautiful natural-looking erosion shapes. We took lots of photos of that area and created photogrammetry of the details, and that became the foundation to the closeup areas of Arvala.”
Sidney Kombo-Kintombo, Animation Supervisor, Weta Digital
Mujia Liao, Head of Virtual Art Department/Art Director, Pixomondo Toronto
Leandre Lagrange, Head of Art Department, Technicolor Creative Studios
Daniel Matthews, Concept Artist, TRIXTER
James Clyne, Senior Visual Effects Art Director, ILM
A New Dawn in the VFX Art Department
The rise of virtual production has introduced many chang- es to the way visual effects studios operate. LED volume and stage work in particular require some of the final pixel VFX shot work to be carried out upfront – before shooting – rather than traditionally in post.
This means that some production companies and visual effects studios have now launched virtual art departments, or VADs. For example, Weta Digital established a VAD-like department out of work on Avatarand Tintin, with a formal VAD on TheBFG, while Lucasfilm and ILM ramped up a VAD with TheMandalorian. Other studios such as Pixomondo have followed suit.
“With the same emphasis in visual development and pre-production, the VAD focuses on not only design but creation of real-time assets from initial lookdev to produc- tion-ready models and environments for virtual production,” details Mujia Liao, Head of Virtual Art Department/Art Director at Pixomondo Toronto.
“We process practical scans and create custom assets to block out initial environments, allowing our clients to do virtual scouts and pre-light early on. In addition to the pre- liminary environment build, the VAD will also supply close to final key visuals by over-painting and hand-off design packages including photographic references and mood boards. This design package and early environment build sets a solid foundation for our virtual production and VFXteams to take further into fully realized worlds.”
Martin Macrae, Framestore: “Blade Runner 2049 was a definite highlight for all of us. For Vegas, we worked initially from designs coming from the production designer and Syd Mead sketches, and working closely with VFX we set to work designing everything from large buildings right down to street-level details, also designing the spinner drone that flew over the city – everything was thought out. We generated hundreds of sketches, paintings and 3D models, all with the purpose to help finalize a look for this sequence so the Montreal team could generate the final shots. As an art department we worked on Blade Runner for over a year and loved every second of it!”
James Clyne, ILM: “On The Last Jedi we had to design this bomber. We were asking ourselves, what is a Star Wars bomber? How does that work in space? I started developing something that had a vertical bomb bay rather than a typical horizontal one. The director, Rian Johnson, said, ‘I like the idea, but you’re going to have to really show me that it works.’ So we went back to the drawing board and did drawings and models of it. It was story driving the design rather than the design driving the story. Through discussions and weeks and weeks building out what this could be, it became what you saw in the movie, which was amazing.”
Lynwen Brennan, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Lucasfilm.
Looking at the responsibilities of Lucasfilm Executive Vice President & General Manager Lynwen Brennan, which involves overseeing Lucasfilm, ILM and Skywalker Sound, one could imagine her head spinning around in bewilderment, but via Zoom she has a ready smile and good sense of humor. “Sometimes it does feel like that! I have an amazing team that helps to keep me on track.”
San Francisco is half a world away from Tenby, Wales where Brennan was the youngest of three born to two school teachers. “It’s as far away from Heathrow Airport as you could possibly get on that island. Everybody knows everybody. My childhood was spent either in the harbor, on the beach or on a boat. My dad was a larger-than-life personality. I got my drive and values of being respectful and interested in other people from him. My mum was definitely the organizer and her work ethic is a thing to behold even now at the age of 84.”
Music rather than movies had a big influence on the family. “My sister and niece are music teachers,” states Brennan, who is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. “Those experiences of playing in orchestras and being involved in a team at such an early age, having those social experiences and having that self-motivation to do your part and practice were hugely important. I play the piano every day. It was the first instrument that I learned. I played the violin and viola in the orchestra, which I still play but not well.” Tenby had one cinema that has since closed down. “I was a [Girl Guide] Brownie when my father took us to see Jaws. Bear in mind I was in a coastal town and spent my whole life on a boat. I was terrified to go into the sea or to even have a bath for ages afterwards! That was the first one I remember going to see. Watching movies became a social thing with friends. When there was a good movie on terrestrial TV, we would get together to watch it. When we were able to get VHS tapes, I watched E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Grease over and over again. Then I got into wanting to actually understand more about movies and what I should be watching, like Casablanca and Citizen Kane.”
Her career path to the movie industry was paved by accidents. “I did biology and geography at the University of London and specialized more on the ecology side,” remarks Brennan. “I was interested in the history behind human behavior and how that leads to either sustainable land use practices or environmental damage. I had intended to take a year off after university and return to do a Masters or PhD or go into law.
Brennan with ILM leadership team Hal Hickel and John Knoll posing with the Oscars and VES Awards won by ILM.
The week after I graduated, I went to a local theme park with some friends and fell off of a rollercoaster. It took me about a year to learn how to walk again. In that time my brother, who had been working in broadcast television graphics, had an idea to do some software for film visual effects. He was thinking about setting up Parallax Software and asked me if I would help him. There were only five us in the beginning. I was doing everything from hiring people, payroll, customer support, marketing, public relations, office management to sales. About nine months later, we went to our first tradeshow and Doug Smythe at ILM was looking for the type of paint and roto software that we had created, called Matador. ILM was our first customer and Jurassic Park was the first film that they used it on. I remember sitting in the theater, seeing that Brontosaurus walk onto the screen, and thinking, ‘This is what I’m going to do, and I’m going to work at ILM one day.’”
Parallax Software was sold to Avid Technology in 1995. “I stayed there for two years and was then asked to work for Alias Wavefront for a period of time,” recalls Brennan. “Cliff Plumer, who had worked at Parallax with us, was at ILM and called me about an entry level job and asked if I wanted to assist them to gear up for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. I thought, ‘I’ll do that for six months and then go back to the U.K.’ That was 22 years ago and I’m still here. Much has and hasn’t changed, which is the way we like it at ILM. I started as a Technical Area Leader for the Computer Graphics Technical Directors. A lot of the time then was hiring artists and figuring out how to scale the crewing systems that we had to handle multiple shows at one time. As things began consolidating, growing and requiring efficiency within the way that we ran the computer graphics side of things, I organically absorbed new responsibilities. I worked my way through the entire pipeline. Eventually, while I was on maternity leave, Chrissie England told me that she was intending to retire and would like me to take on the presidency [of ILM]. I would have a nice ramp in to learn the ropes from her, and she was generous with her contacts and training me on how to work with clients to get their visions on the screen.”
A radical shift had to be made to the business model of ILM as global tax incentives as high as 40% became important in attracting clients. “We grew our Singapore office, pivoted away from games and animation, and focused that team on full pipeline visual effects,” explains Brennan. “This was right around the time of the acquisition by Disney, and George Lucas brought Kathleen Kennedy in.
Brennan with the Marvel Studios leadership team of Victoria Alonso, Peyton Reed, Kevin Feige and Joe Russo.
Brennan is interviewed by Andi Gutierrez of The Star Wars Show during the 2019 “Star Wars Celebration” in Chicago.
The Tech Building of Skywalker Sound, located at Skywalker Ranch in Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, California.
The Perfect Storm was a project that nearly brought ILM to its knees.
The advancements in digital effects have come along way from Star Wars, which was entirely optical, to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which features CG spaceships.
We were going to make movies again, and wherever shooting was taking place we had to make sure that ILM had a studio there. We expanded into London, Vancouver and more recently to Sydney. That was a huge shift from a management perspective to figure out how do you scale as a global company and keep the DNA that is ILM, but also allow those studios to have a unique character. How do you share work across shots, sequences or shows between studios in different time zones? Also, how do we keep our San Francisco studio feeling energized that its not their jobs going away, and when we’re saying that we are committed to staying in California, we really mean it. San Francisco is as big now as it was then. The part that hasn’t changed is the spirit of loving impossible things, and we’ll figure it out together. John Knoll always says, ‘A good idea is always a good idea no matter where it comes from.’ That is the mantra of ILM. I love that constant striving to push the envelope and to do better. There is never a sense that we know it all, and you can sit back and rest on your laurels.”
“Everybody in visual effects knows that it is not an easy business to run and stay profitable,” observes Brennan. “You have to have a clear vision of what is your North Star. We want to be putting images on the screen that delight audiences and enthuse our clients. We want to be delivering to our directors things that are even better than what they had already imagined. We also want to be looking for work that isn’t just what we’ve done over and over again. We do 15 projects at one time right now, so not everything is something that we haven’t done before, but there is probably an element of it in everything that we do. I will often say when wehave taken on something that is hard and the financials are looking scary, ‘Remember why we took it on.’ You’re looking ahead of what you’re going to need, what the problems are, trying to solve them in advance, and you move things around in the company as you need to.
A scene from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Brennan’s first job at ILM was as a Technical Area Leader for the Computer Graphics Technical Directors.
Brennan joined ILM as Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was about to begin production.
The gamble of relying on StageCraft paid off for the production of The Mandalorian.
We have amazing producers who are making sure that we are focusing the resources on where the problems are going to be. Also try to minimize the amount of time that you waste. If we have a full pipeline, there is a lot of leeway in terms of efficiency. If you don’t have a full pipeline, then you lose money very quickly over the year.”
Brennan is fascinated by the Music and Sound Design Lab that Skywalker Sound does in partnership with the Sundance Institute. “One of the things I love about Skywalker Sound is when they take a scene and do different takes on the audio, whether that be different editing or mix or music, and how you feel differently depending on what the sound choices are made; it brings to the forefront how important sound is. Lucasfilm’s films and series are places where sound have shone, and have been celebrated and noticed by the general audience.” Skywalker Sound works on 200 projects each year. “Some of the tools have changed and the ability to work remotely as freelancers. Not everything has to be done on a big mix stage; that has enabled some expansion and democratization of the sound industry. But when you go to Skywalker Sound there is so much that hasn’t changed. It is so much about collaboration and experimentation.”
Everything is done holistically from the storytelling to business decisions. “We think about what stories we are going to tell on all of these different platforms,” remarks Brennan. “Assets from ILM, our console games and ILMxLAB live in a central platform so there is a playbox that we can work with. Utilizing game and real-time technology, whether that would be Unreal Engine in combination with our own real-time engine Helios, we use the best tool for the job. Because virtual production demands for us to push the envelope in terms of the visual fidelity and the interactivity that is needed to move the camera and manipulate in real-time, it has helped us to be able to think beyond that and how entertainment might evolve.
The Jedi known as F summons the Force in Star Wars: Visions episode “The Village Bride,” animated by Kinema Citrus.
Brennan is responsible for marketing the various franchises of Lucasfilm, which includes establishing a creative partnership with anime studios to produce Star Wars: Visions.
“I’m excited about where the future could go,” she continues. “Having various platforms to tell nuanced and targeted stories for different audiences and genres opens up the playfield so widely. Then also our job is to be good stewards of that so that we open it up in a thoughtful way. There is variety, but it’s not confusing, overwhelming or too much. The quality always has to stay high, which is Kathleen Kennedy’s mantra. The fact that we also have Skywalker Sound, ILM and ILMxLAB means that we have this creative community within Lucasfilm that we can bring to bear for our directors.”
Grogu becoming the breakout star on The Mandalorian was immensely satisfying for Brennan.
A huge moment for Brennan was the production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Several career highlights stand out for different reasons. “I still remember that moment of walking through the door,” recalls Brennan. “Of my years at ILM, the projects that I remember are the ones which were really hard because we were doing something new and difficult. The Perfect Storm nearly brought us to our knees! You come out of that with this amazing sense of commandry. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was definitely a huge moment to be part of. The Mandalorian was another one of those moments. When we went all in on StageCraft, we didn’t know if it was going to work. Then to see how the series was embraced. Seeing Dave Filoni do live-action directing was a wonderful highlight as well. Even the decisions around Grogu, where we were part of a secret and couldn’t wait for the audience to see him. He went so beyond what we had hoped. There are so many highlights. I’ve been incredibly lucky with my career and the people I work with.”
Images courtesy of Lionsgate and Centropolis Entertainment.
Director Roland Emmerich on the set of Moonfall. (Photo: Reiner Bajo/Lionsgate)
Whether it be an alien invasion in Independence Day, a raging Kaiju in Godzilla or the environmental catastrophe of The Day After Tomorrow, German filmmaker Roland Emmerich has gained a reputation of being able to destroy the world in creative ways. The cinematic tradition is carried over into Moonfall where a mysterious force knocks our lunar neighbor out of orbit and on a collision course with Earth. It is up to NASA executive Jo Fowler (Halle Berry), astronaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) and conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman (John Bradley) to save the day, and in the process of doing so they make a surprising cosmic discovery. Reuniting the team behind Midway, which includes Production Designer Kirk M. Petruccelli (The Space Between Us), Visual Effects Supervisor Peter G. Travers (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Special Effects Supervisor Guillaume Murray (Crisis), Emmerich has crafted a $140-million independently-funded action-adventure with a cerebral twist.
A different global disaster occurred during pre-production in Montreal as the pandemic caused the project to temporarily shutdown. “When I prepared the movie, I had 74 days to shoot, but then I had to figure out what to cut out to be able to afford the COVID-19 costs of $6.5 million,” states Emmerich. “For an independent film, you can’t go to a bank and ask for more money. I ended up with 61 shooting days. There were no compromises. I just shot faster.”
Re-igniting the public imagination and interest in outer space is the emergence of space tourism. “NASA read the script and supported us,” says Emmerich. “It took us three or four years to get the script right because it’s such an out-there story and we neededto give it some reality.
The Endeavour space shuttle encounters debris as it approaches the surface of the Moon.
I read a book called Who Built the Moon? by Christopher Knight and Alan Butler, and thought, ‘Maybe there’s a movie here.’ We made our own series. If you only do a story about the Moon falling down to Earth, that is a disaster movie. We wanted to do something deeper and more exciting than that.”
Even though Moonfall has been described by Emmerich as being a mix of 2012 and Independence Day, a cinematic classic from Stanley Kubrick casts a long shadow. “2001: A Space Odyssey is a seminal movie because it was not only a science fiction film, but also about the origins of life. In that perspective, Moonfall is closely connected to 2001,” Emmerich comments. “I knew by 2022 that nobody would go to the Moon. We figured that the space shuttles would get pulled out of a museum and, within a crazy time schedule, be put back together and sent up there. We thought about what problems that they could have, and that was a cool factor to make this realistic.” The spectacle has to be balanced with the human aspect, he observes. “The biggest problem for any movie that has spectacle is figuring out how much character can you infuse and how much character do people want to have? I’ve been battling with this all of my life! You try to be true to the characters, and we got good actors involved like Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Michael Peña and John Bradley. Halle would say, ‘I wouldn’t say that line.’ Then you have discussions about it, and most of the time something better comes out of it. The cast worked with us to make this real.”
“Moonfall has 1,700 visual effects shots. You have to plan exactly what you want to do, because visual effects companies are already working on these shots while you’re shooting the movie. It is like a dance, but because I’ve been doing this for 40 years I’ve gotten good at it.”
—Roland Emmerich, Director
The Endeavour space shuttle docks at the International Space Station.
“If you only do a story about the Moon falling down to Earth, that is a disaster movie. We wanted to do something deeper and more exciting than that.”
—Roland Emmerich, Director
As part of the emergency response the space shuttle is recommissioned and retrofitted.
Sets had to be redesigned to accommodate COVID-19 protocols dealing with social distancing. “For instance, in the spacecraft, the chairs had to be four feet away from each other, whereas normallyI would have them tighter together,” states Petruccelli. “Roland set into motion every nuance and dynamic that had to be enacted. 135 sets were built on six stages at Grandé Studios in Montreal as well as on a couple of filler stages at MELS Studios. Four to five sets were shot each day. Every set was specifically crafted with the visual effects team in mind. Roland thinks far beyond the physical structure. It all has to integrate with the post-production process. He is masterful at that.” Parts of Colorado had to be recreated onstage because location shooting was minimal. “We had to come in and know when we could use one section of the stage, move it to another section, and rotate pieces of it away to create another set,” says Petruccelli. “There were dedicated stages to space travel that were clean environments. We had to rebuild several locations in Los Angeles, including the planetarium, because everything was so dependent on atmospherics that would occur with the visual effects.”
Designs were based on reality and physics. “Roland loves the fact that truth and reality set us apart from pure fantasy and sci-fi,” remarks Petruccelli. “Things that occur in space are in a vacuum, while things on Earth are being manipulated by the forces that the Moon bears if this [catastrophic event] should happen.” Sets had to be designed to accommodate the physics, he says. “If you’re in a motel in Santa Monica, we had to be west-facing because the water would be coastal. We had to calculate how the water would impact the set, and integrate the volume of water with a bigger event. We talked to experts at NASA about what was the actual load capacity of the space shuttle.” A museum in Florida supplied an original space shuttle cockpit. “We made it usable for us to do the weightless scenes,” enthuses Emmerich. “That was some of the most complicated stuff that we did in the whole movie, because when you sit in a tight set interesting decisions have to be made on how to do it.”
The shooting methodology has evolved for Emmerich. “I’m not doing much floor effects anymore because I know later in visual effects you can do them much better,” he says. “For example, if you have snow flurries I only shoot with wind and leave the rest to visual effects.” Special effects still have an on-set presence. “Roland has clear ideas about how he wants to do things and make them work on-set and onscreen,” states Guillaume Murray. “That gives us the right tools to polish those mechanical effects for him. It has to be quick, efficient and easy to re-set. Most of the rigs that we do are modeled in 3D. The printing aspect will be used for prop building. CNC machines are utilized for all of the mechanical parts.” Motion control systems assisted with the zero gravity effects, Murray adds. “We built a robot and used motion control that allowed us to puppeteer actors or stunt people in the shot, and do it in a way where we didn’t need to stop and program every move on set.
“The Moon being out of alignment created the need for a lot of mechanical effects for the scenes on Earth,” continues Murray. “We had lots of people, cars and tents flying in every direction. There were a lot of body shells to avoid the cables that would cross faces. The majority of the practical elements were captured during the shoot.” Two space vehicles were fabricated with the artdepartment, Murray adds. “Those set pieces were placed on tilt rigs so we could bring them up to 45 degrees for take-off scenes, and there were shaky motors to get everything shaking inside.The largest rig that we built was a tsunami. We had a 45-foot-high tip tank with two tanks each containing 3,200 gallons of water that could be dumped into a ramp right into the hotel lobby and wipe out whoever was there.”
DNEG and Framestore looked after space while Earth was handled by Scanline VFX and Pixomondo.
“Roland loves the fact that truth and reality set us apart from pure fantasy and sci-fi. Things that occur in space are in a vacuum, while things on Earth are being manipulated by the forces that the Moon bears if this should happen.”
—Kirk M. Petruccelli, Production Designer
Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) stands before a misplaced Chrysler Building from New York City.
Three different color palettes were devised with Earth being organic, while space was chromatic and clean and the Moon colorless. “I was responsible for every digital asset that would be later used in post, so the creation of the post-production was happening far earlier in pre-production than you would imagine,” explains Petruccelli, who did 3D modeling in Maya. “The previsualization was so detailed that it was almost photoreal. You could understand what Roland was going to do and how best to tell the story. Every set was digitally created for visual effects, and then we isolated from it what had to be physically constructed to meet the needs of where Roland wanted to go.” Previs was created for every visual effects sequence. “My previs crew, visual effects supervisor and I talked about the purpose of the scene, how to build the environment and what’s happening, and then I set cameras,” explains Emmerich. “Once in a while it works. If it doesn’t work, we change it. It’s a tedious process that takes four to five months. Moonfall has 1,700 visual effects shots. You have to plan exactly what you want to do, because visual effects companies are already working on these shots while you’re shooting the movie. It is like a dance, but because I’ve been doing this for 40 years I’ve gotten good at it.”
As with the principal photography, the entire visual effects work was done in Montreal with Peter G. Travers supervising the contributions of DNEG, Framestore, Pixomondo and Scanline VFX. “You could make an easy argument that Montreal is the new hub for visual effects,” says Travers. “Considering the work that we neededand the amount people at certain facilities, Framestore and DNEG became ideal choices to add to Scanline and Pixomondo, which have longstanding relationships with Roland.”
Destruction, fires and looting occur around the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) is surrounded by a mysterious force that caused the Moon to fall towards Earth.
In order to accommodate costs of the COVID protocols Roland Emmerich shot the entire project in 61 days rather than the originally planned-for 74.
DNEG and Framestore looked after space, while Earth was handled by Scanline VFX and Pixomondo. “There were clear lines. Two vendors never worked on the same shot, but assets were shared with the space shuttle being the biggest one.” Travers enjoys being able to research a different subject matter for each movie that he works on. “For this one, I learned every aspect about the Moon. There was an important process that happened in the beginning with Roland. The Moon falling towards the Earth is fantastical; however, what I ended up doing was building a physics simulation in Maya based on the question, ‘If the Moon gains more mass, could we get it to fall with actual physics?’ And we were able to do it.”
Maya is an actual physics simulator. “I built an accurate version of the Moon orbiting the Earth based on Newtonian physics,” explains Travers. “I constructed different virtual cameras showing the same simulation. Then I started messing with the physics of the Moon to see if I could get it to fall. Roland had certain requests, like having the Moon crash into the Earth in three weeks, which in essence is a design factor that got built into the simulation. What we discovered is that it’s not a perfect spiral orbit but elliptical. It was fascinating to learn what the Moon could do under these conditions. In rare instances when the Moon would be so close, you would be pulled 2Gs of gravity sideways while you’re being pulled down. There is a key sequence where the gravity is extremely unusual. This simulation ended up being our physics bible, but within that there is a certain wiggle room. But generally speaking, this was scary enough. We were also using my different cameras for actual moon size throughout the movie.”
LED panels were rigged on cranes and were constantly configured around the windows of the spacecrafts. “It got challenging because Roland wanted to shoot a master shot,” remarks Travers. “It just happened that outside there would be 10 significant events going on while these pages of dialogue were going on. We had to prep ahead of time content that would be done in Maya and be fed into the LED panels; then we would be cueing them editorially. Sometimes we were fed directly into Maya if the camera needed to be changed. There is a scene when one of the crafts is rotating quickly, so we had to have the sun rotating rapidly. We ran the sun across the LED panels. We were constantly figuring out ways to use these panels for lighting, and in some rare instances they would directly show up in camera.” The biggest design challenge was the Moon, states Travers. “I can’t [for spoiler reasons] reveal what aspect of it. It’s the best part of the movie. There is a sense of wonder. Of course, none of this is possible without Roland because he goes to places and shows us things that we have never seen before. That’s literally why we go to the theaters to watch a popcorn movie. This is what Moonfall has.”
Visual Effects Society Executive Director Eric Roth has had a front row seat to the dynamic global VFX industry and a major role in the Society’s growth, serving at the helm of the organization’s staff for 18 years. VFX Voice sat down with Roth to get his perspectives as the Society celebrates its 25th Anniversary.
What stands out for you as key achievements in the evolution of the Society?
On one level, it’s the tangible elements and events that have become synonymous with the Society – our award-winning VFX Voice magazine, three editions of the VES Handbook of Visual Effects, developing extraordinary VES Awards shows, our VES Honors Program and Hall of Fame, and our volunteer Committees who do important work for our organization. But on a broader sense, it’s the continuing healthy growth of the organization in terms of membership and reach. When I assumed this role, we were about 750 people, mostly situated in California; now we have more than 4,000 members in over 40 countries and 14 Sections worldwide. We are a vibrant organization that truly embodies a great sense of worldwide community for our profession. That is what I’m most proud of.
VES Awards Show host Patton Oswalt and VES Executive Director Eric Roth meet up for their annual on-stage banter.
One of the goals of the organization is to raise the profile, recognition and respect level of the visual effects industry – how are we doing in meeting those marks?
This pursuit has been one of the most dramatic efforts during my tenure. Right now, I think there is a common understanding across all sectors of entertainment that the industry’s biggest star is visual effects, which is reflected in the size of every show’s budget and what fans want to see. Hit after hit owes so much to the amazing artists who consistently deliver remarkable effects and imagery and make the impossible… possible. And as we keep forging ahead into streaming platforms and the demand for content is exploding, the future for VFX is seemingly limitless.
Tell us about the leadership of the VES Board over the years.
A huge blessing of my tenure has been working with our volunteer leaders serving on the Board in all capacities, and certainly the six people who have held the title of Chair – each of them singularly remarkable leaders. We strive to focus on issues of importance at the intersection of art, technology and business. The passion, knowledge and determination of these leaders to ensure the Society progresses have been essential as we work to represent the industry, the VFX craft and our membership.
At almost two decades as Executive Director, what does your VES legacy look like?
There are specific projects I want to see to fruition, and creating a VFX Digital Museum is at the top of my list. From interviews with luminaries to techniques and VFX props to befores/afters on awards submissions and our own rich history – I want to make sure these assets are preserved and available to our members and the rest of the world in a fun, accessible way. I also want to continue providing valuable benefits to support our members in their professional and personal lives, and our new Member Assistance Program providing health and lifestyle support 24/7 is the kind of programming I want to keep fostering. Ultimately, I’m now most interested in those projects that will stand the test of time so that my successors 30 years from now will look back and feel they have a strong foundation for the work and goals they want to achieve.
How has the VES innovated during the protracted pandemic?
With heads of the tech revolution and early adopters among our ranks, our industry pivoted quickly to tell stories in new and creative ways. And the Society shifted almost immediately into producing a wealth of online content, with dozens of dynamic webcasts and virtual events including a digital spin on the VES Awards. It was important that we maintain our traditions, while pushing the envelope of the pandemic’s constraints. The lessons we have learned to adapt and stay resilient have been invaluable.
We’re also coming up on the 20th Annual VES Awards. What is the magic of this annual event?
The VES Awards is a huge point of pride for me and my producing partner in crime Jeff Okun, as well as the VES Awards Committee, who work year-round to refine the Rules and Procedures that govern the Awards. The magic is the excitement and energy of the crowd. Every year, quieting the ballroom to start the show is a major feat, because people are so excited to be together, if only for one night. When I walk through the crowd and look at the audience from atop the stage, I feel like I am home with family.
What are some moments that stand out from these star-studded VES Awards?
So many. That time I flubbed Ridley Scott’s name and (then Fox Studios Chair) Jim Gianopulos stood up in the ballroom and called me out, mid-speech. Wafting in and out of greenroom conclaves between Jimmy Kimmel and Mark Hamill. Watching intimate moments, like Roger Corman swapping stories backstage with VES Board Chairs Jeff Okun and Mike Chambers. My annual shtick with our wonderful and sharp-tongued perennial host, Patton Oswalt. And moments that change our course, like when Steven Spielberg took the stage and passionately urged us to honor the next generation of artists. And by the following year, the VES-Autodesk Student Award was born. I’m grateful for every moment.
Can you share any closing thoughts?
The number one biggest strength and pleasure is working with extraordinary staff and passionate volunteer leaders as we serve our Board and Sections. We would never be able to pay for the caliber of award-winning artists and innovators who are on this journey with us, simply because they believe in who we are and what we do. I’ve been in the catbird’s seat for 18 years, and I’m the luckiest guy in the industry.
VES Chairs group Zoom shot. Clockwise from left: Jim Morris, VES; Carl Rosendahl; Jeffrey A. Okun, VES; Jeff Barnes; Mike Chambers, VES; Lisa Cooke; and Eric Roth, with roundtable anchor Naomi Goldman.
From its ambitious inception in late 1996 with a few hundred members in Los Angeles to a flourishing global honorary society with more than 4,000 members in over 40 countries, the Visual Effects Society is proud to celebrate its milestone 25th Anniversary and the exemplary VFX community whose contributions have made the Society what it is today. As the entertainment industry’s only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners, the VES has built a rich legacy by advancing the arts, science and application of visual effects, improving the welfare of its members, celebrating VFX excellence and serving as a resource to the ever-changing global marketplace.
The Society has demonstrated its commitment to elevating the craft of visual effects and its practitioners in numerous ways, including:
• Giving birth to a tight-knit global community and 14 diverse VES Sections – Australia, Bay Area, France, Georgia, Germany, India, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, New Zealand, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington;
• Publishing three editions of the industry’s go-to VFX reference, The VES Handbook of Visual Effects, and launching its award-winning print and digital magazine VFX Voice;
• Establishing the VES Hall of Fame and VES Honors program to recognize exceptional contributions to the Society and VFX community;
• Developing valuable programming that educates, inspires and uplifts, including a wealth of virtual content featuring the VFX Pros: Home Edition and VES-Autodesk Ask Me Anything: VFX Pros Tell All webcast series;
• Hosting the VFX industry’s must-attend Annual VES Awards, which recognizes outstanding VFX talent and fosters the next generation of filmmakers;
• And finding new ways to support and invest in our members, with mentoring, skills building, educational and health and wellness resources.
VES CHAIRS, ASSEMBLE!
Six distinguished professionals have served as VES Board Chair over the past 25 years, shepherding the VES’s impressive roster of programs and initiatives in conjunction with staff and Section managers. VFX Voice gathered all the chairs, with VES Executive Director Eric Roth, to share some reflections and insights. This small club of esteemed volunteer VES leaders includes: Jim Morris, VES – President, Pixar Animation Studios (and Founding VES Chair); Carl Rosendahl – Distinguished Professor of Practice and Director of the Entertainment Technology Center’s Silicon Valley campus; Jeffrey A. Okun, VES – renowned visual effects supervisor; Jeff Barnes – Executive Vice President, Creative Development, Light Field Lab; Mike Chambers, VES – acclaimed visual effects producer and consultant; and Lisa Cooke – animation and VFX producer.
Morris: The origin story: In the late ’90s, all of the studios were rolling into VFX and there was tremendous momentum, but we often felt like second-class citizens. The timing felt right to teach the industry about what we do, improve our standing and find a form for honoring the contributors to our industry. Building relationships among artists and practitioners was essential to our business, and so there was great support and acceptance to share our experiences and elevate our craft. Bringing VFX to the forefront and being part of the VES’s genesis – and this esteemed group – is a great point of pride for me.
Rosendahl: In taking the mantle from Jim, who helped realize the foundational vision for the Society, I focused on building the infrastructure… the processes and procedures that would help us mature from our infancy into a stable and sustainable organization. I was tasked with heading our recruiting committee, which ultimately brought on Eric Roth as Executive Director. Now 18 years in his tenure, I see hiring Eric as one of my biggest accomplishments.
Okun: The Awards show was really Jim’s baby… and it was a journey getting to that first show, with 350 people at the Skirball Center, to where we are today. Little known fact: we crowd-sourced the design of the award itself. One of our members came up with the Georges Méliès moon face idea, and here’s what’s unique – the back of the award is the back of a set with chicken wire and the whole thing lights up. Our award won an award for awards! What’s most gratifying is walking into the room on Awards Show night and seeing the mass of people who are genuinely excited to be there in celebration of their peers as we honor every vertical we can think of. And on serving as VES Chair – it’s a life-changer, and Jim and Carl were absolute lifelines.
Morris: I’m so glad we’ve had the opportunity to honor some of our pioneers in our early years of the show, like Lynwood Dunn and Ray Harryhausen. I have vivid memories of us then coming together to lobby the Mayor of Hollywood to get Ray a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame. Our show continues to be that beacon where VFX talent get their deserved moment in the spotlight. I’m so excited to attend our 20th Awards show this year – it gives me goosebumps!
VES Founders Award recipient Toni Pace Carstensen and the late Bill Taylor at the 2019 VES Honors Celebration.
Zoe Saldana presents the Visionary Award to JJ Abrams at the 13th Annual VES Awards.
Inaugural VES Chair Jim Morris presides over the 1st Annual VES Awards.
Jimmy Kimmel and legendary filmmaker Roger Corman backstage at the 17th Annual VES Awards.
Steve Carell presents at the 17th Annual VES Awards.
Acclaimed filmmaker Ava DuVernay with VES Summit Chair Rita Cahill at the 2017 Summit.
Chambers: That rally around Ray Harryhausen is actually what inspired the Hall of Fame. While we had the Awards Show in place to honor our contemporaries, so many formative people that had passed on needed to be remembered. A lot of things came to fruition under my watch: the Hall of Fame, launching VFX Voice magazine, and certainly an explosion of global expansion, but everything was a team effort and built on what came before. What guided me when I came into this role was our mission and how could I help us continue to foster education and build recognition for the practitioners all across the industry. Over time, we have evolved into a more inclusive organization. COVID was a left turn, and yet we have been supportive and resilient during the pandemic, so adept at creating remarkable virtual programming and finding ways to keep us all tethered across the globe. We keep getting better, and that’s testament to all of our volunteer leaders and every one of our members.
Barnes: I love being around creative people, and the Society is the pinnacle when it comes to conveying outstanding professionals and using our collective resources to advance our work. When I came on as Chair, I was feeling a sense of responsibility in hiring people for my company and growing a business, and I was aiming to set some precedent and considerations that might help protect them and enhance their professional life. Providing that kind of value was and is really important to me, and I’m proud of the work not only as board member and Chair, but also as a member.
Cooke: Mike, yours were very big shoes to fill. Essentially, I inherited a beautiful, well-built house, but I didn’t have to build the house. The support among this special group who know what’s possible and how to make things happen has been invaluable. I’m proud to be the first woman in this role, and I’m committed to lifting up our future leaders so that I’m not the last.
Chambers: Our determination to outreach to all corners of the globe and to all of the disciplines across the VFX spectrum has definitely yielded us a very rich, talented membership, and that commitment to diversity will continue to be a driving force of the organization. And bottom line, more than just recognizing and honoring our history, we are actually making history for our industry… and we’re documenting it to create a powerful legacy that will endure.
Barnes: From the time that I joined to where the Society is today, it’s mind-blowing. We set out to raise the credibility and respect level of the visual effects community and shine a spotlight on the excellence of the artists and practitioners. And the extent to which that has happened is undeniable. Membership continues to skyrocket, and our magazine and awards show are acclaimed… and so our ability to have an influence gives us a great platform to keep innovating.
Okun: It’s the VES that draws the passion and respect out of people and invests it back into the Society and our industry. I may be biased, but the VES is the gold standard. The volunteerism that fuels our work, at every level, is amazing, and the new voices and new talents who are stepping up to help shape our future encourage me.
VFX legends Dennis Murren, Bob Burns, Phil Tippett, Doug Trumbull, John Knoll, Syd Mead and Ed Catmull at the 2017 VES Summit and Honors Celebration.
Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Sir Ridley Scott with Kate Mara at the 14th Annual VES Awards.
Visionary Award recipient Victoria Alonso beams at the 15th Annual VES Awards.
Rosendahl: The VES has played a vital role as an industry convener,providing forums for education and skills development, and in prompting conversations around the complexities of our rapidly evolving global marketplace. We have the aptitude to keep focused on how the industry adapts and innovates and can help shape that landscape, while we build capacity among our members to foster their success.
Cooke: When I took on this role, I wanted to delve into who the Sections are, so I’ve been on a global Zoom tour, listening in to keep building a sense of community that is a true reflection of our diverse industry. So much work is going on across the organization that fills me with pride and optimism. I’m enthusiastic about our Education Committee in developing programs to mentor young women and people of color and bring them into visual effects. That effort will only enhance our field for future generations. I’m proud that we will be introducing a Technology Award into the Awards program and of the work of our Archives Committee in capturing and preserving interviews with our VFX pioneers and luminaries. And I’m immensely gratified by the work of our Health and Wellbeing Committee, which has developed amazing resources to support our members, personally and professionally, including our new Member Assistance Program available to our members worldwide 24/7. These are the investments and benefits that make being a part of the Society so meaningful.
Okun: When VFX took the leap on the shoulders of the greats in the ’50s/’60s/’70s and the team on Star Wars – the rubber band that kicked us into orbit – that’s when the magic of VFX became a community of magicians. I begged to join the Society when it was formed, because that’s where the dark arts convened to share the real stories – and still do. We are pivotal to every aspect of the entertainment industry, and there is not a single image that we don’t touch. Our ongoing work to command the respect equal to our contributions is vital and makes a huge difference.
Morris: The esprit de corps, the camaraderie, the authentic sense of community at the center of everything we do, is why we have accomplished so much together our first 25 years… and here’s to the next 25!
Photos courtesy of Randall William Cook, except where noted.
Cook and Harryhausen, 2012. Harryhausen passed away in 2013 at the age of 92. In 2019, Cook was made an advisor to the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.
When Randall William Cook arrived for his first day on the set of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, director Peter Jackson immediately put him to work. Jackson introduced Cook to miniature supervisor Richard Taylor and to the enormous model Taylor and his team had constructed for the towering stone steps of Khazad-Dûm.
“Peter rushed me through the set and told me I was going to direct the previz animation,” Cook says. “We talked through the sequence with everybody offering opinions, including me. There were lots of ideas thrown out and I couldn’t see how they gelled, so I asked: ‘Do you want me to do what everybody’s been saying?’ ‘No,’ Peter replied. ‘You just do it. This is you.’”
From those initial words of encouragement, Cook went on to design one of the most breathtaking action sequences in The Fellowship of the Ring. In the scene, Frodo and company are deep in the dark mines of Moria, fleeing for their lives over stone stairs that are hundreds of feet high. As Orcs launch a barrage of arrows, the ancient steps crack and crumble beneath the Fellowship’s feet, revealing a bottomless chasm below.
“They gave me a scan of the miniature and little scale puppets of all the Fellowship guys,” Cook explains. “I choreographed the whole sequence from a God’s eye point-of-view and created a very simple presentation that Pete signed off on. Then I blocked out the camera positions, and my team of about four guys and I refined the previz. Pete gave the sequence to a second unit director and told him to copy it exactly and, with the exception of one or two shots, everything in the final film – from the lenses used to the angles to the cutting to the action – was from my previz.”
The Khazad-Dûm sequence represents just one of the many contributions Cook made as Animation Supervisor on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It also demonstrates how his cinematic career has served as a bridge between the stop- motion techniques that brought the original King Kong to life and the modern motion capture technology that made possible the hobbit-gone-mad Gollum. Along the way, Cook has won three Academy Awards, but he is most proud of his close friendship with effects master Ray Harryhausen.
Cook’s success was far from certain in 1975 when he graduated from UCLA’s film school with the dream of becoming an actor and director. His first post-college job was an animation apprenticeship at Disney at a time when cartoon features were in decline and the studio was focused on forgettable live-action comedies.
Disney provided an opportunity to interact with great animators, including many of the original Nine Old Men, but Cook’s most high-profile assignment was drawing live-action gags for the Volkswagen and human characters in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. It was less than inspiring work, and after a year his apprenticeship was suddenly cut short.
“I got fired!” Cook recalls with a laugh. “John Lasseter also spent time in their apprenticeship program, and he tells people, ‘Randy and I were fired because we were too good.’ But truthfully, I wasn’t Disney material, and I knew that going in.”
Fortunately, the mid-1970s was an exciting time for low-budget science fiction films. Cook quickly landed on his feet doing stop-motion animation for The Crater Lake Monster, Laserblast and The Day Time Ended, alongside other young artists like Jim Danforth, Ken Ralston, VES, Jon Berg, Phil Tippett, VES and David Allen. He also worked for Rob Bottin on Humanoids from the Deep and on John Carpenter’s The Thing.
Then came 1981’s Caveman, a prehistoric comedy starring ex-Beatle Ringo Starr and The Spy Who Loved Me’s Barbara Bach. Cook was one of the key animators of comical stop-motion dinosaurs that stole the show, and the movie’s cult success led to a multi-year position at Richard Edlund’s (VES) Boss Films.
At Boss, Cook sculpted and animated the stop-motion puppets for the terror dogs in Ghostbusters, and choreographed the performances of the live-action full-scale puppets on set. He also worked on 2010, Fright Night, and Poltergeist II, and was planning to work on the next Boss project, Big Trouble in Little China, when director Tibor Takács approached him with an opportunity he couldn’t refuse – the chance to supervise the effects for The Gate.
“Working under Richard Edlund with Steve Johnson and a bunch of other competing talents was great,” Cook says. “But everyone wanted their voices heard and, as a consequence, sang very loudly. Tibor was going to let me do just about whatever I wanted effects-wise, so it wasn’t much of a choice.”
Cook and Ray Harryhausen, 1987.
Cook manipulating the Wolf Lizard puppet from The Day Time Ended (1979).
Cook “standing” in a scene from Caveman (1981) beside the T-Rex puppet he animated.
Sigourney Weaver pays a visit to Boss Films during the making of Ghostbusters (1984) and views her alter ego, a terror dog. (Photo: Virgil Mirano, Boss Film Studios)
Ghostbusters effects cameraman Jim Aupperle, right, takes a light reading as Cook adjusts the stop motion terror dog. (Photo: Virgil Mirano, Boss Film Studios)
In The Gate, teenagers accidentally open an entrance to Hellin their backyard and find themselves under attack from foot-tall minions and a multi-story-high Demon Lord. To accomplish the illusion of tiny minions, Cook convinced Takács to use forced perspective sets and in-camera tricks that were throwbacks to Disney’s Darby O’Gill and the Little People.
“You want to make the audience believe they’re seeing something that’s real,” Cook says, “and even if they know it’s fake – and they have to know it’s fake – they won’t know how the hell you did it. Darby O’Gill was a huge inspiration to me. What makes it magical is when the tiny leprechauns are dancing in front of the big Darby O’Gill, but they’re actually farther away from the camera and he’s closer up. That really confuses your mind because you expect the small guys to look as though they are behind the big guy.
“On The Gate, I planned shots with economy in mind,” he adds. “First, I figured if we had guys who were five-and-a-half feet tall playing the tiny minions, the sets could be a bit smaller, and the camera depth of field could be a bit shorter than if we had guys who were six feet. Every inch counts. Second, doing it in forced perspective put much of the budget on the art department. Fortunately, we had a really good art department under Bill Beeton that built four-times-scale brick walls and other set pieces that were gorgeous.”
Cook next collaborated with Takács on I, Madman, a horror thriller about a young woman who becomes entranced by a mystery novel she’s reading, only to find herself stalked by the crazed author and a fictional monster from the book. Cook not only supervised the visual effects, but also played the horribly disfigured author modeled after Lon Chaney.
Following I, Madman, Cook oversaw the effects for The Gate II, directed a segment of TV’s Life Goes On, and directed and co-wrote the fantasy film Demon in a Bottle.
Peter Jackson first contacted Cook in 1992 to do stop-motion work on a film Jackson was planning called Blubberhead. That project never got made, but the two stayed in touch and finally had the chance to work together on The Lord of the Rings.
Cook arrived in New Zealand in October 1998 and spent the next five years completing the trilogy. It was challenging, monumental work. His extensive previz work and other duties eventually earned him the title of Animation Supervisor, but he found himself consulted on a lot of sequences that had nothing to do with animation.
“For the scene in The Two Towers where Treebeard is first introduced,” he recalls, “Fran [Walsh, producer and screenwriter] originally staged it with the hobbits running from the orcs and, suddenly, two tree-branch hands come down and pull them out of the frame. I said: ‘Why don’t we have the hobbits climb up the tree and look around, not realizing it’s Treebeard’s face? One hobbit has his hand on Treebeard’s nose. He looks back, and Treebeard is already looking at him. The hobbit looks away, does a take, and looks back at him. Treebeard’s head turns, and the hobbit falls off.’
“We did a previz of the scene this way. I wasn’t there when they ran it in the dailies, but according to several people including Pete, Fran turned to Pete and said, ‘What’s this?’ Pete replied with a chuckle, ‘Well, apparently somebody thought they had a better idea than you.’”
Cook supervised the effects and played the psychotic author Malcolm Brand in I, Madman (1989).
Cook animating a bat puppet for Fright Night (1985). (Photo: Virgil Mirano, Boss Film Studios)
On Return of the King, Fran Walsh presented Cook with different problems to solve. “She came to me and said, ‘We want the ring to fall into the lava, and as soon it does Sauron will know the hobbits are trying to destroy the ring. But we want to play Frodo and Sam on the cliff after Gollum falls in with the ring. What do we do?’ I thought about it and said, ‘The ring was forged in high temperature, right? It can float on top of the lava and start to melt, but it doesn’t completely dissolve until you’re ready for it to finish melting.’
“I made a lot of suggestions that had nothing to do with animation,” Cook adds. “Peter and Fran were very generous and willing to collaborate, and I adored them both.”
Throughout the project, Cook and his team drew inspiration from a variety of sources, although sometimes he didn’t realize an influence until years later. In The Fellowship of the Ring, for example, Gollum appears only briefly in a shot where he is seen mostly in shadow and his hands reach into frame.
“I came up with that and animated it myself,” Cook explains. “A couple of years ago my daughter Matilda and I were watching Gunga Din, and at the end of the film, Sam Jaffe climbs to the top of the temple. You see the ledge and you see his hands come up, and I suddenly realized: ‘Son of a bitch! I stole that from Sam Jaffe!’
This past December marked the 20th anniversary of the debut of The Fellowship of the Ring. The film arrived in theaters just three months after terrorists crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the 9/11 tragedy cast a long shadow over the final months of post-production.
“Peter and Fran called everybody together that morning,” Cook recalls, “and they were very sympathetic and solicitous to the Americans. Everybody was shocked, of course, but we still had a movie to finish.
Cook standing in as Gollum with Elijah Wood for a practice shot on the Stairs of Cirith Ungol for Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
Scene from King Kong (2005) with Cook playing one of the pilots who attack Kong atop the Empire State Building. Frank Darabont is his gunner.
Cook and his Demon Lord creation for The Gate (1987).
“One of the last sequences in Fellowship to go into productionwas the prologue,” he adds. “The motion capture editor, Patrick Runyon, wanted my final approval on a shot of motion capture guys falling off a cliff in a rolling wave of bodies. But the week before I had watched live footage of real people jumping out the windows of the World Trade Center, and it was devastating. So, I said: ‘I trust you. If you think it’s fine, it’s fine, because I can’t look at that now.’”
After The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Cook served as a second unit director for Jackson’s remake of King Kong. His duties included directing the first dinosaur attack involving a Ceratops that was cut out of the theatrical release but is included in the extended version. He also directed the flying planes that attack Kong atop the Empire State Building and played one of the pilots – writer/director Frank Darabont was his tail gunner.
These days, Cook consults on a variety of projects and is hoping to direct Sinbad and the Sorcerer’s Bride, a fantasy he co-wrote with David Cairns that combines Hitchcockian suspense with the cheekiness of Ernst Lubitsch and the magic of Ray Harryhausen’s The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
Cook saw 7th Voyage when he was seven and instantly fell in love with Harryhausen’s unique stop-motion approach known as Dynamation. Then, when he was 19, he met Harryhausen.
“Ray’s mother lived in Los Angeles and her number was in the phone book,” he says. “I called her up to get his address in London, and Ray happened to be visiting at the time. I didn’t have anything to show except for a couple of drawings and a little makeup thing I’d done, but I wanted to meet and get a sense of him because his work meant so much to me. Somewhere along the line Ray saw the work I did for Caveman and other projects, and we became friends.”
Forced perspective shots from The Gate. A workman falls on the floor and breaks into tiny minions. While the human teenagers appear to be behind the minions, they were actually in the foreground near the camera, perched on a normal-scale set piece suspended 15 feet above a larger-scale set below.
Cook and motion capture actor Andy Serkis reviewing a scene for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).
Cook and Jim Rygiel at 2003 Academy Awards where they won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Cook won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for three consecutive years (2002, 2003 and 2004).
Harryhausen’s final film was 1981’s Clash of the Titans. Just 12 years later, Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park introduced the world to CGI dinosaurs and, suddenly, Harryhausen’s Dynamation was considered passé. Even so, Cook says the effects master didn’t hold any hard feelings.
“CGI is a whole different approach,” he explains. “With stop-motion, blinking eyes require three to six separate rubber lids or a piece of clay that’s put on and sculpted per frame. You wouldn’t have the lashes or the meniscus – you’d just have the blink. With CGI, a character’s blinking eyes can be a wonderful simulation of flesh and muscle and skin and the mucous membrane. And the eyeball – rather than a doll’s eye or an acrylic eye made in your own shop – can be a gelatinous, dilating organ that perfectly simulates the way the eye transmits light and reacts to outside light sources.
“By the time CGI had arrived, Ray was a virtuoso in retirement who had no need or desire to learn a new instrument,” Cook adds. “Had Ray been born later I think he would have gotten CGI and created his illusions using a computer. As a boy I loved Ray’s films, but I was not reacting to stop-motion, I was reacting to Ray Harryhausen. I loved his work because of what that particular artist put into his work, and Ray just happened to be using stop-motion as his medium of expression.”
Harryhausen passed away in 2013 at the age of 92, and Cook is an advisor to the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.
Looking back on his own career, Cook recalls the night in 2002 when he won his first Academy Award for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. After the ceremony, Robert Redford came up to him and asked how it felt to hold an Oscar.
“I said, ‘It feels wonderful. But four weeks ago, my boyhood idol, Ray Harryhausen, came down to New Zealand and brought with him the skeleton from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. I got to hold that, a thrill that has thrown this one into a slight shadow. Holding this Oscar is great, but the skeleton from Sinbad is why I got into the business.’”
Jurassic World: Dominion (Image courtesy of Universal Pictures)
Last year, while the movie and TV industry played catch-up with delayed projects, explored various release strategies and struck outsized production deals, the VFX sector invested heavily in remote work capabilities and achieved significant advancements in areas like virtual production. The stage was set for 2022, which looks to be a boom time for studios, streamers and the VFX business.
“The amount of work out there is crazy right now,” says Ingenuity Studios founder and Visual Effects Supervisor David Lebensfeld. “I think that it’s just going to keep increasing, too, throughout 2022 and 2023. There was a backlog of projects that didn’t happen in 2020. So, it feels like everything has been compacted.”
In addition, the streamers have forged ahead with their already ambitious original production plans. Lebensfeld comments, “Streamers are definitely impacting business positively. It’s more competitive than ever on the streamer side, with their ongoing content war. As a result, there’s so much work to be had. To be honest, I don’t think the industry has ever been bigger or busier.”
In terms of deals, big can mean really big. Streamers and studios announced various nine-figure production packages in 2021. Netflix is paying an estimated $465 million for two sequels of the Lionsgate mystery Knives Out. The streamer has also struck a multi-year deal with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners. Apple TV+ will spend $200 million on Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle. Meanwhile, ViacomCBS (owner of streamer Paramount+) is reportedly paying $900 million for new South Park seasons through 2027 and 14 South Park feature films. Among various other major deals, Universal Pictures and its streaming sibling Peacock are spending an estimated $400 million+ for a new Exorcist trilogy. And in the year’s biggest deal of all, Amazon purchased MGM for $8.45 billion.
Meanwhile, the streamers further fortified their positions last year by dominating the 2021 Emmy Awards, with Netflix taking best series (The Crown) and winning 44 Emmys, while HBO/HBO Max took 19, Disney+ captured 14, Apple TV+ took home 10 andNBC garnered 7. To emphasize their global reach, the streamers are spending heavily on U.S. and global programming. For example, Netflix has invested heavily in scripted originals for Japan and also planned to produce 40 anime releases last year. Furthermore, it said it would spend $500 million on films and series produced in South Korea in 2021.
The Batman (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Matrix Resurrections (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Mandalorian (Image courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.)
“The streaming landscape is more dynamic than ever,” says Albert Cheng, Chief Operating Officer at Amazon Studios. “With an audience who is increasingly hungry and tuned in, it has been so exciting to see content scale and evolve.”
Pixomondo CEO Jonny Slow observes, “Long term, we think that the streaming model is very much here to stay, and it’s a more global and less regional business than linear TV, so the budgets are bigger and the creative ambition is high end.”
For those companies releasing movies both in theaters and through streaming services, flexibility has been necessary to counter the pandemic, and experimentation will continue in 2022. One example is Disney. “We adopted a three-pronged strategy for releasing our films that consisted of theatrical releases, direct to Disney+ and a hybrid of theatrical plus Premier Access,” said Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek at an August 12 Earnings Conference Call. “Distribution decisions are made on a film-by-film basis, based on global marketplace conditions and consumer behavior.”
The pandemic has affected all sectors of film and TV, including VFX. Spin VFX President and Executive Producer Neishaw Ali observes, “The ongoing pandemic has created some good changes in that we now have a proven online production platform and have demonstrated that we can work effectively remotely.”
Lebensfeld says that COVID “has really unlocked globalization of talent. Now that infrastructure has been put in place to optimize artists’ ability to work remotely, it’s working wonderfully but also requires a retooling in communication practices.”
James Whitlam, Framestore Managing Director – Episodic, comments, “I think we’ll be seeing the ramifications of the pandemic for many years to come. In spite of the difficulties, the industry as a whole has become more resilient and self-assured, I don’t think anyone could have predicted how successful the working-from-home paradigm would be globally. The absence of a drop in overall productivity is testament to the agile nature of the business and the brilliant crews we work with.”
Whitlam continues, “As we return to the studio, flexible working arrangements will no doubt put a strain on many companies as it involves more equipment, more support and greater management overhead to maintain a partially decentralized crew, but this needs to be weighed against providing a manageable work/life balance, which, along with the quality of the projects on offer and the culture of a company in the actual studio, is an important factor in any artist’s choice of where they decide to hang their hat.”
Chris Healer, founder and CEO of Eyelash (formerly with The Molecule), believes that artists want to be more in control of their working environments now. “I can’t imagine most VFX artists will choose to get dressed in the morning to appear at an office. Some will. Most will take a second thought to listen to their music as loudas possible, or choose days to socialize, or spend the day in their PJs. Many have just moved to a different location where they can’t come to the office.”
The Lord of the Rings (Image courtesy of Amazon Studios)
The Last Duel (Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Image courtesy of CBS All Access)
Weta Digital’s Executive VFX Producer David Conley points out the pandemic’s complex effects. “While COVID has certainly accelerated trends like the growth of streaming content, the integration of LED panels and on-set virtualization, we’re only beginning to understand the downstream effects on the disruption of production pipelines. COVID has brought with it the increased reliance on remote work environments, increased complexities around content security requirements, and increased reliance on cloud-based technologies, to name a few issues, all of which will change the way we produce VFX-dependent content.”
Virtual production, including LED stages, has also been having a deep impact on film production and post-production. Whitlam comments, “Framestore pioneered LED tech on Gravity a decade ago, so it’s been great to see how much LED Volumes have proliferated over the past two years.”
Pixomondo had four total LED volumes in Toronto and Vancouver as of September and a deal with William F. White International to own and operate them together throughout Canada. Pixomondo’s Slow explains, “When everyone understands the workflow, they start to adapt their process and bring a lot of creative decisions forward. We are still only just getting started with how virtual production will impact production in the future.”
Weta Digital’s Conley points to the rapid acceptance of virtual production, despite the learning curve. He explains, “We’re all still learning how best to use it and what the trade-offs are, but it’s clearly become normalized as a production option.”
Virtual production took a leap forward with The Mandalorian’s use of ILM’s StageCraft integrated virtual production platform and its LED Volume. ILM Senior Vice President, Chief Creative OfficerRob Bredow notes, “Increasingly, we are seeing more filmmakers interested in learning about how they can best make use of virtual production and, specifically, how they can utilize our StageCraft LED stages to the greatest effect.
Hawkeye (Image courtesy of Marvel Studios)
Dune (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Image courtesy of Sony Pictures)
With the demand for content at an all-time high, we believe virtual production will continue to attract filmmakers who are looking for collaborative solutions to challenging production and effects scenarios.”
The VFX business has also been affected by the rise of the streamers and their increased production of series. Framestore’s Whitlam comments, “The episodic nature of a lot of the work being commissioned by the streamers is certainly a challenge industry wide, in terms of expectations of quality, shot count and the time available. Traditional feature film effects practitioners and companies are coming to terms with the different approach that is required to deliver 8 to 10 hours of content as opposed to two. The level of planning that needs to go into delivering a marquee show has opened the door for a lot more communication in pre-production between filmmakers and our team, which in turn leads to a lot more creative buy-in and ownership from the people crafting the effects. I think the overall effect on the business has been incredibly positive.”
ILP (Important Looking Pirates) Executive Producer Måns Björklund adds, “There is an unseen – at least in my 20-plus years of the business – growth and amount of work out there at the moment. We are seeing horizons of work down in 2024, which hasn’t been the case before. Clients are starting to understand that they need to reach out and commit in a much earlier stage than before to be able to book resources. With the growth, there also comes the need for more artists to be able to produce all the content.”
On the other hand, Lebensfeld notes, “There is more access to global talent, so VFX teams can leverage flexible schedules. You can essentially build a studio that runs around the clock to keep up with demand. Having talent from other countries can be a tremendous asset.”
Lightyear (Image courtesy of Pixar/Disney)
Mobius (Image courtesy of Sony Pictures)
Squid Game (Image courtesy of Netflix)
The cloud and AI are other important VFX factors. The cloud looks to grow in importance for VFX. Healer comments, “Many facilities are limited by machine power, and moving to cloud-based configurations means that limit may be removed. The irony is that no matter the limit, we will push it.”
Weta’s Conley comments, “Many studios have been experimenting and building tools that use AI-assisted workflows and machine learning, and I expect we will see more of that work in production next year.”
Spin VFX’s Ali says, “Machine learning is starting to show up in commercial software solutions. This trend will only continue, and we have just scratched the surface on the possible use cases. Adding more of an ability to direct the art output of these systems will be important. What is coming down the pike in real-time graphics in 2022 will be a game-changer. The quality and complexity of what can be accomplished in real-time will take a leap forward.”
The pandemic arguably had an unexpected benefit in expanding the use of visual effects. Adds Lebensfeld, “Overall, I think people trust VFX more. You had to rely on it to do things that you could usually do in physical production pre-COVID. VFX has really proved its worth during COVID, and more people are comfortable with it. Turning to VFX even allowed for more safety. You couldn’t fill an auditorium with 200 people, so you did it digitally. An additional benefit is that VFX also allows for redundancy. So, if you don’t get what you need on the day, you still have options in post.”
Conley is enthused about the future of VFX. “There’s a lot to be excited about in 2022. We expect to see continued growth in the visual effects industry resulting from increased content creation across theatrical and streaming releases. Along with the growth in content, we’re seeing a diversification of creative and technical opportunities to help filmmakers tell their stories across a spectrum of budgets. Thanks to innovations in technology and technique, I am excited to see how VFX will continue to be further integrated into the filmmaking process in unique ways, providing more creative challenges for VFX artists across the industry.”
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Sony Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME.
Please RSVP below (VES members must login to RSVP) Friday, January 21, 2022 at 7:30PM Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011
***VES Members: Please enter your first and last name in the “Attendee 1″ fields***
All those entering SVA Theatre need to be fully vaccinated with an FDA / WHO authorized vaccine and must show proof of vaccination upon entrance. “Fully vaccinated” means at least 14 days past the final dose of the vaccine received. The only exception to the above will be for guests under the age of 12, or those who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. Guests requesting an exemption must provide proof of the exemption, in addition to either a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event, or a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken within 6 hours of the event. Guests may present proof of vaccination or a negative test on paper or a smartphone. The NY State Excelsior Pass is an acceptable form of proof. In addition to proof of vaccination, all guests 18 years or older must also present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. The name on the ID must match the name on the proof of vaccination / negative test. Guests under 18 may use a school photo ID or must be accompanied by an adult who meets the above requirements.
Everyone entering SVA theatre must wear acceptable face coverings that cover the nose and mouth at all times. Masks may be removed briefly in order to drink water or other non-alcoholic beverages.
Click here for full requirements for all attendees.
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you or your guests do not attend VES events if you are experiencing any symptoms or if you have been exposed to the virus.
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
By signing up for this on-site, in-person screening/event sponsored by VES (Visual Effects Society), you willingly accept any potential inherent risks associated with COVID-19. VES cannot be held liable from any consequences that may transpire from said risk. Therefore, signing up for this screening/event infers implied consent of yourself and your party and hereby indemnifies and holds harmless VES, its directors, its employees and any other affiliated persons from any adverse medical or financial impact that may result from our participation.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a Pre-Release IMAX® Screening of Warner Bros. Pictures’ THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS. All VES members and guests must show photo ID & proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for admission and masks must be worn at all times in indoor public settings.
** Please help protect the mysteries inside of the Matrix and do not reveal plot points or twists in your social posts. Do not post any teases in advance. Social: Thursday, December 16 @ 6:30PM (PST), 9:30PM (EST) – Review: Tuesday, December 21 @ 8:00AM (PST), 11:00AM (EST)
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you or your guests do not attend VES events if you are experiencing any symptoms or if you have been exposed to the virus.
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
By signing up for this on-site, in-person screening/event sponsored by VES (Visual Effects Society), you willingly accept any potential inherent risks associated with COVID-19. VES cannot be held liable from any consequences that may transpire from said risk. Therefore, signing up for this screening/event infers implied consent of yourself and your party and hereby indemnifies and holds harmless VES, its directors, its employees and any other affiliated persons from any adverse medical or financial impact that may result from our participation.
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of United Artists’ NO TIME TO DIE.
Friday, October 29, 2021 at 7:00PM Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011
Please RSVP below (VES members must login to RSVP)
***VES Members: Please enter your first and last name in the “Attendee 1″ fields***
All those entering SVA Theatre need to be fully vaccinated with an FDA / WHO authorized vaccine and must show proof of vaccination upon entrance. “Fully vaccinated” means at least 14 days past the final dose of the vaccine received. The only exception to the above will be for guests under the age of 12, or those who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. Guests requesting an exemption must provide proof of the exemption, in addition to either a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event, or a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken within 6 hours of the event. Guests may present proof of vaccination or a negative test on paper or a smartphone. The NY State Excelsior Pass is an acceptable form of proof. In addition to proof of vaccination, all guests 18 years or older must also present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. The name on the ID must match the name on the proof of vaccination / negative test. Guests under 18 may use a school photo ID or must be accompanied by an adult who meets the above requirements.
Everyone entering SVA theatre must wear acceptable face coverings that cover the nose and mouth at all times. Masks may be removed briefly in order to drink water or other non-alcoholic beverages.
Click here for full requirements for all attendees.
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you or your guests do not attend VES events if you are experiencing any symptoms or if you have been exposed to the virus.
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
By signing up for this on-site, in-person screening/event sponsored by VES (Visual Effects Society), you willingly accept any potential inherent risks associated with COVID-19. VES cannot be held liable from any consequences that may transpire from said risk. Therefore, signing up for this screening/event infers implied consent of yourself and your party and hereby indemnifies and holds harmless VES, its directors, its employees and any other affiliated persons from any adverse medical or financial impact that may result from our participation.
VES MEMBERS SIGN UP BELOW (login required) Attendee #1 is the VES member / Attendee #2 is the VES member’s guest.
NOTE: Per New York City guidelines, proof of vaccination will be required and masks indoors.
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you or your guests do not attend VES events if you are experiencing any symptoms or if you have been exposed to the virus.
By signing up for this on-site, in-person event sponsored by VES (Visual Effects Society), we willingly accept any potential inherent risks associated with COVID-19. VES cannot be held liable from any consequences that may transpire from said risk. Therefore, signing up for this event infers implied consent of myself and my party and hereby indemnifies and holds harmless VES, its directors, its employees and any other affiliated persons from any adverse medical or financial impact that may result from our participation.
Join us Thursday Sept. 30th for a social Zoom room to catch up with your local artists and friends. You don’t need to be a member to join. Click on the poster or the link below to sign up! Cheers!
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening of Marvel Studios’ and Walt Disney Pictures’ SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS.
All those entering SVA Theatre need to be fully vaccinated with an FDA / WHO authorized vaccine and must show proof of vaccination upon entrance. “Fully vaccinated” means at least 14 days past the final dose of the vaccine received. The only exception to the above will be for guests under the age of 12, or those who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. Guests requesting an exemption must provide proof of the exemption, in addition to either a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event, or a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken within 6 hours of the event. Guests may present proof of vaccination or a negative test on paper or a smartphone. The NY State Excelsior Pass is an acceptable form of proof. In addition to proof of vaccination, all guests 18 years or older must also present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. The name on the ID must match the name on the proof of vaccination / negative test. Guests under 18 may use a school photo ID or must be accompanied by an adult who meets the above requirements.
Everyone entering SVA theatre must wear acceptable face coverings that cover the nose and mouth at all times. Masks may be removed briefly in order to drink water or other non-alcoholic beverages.
Click here for full requirements for all attendees.
Please RSVP below (VES members must login to RSVP)
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 7:00PM Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011
***VES Members: Please register your name as “Attendee 1″***
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you or your guests do not attend VES events if you are experiencing any symptoms or if you have been exposed to the virus.
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
By signing up for this on-site, in-person screening/event sponsored by VES (Visual Effects Society), you willingly accept any potential inherent risks associated with COVID-19. VES cannot be held liable from any consequences that may transpire from said risk. Therefore, signing up for this screening/event infers implied consent of yourself and your party and hereby indemnifies and holds harmless VES, its directors, its employees and any other affiliated persons from any adverse medical or financial impact that may result from our participation.
VES MEMBERS SIGN UP BELOW (login required) Attendee #1 is the VES member / Attendee #2 is the VES member’s guest.
NOTE: Per New York City guidelines, proof of vaccination will be required.
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you or your guests do not attend VES events if you are experiencing any symptoms or if you have been exposed to the virus.
By signing up for this on-site, in-person event sponsored by VES (Visual Effects Society), we willingly accept any potential inherent risks associated with COVID-19. VES cannot be held liable from any consequences that may transpire from said risk. Therefore, signing up for this event infers implied consent of myself and my party and hereby indemnifies and holds harmless VES, its directors, its employees and any other affiliated persons from any adverse medical or financial impact that may result from our participation.
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Opening Weekend Screening of Marvel Studios’ and Walt Disney Pictures’ BLACK WIDOW. Theater rules require that nobody will be admitted without proof of vaccination or a negative test within the past 72 hours. Masks must be worn at all times and no food or drink is permitted except water.
Each attendee must present a photo ID and a photo of your vaccination card, or a NY State Excelsior Pass. Unvaccinated guests must present evidence of a negative test within the past 72 hours and will be required to sit in a different area of the auditorium, socially distant from other guests.new
Please RSVP below (VES members must login to RSVP)
Saturday, July 10, 2021 at 8:00PM Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you or your guests do not attend VES events if you are experiencing any symptoms or if you have been exposed to the virus.
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
By signing up for this on-site, in-person screening/event sponsored by VES (Visual Effects Society), you willingly accept any potential inherent risks associated with COVID-19. VES cannot be held liable from any consequences that may transpire from said risk. Therefore, signing up for this screening/event infers implied consent of yourself and your party and hereby indemnifies and holds harmless VES, its directors, its employees and any other affiliated persons from any adverse medical or financial impact that may result from our participation.
Join us this Thursday for a social Zoom room to catch up with your local artists and friends. You don’t need to be a member to join. Click on the poster to sign up!
VES NY is happy to announce the first of our web speaker series. An interview with Hal Hickel, Animation Supervisor at ILM. We’ll talk about career paths, inspirations, robots, whatever strikes our fancy. VES Members can register to view this webinar on Zoom; We’ll also be streaming live on our NY Section Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/VESNewYork.
When: Monday April 12, 2021 at 8:00pm EDT
Please login to register in advance for this webinar.
Join us for a special town hall panel on Friday, February 12th from 3-4pm EST. We will take your questions and concerns regarding changing work landscapes and new opportunities.
You are invited to the east coast, VES Netflix Party on Wednesday, October 28th, 8PM ET. And once again, you choose the movie!
Click on the image below to votefor the movie we will screen(member login required). Chat with your fellow VES colleagues from all over the east coast, including New York, Montreal, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana.
Look for your Netflix Party url and instructions email about an hour or so before showtime.
See you there!
Brought to you by your Montreal, New York, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana Board of Managers and members.
Join the Visual Effects Society and the Post NY Alliance for a two-part event Post Break: VFX Solutions to Covid problems Part I & Part II. How can Visual Effects help production & post in a post-covid Landscape? These two panels will join Visual effects experts and have conversations geared towards post production. The initial panel will be an overall view of what is being asked of Visual Effects and what that means for production and post. The second panel would be covering and discussing new technology and new tools Visual Effects can offer.
Leslie’s dreams of being an artist began when she was three years old, drawing on the walls and furniture of her childhood home in New York City. In time, her artistic pursuits led her to the School of Visual Arts, where she majored in computer art before landing in the world of VFX. Now a 12 year veteran of the industry, the roster of studios she has worked for is numerous. Some highlights include several years at Psyop, Look FX, MPC, and now Crafty Apes. Leslie has worked on commercials, game cinematics, films and TV shows as a compositor, producer, and supervisor, with credits including VFX designer for The Knick, Midsommar, Deadpool 2, Boardwalk Empire, Marvel Runaways and most recently 3 seasons of Star Trek Discovery. In addition to her day job, she has also spent the last six years helping to grow the VFX community in New York, and has been heavily involved on the VES New York board as a past chair officer. But she still makes time for her artistic passions, including illustration, painting, and photography, along with taking care of her three adorable pet rats.
David Eschrich, CG Supervisor / On-Set Supervisor / VESNY Co-Chair
David Eschrich is a seasoned CG supervisor with extensive experience across episodic, feature film and commercial. A self-taught artist, he built his own portfolio and left a career in finance to become a highly sought after artist and now supervisor in the NYC VFX industry. He has worked for top NYC shops including The Mill, Look Effects, Brainstorm Digital, The Molecule and Alkemy X, and is currently at Zoic studios. His credits include work on films and episodics such as Noah, Warrior, Iron Fist, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Homeland and The Lost City of Z. David is an active member of the visual effects community and currently serves on the VES New York board as Co-Chair.
Robert Keyghobad, Virtual Productions Producer
Robert Keyghobad began his career in Hollywood working for former Sony Pictures
Entertainment CEO Peter Guber. Over the past 20 years, Robert set up several major studio
deals including the acclaimed HBO series “Carnivále,” and the detective comedy “Honey
Vicarro” with Jenny McCarthy at 20th Century Fox and Fox Broadcasting Corporation. Robert
has also worked on numerous projects with artists such as screenwriter-producer David S.
Goyer (Man of Steel), pilot director David Nutter (Game of Thrones), and producer David
Heyman (Harry Potter).
After working on director Robert Zemeckis’ “A Christmas Carol,” and Disney’s “Tron Legacy,”
Robert took a position with video game developer Electronic Arts (EA) at its worldwide virtual
production studio in Vancouver, Canada. In this role, Robert oversaw all aspects of EA’s
worldwide physical and virtual production. From there he worked as Consultant/UPM on the
Starz sci-fi drama series “Incursion,” created by Steven DeKnight (Spartacus); as Virtual
Production Producer for Legendary and Universal Studios on “Warcraft”; and as Production
Consultant/UPM on Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s virtual reality short, “Carne y Arena” for
Prada/Legendary Entertainment.
Robert then took an executive consulting position at Netflix, and in that capacity covered over
50 International Original series. He returned to the freelance market and is currently consulting
for Amazon Studios.
Dan Pack, Managing Director
Dan Pack has been working in NY production and post for nearly the past 20 years. As a founding partner and Managing Director of Brooklyn-based Silver Spoon, Dan Pack oversees all production, client relationships and R&D, notably in the ever expanding field of virtual production. Dan and his team have contributed their motion capture and animation services to numerous commercials, video games, television shows, and features, with recent innovations in real-time character animation, broadcast AR and LED wall production. Prior to Silver Spoon, he held the position of Director of Business Development for Click 3X, and served as an Executive Producer for ASB, a global 3D previz shop. He began his career as a production assistant at Aero Film before joining Grey NY as a producer.
Join the Visual Effects Society and the Post NY Alliance for a two-part event Post Break: VFX Solutions to Covid problems Part I & Part II. How can Visual Effects help production & post in a post-covid Landscape? These two panels will join Visual effects experts and have conversations geared towards post production. The initial panel will be an overall view of what is being asked of Visual Effects and what that means for production and post. The second panel would be covering and discussing new technology and new tools Visual Effects can offer.
Jim Rider is a NYC-based visual effects supervisor with 30 years of experience in the industry. After starting his career in New York in commercial production, Jim moved to Los Angeles in the ’90s, where he specialized in motion control camera work and models/miniatures, shooting fun things like spaceships for Star Trek and submarines for Titanic. As the industry moved toward more digital visual effects, Jim transitioned to Flame and Nuke compositing, working as an artist and VFX supervisor at facilities such as Method, Gravity and The Mill. As an independent visual effects supervisor, Jim is able to bring his extensive on-set experience as well as post-production knowledge to help clients solve problems and bring their projects to life. Jim’s recent credits include The Plot Against America, The Deuce and Fahrenheit 451.
Julie Long, Visual Effects Producer
Julie Long is an award-winning Visual Effects Producer for Film and Television. After graduating from NYU’s Tisch, she began her career at CHRLX, an animation and design studio in New York. She went on to join the initial VFX team at Shade New York, where she discovered her passion for producing. In her four years at Shade, she led her team to Emmy nominations and awards for their work on Marvel / Netflix’s Daredevil and HBO’s Westworld. Following Shade, Julie explored working production side, joining the VFX production team for Sci-Fi’s Happy! Season 2. Missing direct collaboration with the artists and working on multiple projects at a time, she decided to return back to the vendor side and helped establish the Episodic Department at Framestore New York, alongside Creative Director, John Kilshaw. Julie’s passion for visual effects is deepened by her team’s enthusiasm for the work and collaborating with creatives to help realize their vision
Greg Anderson, Sr. VFX Supervisor/Head of Studio
Greg Anderson is currently Sr. VFX Supervisor and Head of Studio for the New York office of FuseFX, a global visual effects studio for television, features and commercials. He started the office in 2014 and since then, it has grown to over 70 employees. In his role as VFX Supervisor, most recently, he supervised the visual effects for the Netflix limited series, When They See Us, written and directed by Ava DuVernay. He has directly supervised the visual effects for several hit Marvel television shows as well; Luke Cage, The Punisher and Iron Fist. In addition, he has overseen the work on several other award-winning shows like The Blacklist, The Get Down and Mr. Robot; the last of which, he and his team were nominated in 2018 for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role. Originally from St. Louis, Greg attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a B.S. in Art and Design and an M.S. with a focus in Design and Computation, both from the School of Architecture and Planning. He started his career at Sony Pictures Imageworks designing the visual effects for several blockbuster, Oscar-nominated features including Starship Troopers, Hollow Man, Spider-Man and Matrix Revolutions. He then transitioned into advertising as a visual effects supervisor and director of campaigns for Target, Nissan, Microsoft, and many others. In 2009, he co-founded his own design/vfx studio called burn.crash.repeat., producing promos for MTV, Comedy Central and OWN. This experience led to his current position with FuseFX. Greg is a member of both the Television Academy and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Lotta Forssman, VFX Supervisor / VESNY Board Member
Lotta Forssman is a VFX supervisor at The Molecule VFX. She grew up in Sweden prior to graduating College at Ohio University with a major in Video Production and minor in film. She was introduced to the world of Post-production at her first internship on a Swedish Game Show. She started as a PA then got experience as an Assistant Editor and Motion Graphics Artist before making a move into Visual Effects. In 2009 she moved to New York and in 2010, joined The Molecule team as an artist. From there she transitioned to a VFX editor and worked her way up to a Visual Effects Producer and now, Visual Effects Supervisor. Experience being the best teacher, Lotta credits her understanding of the full process to her having had many seats within the company.
Some of the projects Lotta has overseen as VFX Supervisor have been Ballers for HBO, Good Cop, Master of None & Gypsy for Netflix, Red Oaks for Amazon and most recently the Apple series Dickinson.
Leah has 15 years of TV/Film Production experience beginning her career in production for commercials in 2005 before moving to post in 2008, then finding her passion for visual effects in 2011. She has worked as a VFX Producer on TV, Feature Films and commercials for several companies including Framestore, Method, Alkemy X and Zoic where she was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy. For the past 2.5 years Leah has been working as a VFX Producer on the show side recently completing 2 seasons of WARRIOR for Cinemax. Once shooting resumes, she will be in production for HBO’s, The Gilded Age. In her spare time, Leah enjoys photography, music and spending time with her family, including her new 10-month old baby boy, her husband & their rescue dog, Clark.
You’re invited to our exclusive webinar Common VFX workflows with CityEngine and Houdini. We’re excited to be joined by the hardworking team who recently released CityEngine 2020, Simon Haegler and Taisha Fabricius from Esri. We will also be joined by special guest Ellie Ansell, Groom/CFX TD at One of Us, who will talk about her work with CityEngine for Netflix’s The Witcher.
In this 1 hour webinar, we will showcase VFX workflows, diving deeper into exporting a CityEngine scene to Houdini and rendering it with Karma using the new CityEngine USD exporter. Click here to check out some great new features in CityEngine 2020!
VES members, please log in and RSVP below. Non-members can RSVP here. Webinar info will be sent out prior to the event.
You are invited to our second VES East Coast Netflix Party! You choose the movie!
Click here to vote for the movie. Then on Wednesday May 27 at 8PM we will watch together and join an online chat with our fellow VES colleagues from New York, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana.
FINE PRINT: NETFLIX SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE. DON’T HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN UP AT NETFLIX.COM FOR A FREE 30 DAY SUBSCRIPTION. NETFLIX PARTY CHROME EXTENSION REQUIRED TO BE INSTALLED. THIS IS AN UNMODERATED EVENT. PLEASE BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER.
You are invited to the first-ever, east coast, VES Netflix Party! Click here to vote for the movie. Then on Wednesday April 29 at 8PM we will watch together and join an online chat with our fellow VES colleagues from New York, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana.
FINE PRINT: NETFLIX SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE. DON’T HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN UP AT NETFLIX.COM FOR A FREE 30 DAY SUBSCRIPTION. NETFLIX PARTY CHROME EXTENSION REQUIRED TO BE INSTALLED. THIS IS AN UNMODERATED EVENT. PLEASE BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER.
You are invited to the join the ves-newyork Slack workspace to help you connect to your fellow section members and engage in discussions ranging from general, jobs, events, 2d and 3d vfx, all the way to the topic on everyone’s mind covid19.
This Slack workspace is open to all New York VES section members that wish to participate. To start our rollout we are requesting you “sign-up” via the VES website reservation system. There you can register for the ves-newyork Slack workspace with a different email than the one that you use for your VES account, if you so wish. As rsvp requests come in, we will be extending the invite from Slack to your preferred email.
Thank you.
First, sign in the VES website using the MEMBER LOGIN with your VES credentials on the left. You’ll then see “Welcome, USERNAME” if your login was successful. The signup features will not show up if you’re not logged in.
Reload the Slack Signup Event page and enter 1 and only 1 RSVP. Enter your Full Name and and the Email Address that you would like to use for the Slack invite, and press CONFIRM RSVP.
Please note, your member credentials will be auto populated in the Send RSVP confirmation to widget below; please leave that information as is. That info will not be used for the Slack Invitation.
As you may know, over the last couple of years, we have been working hard to put together a one-of-a-kind event that would gather cross-industry pioneers from around the globe, and bring to you the most advanced real-time tools, technologies and practices that are changing the way we live and do business.
By this time, we should have been polishing the last details with our venues, preparing signs, printing out programs and badges, sending you directions… But 2020, it seems, has decided otherwise.
Still, we know that this community has the power, even – or maybe especially – in this disruptive time, to transform our practices and maintain communication across industries – together and in real-time. After all, digital agility is part of our DNA here at RealTime Conference, as we have been working with a 100% remote community from day 1. Since the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted our original plans for trans-Atlantic convenings, connected in real-time, we have been working relentlessly to pivot to bring you a 100% virtual RealTime Conference, without sacrificing the richness of our program, and remaining as engaged and interactive as possible. And we are grateful to have been blessed with such a supportive community of partners, speakers, and collaborators that is the RealTime family.
In the spirit of fellowship, community, solidarity, and faith in the future, we are waiving all registration fees, and invite you to join us, at no cost, at the RealTime Conference in real-time online.
This is your opportunity to connect, learn, and share with leaders and cutting-edge innovators who are forging the future of real-time engagement. You may be under the impression that real-time technology only impacts a few industries, but our incredible RealTime family, featuring top-tier speakers from companies such as Intel, Epic Games, Google, Facebook, Adobe, Activision, Foundry, Weta Digital, Magnopus, Spatial, Daimler, 3Lateral, Oculus VR, Digital Domain, Pixar, and more… will be sharing with you extraordinary real-time’s enabling technologies and present-day applications on their own infrastructure, business, and resources. Topics will touch on everything from “Crafting Real and Virtual Architecture in Real-Time” and “Fostering Customers Engagement Though Real-Time Interactive Experiences” to “Bringing Real-Time Pipelines to Movie Making” and “The Real in Real-Time Photoreal Digital Humans”.
Last, but not least, a panel will address a sensitive topic as of today: “How to address the current climate and what studios, producers and companies could do to combat this in the future by making the most of real time technology”.
While we are still tweaking the hows & abouts of this online conferencing, please bear with us, and check our websitefor updates!! We’ll be back soon with more details as to how to register and a full program of keynotes and panel discussion.
This event has now been cancelled to be rescheduled at a later date.
Join the VES for a studio tour of FX WRX and a discussion of the in-camera process for visual effects. The technical and creative workflow with be explored through case studies and an open conversation with directors, artists and technicians.
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID19, we ask you or your guests who may show any symptoms or who might have been exposed to the virus do not attend VES events.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Pixar Animation Studios’ ONWARD
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID19, we ask you or your guests who may show any symptoms or who might have been exposed to the virus do not attend VES events.
Please RSVP below (VES members must login to RSVP and see venue information) Monday, March 9, 2020 at 7:30PM
Please join the VES New York Section for the 6th Annual VES Awards Celebration as we celebrate the finest achievements in visual effects artistry – from New York’s VFX community to the VES Award winners around the globe. This year, the Visual Effects Society’s New York Section is proud to present the 2020 VES NY Empire Award to Academy Award Winner and Director of NYU’s Future Reality Lab, Ken Perlin.
Ken Perlin, Academy Award Winner and Director of NYU’s Future Reality Lab will receive the 2020 VES Empire Award in recognition of his achievements in visual effects.
A professor in the Department of Computer Science at New York University, Perlin directs the Future Reality Lab, and is a participating faculty member at NYU MAGNET. His research interests include future reality, graphics and animation, user interfaces and education. He is chief scientist at Parallux, Tactonic Technologies and Autotoon, and is an advisor for High Fidelity. He received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for his noise and turbulence procedural texturing techniques, which are widely used in feature films and television, as well as membership in the ACM/SIGGRAPH Academy, the 2008 ACM/SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award, the TrapCode award for achievement in computer graphics research, the NYC Mayor’s award for excellence in Science and Technology and the Sokol award for outstanding Science faculty at NYU, and a Presidential Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation.
Cocktail attire
$55 for VES members; $95 for non-members
Online ticketing is now closed.
You can still join us tonight and purchase tickets at the door.
Now that the 18th Annual VES Awards season is underway, we once again invite VES members to participate in our Nomination Panels. The Nomination Event will be held worldwide on January 4, 2020.
Any active VES member who can travel to one of the cities listed below may participate.
This is your chance to determine who will ultimately walk up to the podium on January 29, 2020, to collect a coveted VES Award. A single vote may make the difference between being nominated… or not… and that vote could be yours!
Past participants know that this is the must-attend event of the awards season. Not only will you view some of the most amazing visual imagery of 2019, you’ll get to see exclusive behind-the-scenes footage while participating in the single best networking opportunity of the year. It’s a chance to see old friends, meet the best and brightest in the visual effects field, and learn new techniques that you can apply to your own craft. All of that, plus the satisfaction of knowing that you have participated in choosing what will ultimately be the Nominations announced to the press for the 18th Annual VES Awards.
Judges who register to participate will receive information about specific times and locations from their local section representatives once their applications are received. If you are ready to make a difference, please submit your Panel Judge Application BELOW. Make sure you check the box indicating which of the Nomination Event locations you are applying for.
The Nomination Event is a full-day event held on Saturday, January 4, 2020 around the globe. Nominees will be announced on Monday, January 6, 2020. We look forward to receiving your Judge Application to make this year’s Nomination Event a success!
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER followed by a live interactive Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Panelists will include Director J.J. Abrams as well as Visual Effects Supervisors Roger Guyett and Patrick Tubach, moderated by VES 1st Vice Chair Jeffrey A. Okun, VES. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below (VES members must login to RSVP and see venue information) Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 2:00PM
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Netflix’s THE IRISHMAN followed by a live interactive Q&A with Visual Effects Supervisor Pablo Helman, moderated by VES Fellow Paul Debevec, VES. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below (VES members must login to RSVP and see venue information)
(RSVPs close at 12:00PM on Friday, December 6) Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 2:00PM
VES Members: If you would like to signup for this event, please log in to RSVP. Attendee #1 is the VES member / Attendee #2 is the VES member’s guest. RSVPS for non-members are now closed
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Warner Bros. Pictures’ DOCTOR SLEEP Please RSVP below Friday, November 15, 2019 at 8:00PM
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Warner Bros. PicturesTHE GOLDFINCH
Please RSVP below Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at 7:00PM Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
The School of Visual Arts Invites New York VES Members and Their Guests to a Pre-Release Screening of DreamWorks Animation’sABOMINABLE followed by a Q&A with Director Jill Culton
Please RSVP below Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 8:00PM Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Night Screening of Warner Bros. PicturesIT CHAPTER TWO
Please RSVP below Friday, September 6, 2019 at 8:00PM Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Millenium Films’ ANGEL HAS FALLEN
Please RSVP below Monday, August 26, 2019 at 8:00PM Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Universal Pictures’ GOOD BOYS
Please RSVP below Monday, August 19, 2019 at 8:00PM Beatrice Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
This film is Rated R for strong crude sexual content, drug and alcohol material, and language throughout – all involving tweens.
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of 20th Century Fox’s THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN
Please RSVP below Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 4:00PM Beatrice Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
We thank our sponsors Molecule, Alkemy-X, Framestore, Crafty Apes, FuseFX, Cadence Effects and Nice Shoes for helping make this event possible. We also thank our Raffle sponsors BorisFX, Foundry and SideFX.
We thank our sponsors Molecule, Alkemy-X, Framestore, Crafty Apes, FuseFX, Cadence Effects and Nice Shoes for helping make this event possible. We also thank our Raffle sponsors BorisFX, Foundry and SideFX.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Universal Pictures’ FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW
Please RSVP below Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at 8:00PM Beatrice Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ THE LION KINGfollowed by a live interactive Q&A with the Filmmakers
Panelists will include Director Jon Favreau, Visual Effects Supervisor Rob Legato, and Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, ASC, moderated by Michael Fink, VES. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Saturday, July 27, 2019 at 2:00PM SVA’s Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESLIONKING, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Screening of 20th Century Fox’s STUBER
Please RSVP below Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Screening of Columbia Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME
Please RSVP below Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 2:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY 4
Please RSVP below Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Focus Features’ THE DEAD DON’T DIE
Please RSVP below.
Thursday, June 20, 2019 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenues) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend3D Screening of Columbia Pictures’ MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL
Please RSVP below Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 7:30PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
June 12th – doors open 7:00PM (CEST) and there will be beer and pizza!
ZOOM stream starts at 7:30PM (CEST)
Masterclass starts at 8:00PM (CEST)
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The VES invites you to our 3rd MEGABRAIN Masterclass where you can learn and share your knowledge with colleagues in the VFX industry. The idea is not to simply present show reels – but to teach actual techniques that help every artist to improve their skillset. This event will take place on June 12th 7:00PM at multiple locations and will also be streamed via ZOOM.
RSVP for your specific location on the appropriate event pages please:
Efficient facial rigging tools for emotionally believable digital humans
presented by Volker Helzle – Head of Research & Development at Filmakademie
Live from Munich Using Machine-learning to classify a VFXElements Library
presented by Jonas Kluger – Pipeline TD at ARRI
Live from Berlin Camera Technology: Sensors, Noise Properties, and Raw Processing
presented by Charles Poynton, PhD
We are overbooking to compensate for no-shows.
Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis.
An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
VES-Members and their registered guests only (except for Ludwigsburg and Cologne). No admission without registration – also at the streaming locations!
The event will also be recorded for everyone who can’t make it.
The event will be streamed live from (and to) Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg. For the first time we also provide direct access to the ZOOM stream for ALL VES MEMBERS around the world!
VES Germany is a proud Partner of the FMX Conference in Stuttgart.
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening of 20th Century Fox’s and Marvel Studios’ DARK PHOENIX
Please RSVP below.
Monday, June 10, 2019 at 7:30PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenues) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Paramount Pictures’ ROCKETMAN
Please RSVP below Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 7:30PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening ofWarner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Entertainment’s GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers
Panelists will include Visual Effects Supervisor Guillaume Rocheron, MPC Senior Animation Supervisor Spencer Cook, Method Studios Visual Effects SupervisorDaryl Sawchuk and Double Negative Visual Effects Supervisor Brian Connor, moderated by VES Board member Richard Winn Taylor II, VES. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 2:00PM SVA’s Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESGODZILLA, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Pre-Release 3D Screening of Universal Pictures’ and Illumination Entertainment’s THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2
Please RSVP below Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 4:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Summit Entertainment’s JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM
Please RSVP below Monday, May 27, 2019 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Screen Gems’ and Sony Pictures Entertainment’s BRIGHTBURN
Please RSVP below Monday, May 27, 2019 at 4:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ ALADDIN
Please RSVP below.
Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 7:00PM
Park Avenue Screening Room
500 Park Ave., Lobby Level (at the corner of 59th St.) New York, NY 10022 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a 3D Screening of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Entertainment’s POKEMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU
Please RSVP below Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 8:00PM SVA’s Beatrice Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
Please join us as fellow VES member Ari Rubenstein shares the pipeline and remote-based workflow used to produce his short film “The Blues Crab”. The production took over 2 years with a crew of 60 spanning 15 countries and was the first film to be lit and rendered entirely within a Compositing application using the production renderer Vray for Nuke.
Foundry’s own Matt Mazerolle, the Athera Senior Product Manager, will be joining us as well to show how to use the latest version of Nuke in the cloud.
Seating is limited.
The event will be held near the Flatiron. Street address will be emailed to registered attendees before the date.
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: ENDGAME followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers
Panelists will include Visual Effects Producer Jen Underdahl, ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Russell Earl, Digital Domain Visual Effects Supervisor Kelly Port, and Associate Visual Effects Supervisor Mårten Larsson, moderated by VES Board member Jeff Kleiser. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below.
Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 6:00PM
Park Avenue Screening Room
500 Park Ave., Lobby Level (at the corner of 59th St.) New York, NY 10022 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESENDGAME, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Screening of Annapurna Pictures’ MISSING LINK
Please RSVP below Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 2:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Paramount Pictures’ PET SEMATARY
Please RSVP below Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 7:30PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ DUMBO
Please RSVP below Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 6:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a 3D Screening of Paramount Pictures’ WONDER PARK
Please RSVP below Monday, March 18, 2019 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.Panelists will include Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck as well as Additional Visual Effects Supervisor Janelle Croshaw Ralla, moderated by Bill Taylor, VES, ASC. (Panelists will be announced as they are confirmed.)
Please RSVP below.
Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 2:00PM
Park Avenue Screening Room
500 Park Ave., Lobby Level (at the corner of 59th St.) New York, NY 10022 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESCAPTAINMARVEL, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
Please join the VES New York Section for the 5th Annual VES Awards after-after party as we celebrate the finest achievements in visual effects artistry – from New York’s VFX community to the VES Award winners around the globe. This year, the Visual Effects Society’s New York Section is proud to present the 2019 VES NY Empire Award to Bob Greenberg and the 2019 VES NY Empire Innovator Award to Jonah Friedman and Andy Jones.
Bob Greenberg, Founder and Executive Chairman of R/GA, will receive the 2019 VES Empire Award in recognition of his trailblazing work in the advertising and communications industry for nearly four decades.
Under his tutelage, R/Greenberg Associates and R/GA Digital Studios have been on the forefront of the rapidly changing visual effects industry since the 1970s and evolved from a world-class movie title shop, to a digital studio, to a major digital advertising agency. Today RGA is an all-in-one full-service agency, product and service innovator. R/GA developed leading-edge motion graphics live-action film and video production and created groundbreaking visual effects for movies such as ALIEN,PREDATOR, SE7EN and has a body of work spanning 400 feature films and 4,000 television commercials. Bob has won almost every industry award for creativity including the Academy Award, D&AD Pencils, Cannes Lions lifetime achievement Lion of St. Mark, the CLIP Lifetime Achievment Award, and has been inducted inot the Advertising Hall of Fame, Marketing Hall of Fame, and the Creative Hall of Fame, and more.
Jonah Friedman and Andy Jones will receive the 2019 VES Empire Innovator Award for their technological innovations that have dramatically influenced and elevated the status of the visual effects industry in New York City.
Cocktail attire
$55 for VES members; $95 for non-members
(For facilities purchasing 6 or more tickets, please call 818.981.7861 for special pricing)
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of DreamWorks Animation’s and Universal Pictures’ HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD
Please RSVP below Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 5:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of 20th Century Fox’s ALITA BATTLE ANGEL
Please RSVP below Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 8:00PM
SVA’s Beatrice Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening of Warner Bros. Pictures’ THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART
Please RSVP below Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 4:00PM
SVA’s Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
17h Annual VES Awards
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
The Beverly Hilton Hotel
9876 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
5:30 Reception
6:45 Dinner and Awards Presentation
CBS All Access cordially invites VES members and a guest to attend the Live Premiere Event for season two of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY on in New York City. (VES members must login in order to RSVP)
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Pre-Release 3D Screening of Paramount BUMBLEBEE
Please RSVP below Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA’s Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Sony Pictures Animation’s SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
Please RSVP below Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA’s Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
The NY VES sincerely thanks our annual Platinum Sponsors: Alkemy-X, ShadeFX, and The Molecule, plus our Silver Sponsors: East Side Effects and Big Film Designs for helping make this event possible.
The NY VES sincerely thanks our annual Platinum Sponsors: Alkemy-X, ShadeFX, and The Molecule, plus our Silver Sponsors: East Side Effects and Big Film Designs for helping make this event possible.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a 3D Screening of Netflix’s MOWGLI followed by a live interactive Q&A with Director Andy Serkis, Animation Supervisor Max Solomon and Members of the Visual Effects Team T.B.A. moderated by VES Board member Richard Winn Taylor II, VES. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 2:00PM Dolby Screening Room NYC 1350 6th Ave, New York, NY 10019 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESMOWGLI, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening of Universal Pictures’ and Illumination Entertainment’s DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH
Please RSVP below Sunday, November 18 2018 at 4:00PM
SVA’s Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Pre-Release Screening of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET followed by a Q&A with Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Kersavage, Character Look Development Supervisor Michelle Robinson and Head of Effects Animation Cesar Velazquezmoderated by VES Board member Charlie Iturriaga. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 2:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESRALPH, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Paramount Pictures’ OVERLORD
Please RSVP below Monday, November 12, 2018 at 9:30PM
SVA’s Beatrice Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend Screening of 20th Century Fox’s BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
Please RSVP below Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 7:30PM
SVA’s Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Universal Pictures’ HALLOWEEN
Please RSVP below Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at 10:00PM
SVA’s Silas Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
VES Members & Visual Effects Professionals – Come join the VES New York Board, your fellow Members and other visual effects professionals for some good conversation, a beverage or two, and meet new contacts.
VES Members & Visual Effects Professionals – Come join the VES New York Board, your fellow Members and other visual effects professionals for some good conversation, a beverage or two, and meet new contacts.
VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER followed by a live interactive Q&A with Writer/Director Ryan Coogler, Visual Effects Supervisor Geoffrey Baumann, ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Craig Hammack, Additional Visual Effects Supervisor Jesse James Chisholm and Special Effects Supervisor Dan Sudick moderated by VES Board member David Tanaka. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below.
Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 3:00PM
Park Avenue Screening Room
500 Park Ave., Lobby Level (at the corner of 59th St.) New York, NY 10022 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in San Francisco) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESWAKANDA4EVER, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of 20th Century Fox’s BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE
Please RSVP below Monday, October 15, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA’s Beatrice Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Annapurna Pictures’ THE SISTERS BROTHERS
Please RSVP below Sunday, September 23, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Universal Pictures’ THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS
Please RSVP below Sunday, September 23, 2018 at 5:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Sony Pictures’ WHITE BOY RICK
Please RSVP below Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of 20th Century Fox’s THE PREDATOR
Please RSVP below Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 5:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
NY VES Members, Guests and Industry Non-Members are invited to
Pub Night & Membership Drive at The Gray Mare.
VES Members – Come join the VES New York Board, your fellow Members and other visual effects professionals for some good conversation, a beverage or two, and meet new contacts.
NON Members – Come and meet current members and get needed contacts for help in getting recommendation letters. Two letters of recommendation are needed to apply to the VES.
The VES Fall membership drive ends September 15th.
Snacks! will be served. VES Members get drink tickets!
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening of Columbia Pictures’ ALPHA
Please RSVP below Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Night Screening of STX Entertainment’s THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS followed by a live interactive Q&A with Director Brian Henson, Actors and Puppeteers Bill Barretta and Drew Massey with Visual Effects Producer Melissa Brockman, Compositing Supervisor Caleb Knueven and CG Supervisor Efram Potelle moderated by VES Chair Mike Chambers. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
This film is Rated R, and is not intended for children. Click here to watch the trailer.
Please RSVP below Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESHAPPYTIME, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Focus Features’ BLACKkKLANSMAN
Please RSVP below Friday, August 17, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of 20th Century Fox’s THE DARKEST MINDS
Please RSVP below Saturday, August 11, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ CHRISTOPHER ROBIN
Please RSVP below Saturday, August 11, 2018 at 5:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Paramount Pictures’ MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT
Please RSVP below Friday, August 10, 2018 at 8:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Screening of Sony Pictures’ THE EQUALIZER 2
Please RSVP below Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Universal Pictures’ SKYSCRAPER
Please RSVP below Saturday, July 14, 2018 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Sony Pictures Animation’s HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION
Please RSVP below Saturday, July 14, 2018 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
Take the G/M/J train to Flushing Ave stop. Located in the large white Pfizer building on Flushing Ave. The Flushing Ave location is only open 8AM-4PM so use the second entrance through the parking lot on Tompkins Avenue. Come to the 3rd floor, walk right off the elevator and all the way down the hall.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP followed by a Live Interactive Q&A with Director Peyton Reed as well as Visual Effects Supervisor Stephane Ceretti moderated by VES Archives Committee Chair Gene Kozicki. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Saturday, July 7, 2018 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESWASP, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Universal Pictures’ and Blumhouse Pictures’ THE FIRST PURGE
Please RSVP below Friday, July 6, 2018 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Special Fathers’ Day Opening Weekend Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Pixar Animation Studios’ INCREDIBLES 2
Please RSVP below Sunday, June 17, 2018 at 6:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Special Fathers’ Day 3D Screening of Universal Pictures’ and Amblin Entertainment’s JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM followed by a Live Interactive Q&A with Director J.A. Bayona, ILM Visual Effects Supervisor David Vickery, ILM Animation Director Jance Rubinchik and ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Alex Wuttke with moderation by VES London Section Secretary Gavin Graham (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Sunday, June 17, 2018 at 2:00PM
SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in London) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESJURASSIC, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Global Road Entertainment’s HOTEL ARTEMIS
Please RSVP below Saturday, June 16, 2018 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
NY VES Members, Guests and Industry Non-Members are invited to
Pub Night at The Gray Mare.
Come join the VES New York Board, Members and other visual effects professionals for some good conversation, a beverage or two, and new contacts. Bring your co-workers and introduce them to the VES.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a 3D Opening Weekend Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Lucasfilm Ltd’s SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY followed by a live interactive Q&A with Overall Visual Effects Supervisor Rob Bredow, ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Pat Tubach, ILM Roto/Paint Supervisor Beth D’Amato and Hybride Visual Effects Supervisor Joseph Kasparian with moderation by VES Board member David Tanaka. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.) * Limited Seats available – Please arrive early – Show starts on-time
Please RSVP below Sunday, May 27, 2018 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in San Francisco) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESSOLO, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of 20th Century Fox’s DEADPOOL 2
Please RSVP below Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a 3D Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR followed by a Live Interactive Q&A with Visual Effects Producers Jen Underdahl and Lisa Marra, Weta Digital Visual Effects Supervisor Matt Aitken, Industrial Light + Magic Visual Effects Supervisor Russell Earl and Digital Domain Visual Effects Supervisor Kelly Port with moderation by VES Board member Jeff Kleiser. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.) * Limited Seats available – Please arrive early – Show starts on-time
Please RSVP below Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 3:00PM Park Avenue Screening Room
500 Park Ave., Lobby Level (at the corner of 59th St.) New York, NY 10022 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESINFINITYWAR, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Paramount Pictures’ A QUIET PLACE
Please RSVP below Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Amblin Entertainment’s READY PLAYER ONE
Please RSVP below Sunday, April 7, 2018 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening of Universal Pictures’ PACIFIC RIM UPRISING
Please RSVP below Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a 3D Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ A WRINKLE IN TIME followed by a Live Interactive Q&A with Visual Effects Supervisor Rich McBride and Previs Supervisor Chris Batty with moderation by VES Board member Lisa Cooke.
Please RSVP below Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 3:00PM Park Avenue Screening Room
500 Park Ave., Lobby Level (at the corner of 59th St.) New York, NY 10022 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in San Francisco) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESWRINKLE, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of 20th Century Fox’s RED SPARROW
Please RSVP below Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 9:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
Please join the VES New York Section for the 4th Annual VES Awards after-after party as we celebrate the finest achievements in visual effects artistry – from New York’s VFX community to the VES Award winners around the globe. This year, the Visual Effects Society is proud to present the VES Empire Award to beloved VFX supervisor Lesley Robson-Foster.
Lesley Robson-Foster – this year’s Empire Award honoree
Revered by broadcasters and directors, admired by the VFX industry, Lesley is a force of nature in her world. She has dedicated her professional life in the pursuit of perfection and she has come pretty close. In the process she has managed to push the envelope in some of the most prestigious television series in recent decades.
Lesley Robson-Foster’s career began at BBC television and continued at ILM until she eventually went on her own as a freelance visual effects supervisor.
She has shared her talents in NYC and LA on television series and feature films, including Six Feet Under, Sex and the City, The Wire, Ugly Betty, HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce, The Great Gatsby, Boardwalk Empire, Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl and Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick, Mosaic and Logan Lucky.
Most recently she worked with Amy Sherman Palladino on Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Reed Morano’s feature I Think We’re Alone Now and is currently working on the movie based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book The Goldfinch.
It is with great pride that the New York Section is able to honor Ms. Robson-Foster with the 2018 VES Empire Award.
Cocktail attire
$50 for VES members; $90 for non-members
(For facilities purchasing 6 or more tickets, please call 818.981.7861 for special pricing)
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend 3D Screening Of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER
Please RSVP below Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
2018 VES Awards When: Tue Feb 13, 2018 05:30pm to 11:00pm PST
Tickets & Sponsorship Information
For more information and to purchase tickets and/or sponsorships please use the links below. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact MTA Events at 818-814-6670 or ves@mtaevents.com. Thank You
16th Annual VES Awards
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
The Beverly Hilton Hotel
9876 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
5:30 Reception
6:45 Dinner and Awards Presentation
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Columbia Pictures’ ONLY THE BRAVE
Please RSVP below Sunday, January 28, 2018 at 3:00PM Beatrice Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Lucasfilm Ltd.’s STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI plus a live interactive Q&A.
Panelists will include Writer/Director Rian Johnson, ILM San Francisco Visual Effects Supervisor Eddie Pasquarello, ILM Vancouver Visual Effects Supervisor Dan Seddon, Cinematographer Steve Yedlin, ASC and Editor Bob Ducsay with moderation by VES Chair Mike Chambers. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Sunday, December 17, 2017 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESLASTJEDI, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a 3D Screening of 20th Century Fox’s and BlueSky Studios’ FERDINAND
Please RSVP below Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 2:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Fox Searchlight’s THE SHAPE OF WATER
Please RSVP below Saturday, December 9, 2017 at 2:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Focus Features’ DARKEST HOUR
Please RSVP below Sunday, November 26, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Families are Invited to a Screening of Walt Disney Studios’ and Pixar Animation Studios’ COCO
Please RSVP below Sunday, November 26, 2017 at 4:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of 20th Century Fox’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Please RSVP below Friday, November 17, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening Of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ THOR: RAGNAROK
Please RSVP below Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating,
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ BLADE RUNNER 2049
Please RSVP below Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Please be sure to bring your VES membership card. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of 20th Century Fox’s KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
Please RSVP below Friday, September 29, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Focus Features’ VICTORIA & ABDUL
Please RSVP below Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Paramount Pictures’ MOTHER! followed by a Q&A with Visual Effects Supervisor Dan Schrecker
Please RSVP below Monday, September 25, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a 3D Screening of GHOSTBUSTERS followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free 3D screening of last year’s hit paranormal comedy, Ghostbusters (2016), followed by a Q&A with three of the film’s visual effects artists, Arsen Arzumanyan (BFA 2012 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects), Elizabeth Martin (BFA 2015 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects), and Jun Zee Myers (BFA 2004 Computer Art). Preceded by the cinematic premiere of the new Betty Boop short Betty Goes A-Posen (2017), by Mike Carlo (BFA 2002 Animation) of Titmouse Animation and Frank Caruso (BFA 1985 Media Arts) of Hearst’s King Features. The Q&A will be moderated by current student Sunhea Oh (BFA 2018 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects).
Synopsis: Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.
Ghostbusters is rated PG-13, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13. Children under the age of 5 will not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a Screening of TASHI’S TURBINE Documentary followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 5:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free evening of documentaries, including the documentary feature Tashi’s Turbine (2015) by Amitabh Joshi and Erik Spink (MFA 2013 Social Documentary alumni), followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. The film will be preceded by the short documentaries Hali (2016) by Peter Hristoff (BFA 1981 Fine Arts) and Skull + Bone (2017) by Victoria Rivera (BFA 2011 Film and Video). The Q&A will be moderated by current student Ana Montgomery Neutze (MFA 2018 Social Documentary).
Synopsis: Tashi Bista dreams to install a makeshift wind turbine in Namdok, a remote village nestled high amongst the Himalayas of Nepal. Namdok, battered by wind and cold has been in darkness for centuries. Wearing Ray Bans to shield his eyes from the dust and just a leather jacket to insulate him from the bitter cold he surveys the village. He grew up in this region without electrical power. He is determined to bring lights to Namdok in an effort to prove himself to the skeptical village community. Tashi’s Turbine is a character driven film that shows the impact of one man’s dream for light, in a village waiting for development.
The films shown at this event are not rated by the MPAA, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 8. Children under the age of 5 may not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a 10th Anniversary 35mm Screening of RATATOUILLE followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 2:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free 10th anniversary screening of the Academy Award-winning Disney·Pixar family favorite, Ratatouille (2007), followed by a Q&A with Pixar animation and visual effects artists Ye Won Cho (MFA 2002 Computer Art), Andrew Dayton (BFA 1998 Computer Art), and Maria Lee (BFA 1988 Media Arts). The movie will be screened on 35mm film. Preceded by Jesse Willmon’s (MFA 2006 Design) Draw me a [blank] (2016) videos and the animated short Bluehilda (2017) by James Sugrue (BFA 2007 Animation) of Titmouse Animation. The Q&A will be moderated by current student Denian Ouyang (MFA 2018 Computer Arts).
Synopsis: A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous restaurant.
Ratatouille is rated G and is considered appropriate for all ages.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a 20th Annuversary Midnight Screening of THE GAME.
Click here to RSVP Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 11:59PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free 20th anniversary midnight screening of David Fincher’s brilliant thriller, The Game (1997), in honor of its late cinematographer Harris Savides (BFA 1982 Film and Video). Preceded by a special introduction by SVA cinematography faculty member Dejan Georgevich.
Synopsis: After a wealthy banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down when he becomes unable to distinguish between the game and reality.
The Game is rated R, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 17. Children under the age of 8 will not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a 20th Annivesary 35mm Screening of TITANIC followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 7:30PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free 20th anniversary screening of the Academy Award-winning blockbuster, Titanic (1997), followed by a Q&A with the film’s Oscar-winning sound mixer, Mark Ulano (1975 Film and Video). The movie will be screened on 35mm film. The Q&A will be moderated by current student Sage Love (BFA 2019 Film).
Synopsis: A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.
Titanic is rated PG-13, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13. Children under the age of 5 will not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a Screening of Gillian Robespierre’s LANDLINE followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 5:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free screening of Landline (2017), the newest film by director Gillian Robespierre and editor Casey Brooks (both BFA 2005 Film and Video alumni), followed by a Q&A with both. Preceded by the first episode in Elisa-Sofia Fioretti’s (MPS 2016 Directing) short-film series, Through Your Eyes (2017). The Q&A will be moderated by current student Isabel Montes (BFA 2018 Film).
Synopsis: In 1995, a teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan discovers that her father is having an affair.
Landline is rated R, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 17. Children under the age of 10 will not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a 3D Screening of DOCTOR STRANGE followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 2:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free screening and Q&A with SVA alumni animators and artists from Cartoon Network — the studio behind such hits as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Teen Titans Go! Guests include Hilary Florido (BFA 2007 Cartooning), Kat Morris (BFA 2008 Animation), and Mike Roth (BFA 1999 Animation). Join us for an afternoon of old favorites and new, never-before-seen work. Preceded by the animated short, Cartoons and You, by Mark Newgarden (BFA 1982 Media Arts), the co-creator of the infamous “Garbage Pail Kids”. The Q&A will be moderated by current student Shannon Baney (BFA 2020 Animation).
Some material shown in this screening may be inappropriate for children under the age of 8. Children under the age of 3 may not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a Screening Special Premieres 2017: A Showcase of New Film, Animation & VFX Work.
Click here to RSVP Friday, September 15, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As the Friday night screening of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present “SVA Premieres” — an evening of exceptional live action, documentary, and animated shorts by School of Visual Arts‘ most recent graduates from nine different academic departments, including films nominated for Student Academy Awards. Following the event, join the filmmakers and artists in the lobby for drinks and dessert. (A by-invitation-only reception will precede the screening. For questions related to that, please email premieres@sva.edu.)
The SVA Premieres 2017 Screening includes:
The Astronomical, Astrological and Mythological (excerpt) by Kijin Jang, MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Desde El Principio by Miguel J. Soliman, MPS Directing Dykes, Camera, Action! (excerpt) by Caroline Berler, MFA Social Documentary Fishy by Joseph Sulsenti, BFA Animation KCLOC by Ninaad Kulkarni, MFA Computer Art Nymph by Miwa Sakulrat, BFA Film Playground Warfare by Christin Scarborough, BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects Under Your Spell by Mikey Asanin, MPS Fashion Photography Untitled by Fuzhong Yang, BFA Photography and Video
Virtual Reality experiences in the lobby include:
As Above So Below by Daniel Finn, BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects
Meow No Want by Nina Park, MFA Computer Art
The films included in the evening are not rated by the MPAA. Parents are strongly cautioned – some material may be inappropriate for children under 13, and children under the age of 5 will not be admitted.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a 3D Screening of DOCTOR STRANGE followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 7:30PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free 3D screening of the Marvel Entertainment blockbuster, Doctor Strange (2016), followed by a Q&A with two of the film’s visual effects artists, Jesse Flores (BFA 2010 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects) and Paul Liaw (BFA 2002 Computer Art). Preceded by the world premiere of the short film End of the Line, Inwood (2017), written and co-directed by Efraim Acevedo Klein (BFA 2012 Film and Video). The Q&A will be moderated by current student Derrick Forkel (BFA 2018 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects).
Synopsis: While on a journey of physical and spiritual healing, a brilliant neurosurgeon is drawn into the world of the mystic arts.
Doctor Strange is rated PG-13, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13. Children under the age of 5 will not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a Screening of Bill Plympton’s REVENGEANCE followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free screening of Bill Plympton (1969 Cartooning) and Jim Lujan’s newest animated feature, Revengeance (2016), followed by a Q&A with the two directors. Plympton will appear live, and Lujan will appear via Skype. The film will be preceded by the award-winning animated short film Late (2014), by Christi Bertelsen (BFA 2002 Animation).
Synopsis: A low-rent bounty hunter named Rod Rosse, The One Man Posse, gets entangled in a web of danger when he takes on a job from an ex-biker/ex-wrestler turned U.S. senator named “Deathface.”
Revengeance is not rated by the MPAA, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13. Children under the age of 5 will not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a Screening of DISABILITY & VISIBILITY followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
The Blind, Seen (2016) is the autobiographical story of photographer David Snider (BFA 1992 Photography) and his blind parents. Anelisa Garfunkel’s (MFA 2016 Visual Narrative) We Will Ride (2016), being given its theatrical premiere, follows disabled riders fighting for public transportation improvements in Boston. Finally, the NYC premiere of the feature documentary Tin Soldiers (2015), by Ben Duffy (Film and Video) & Michael J. Sassano (BFA 2011 Film and Video), highlights members of the adaptive sports community. The Q&A will be moderated by current student Wega Chen (BFA 2018 Design).
The films shown at this event are not rated by the MPAA, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 8. Children under the age of 3 may not be admitted.
…. And come early to enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
VES Members and a Guest are Invited to a Screening of ART OF THE PRANK Documentary followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers.
Click here to RSVP Monday, September 11, 2017 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
As part of After School Special: The 2017 School of Visual Arts Alumni Film & Animation Festival, we are pleased to present a special free screening of the documentary Art of the Prank (2017), followed by a Q&A with the film’s subject, the godfather of the media hoax, Joey Skaggs (BFA 1982 Media Arts). Preceded by the short film Hello Norman (2014), co-written by Maëlle Doliveux (MFA 2013 Illustration as Visual Essay). The Q&A will be moderated by current student Katy-May Hudson (MPS 2018 Directing).
Synopsis: Art of the Prankis an emotional and humorous journey following the evolution of Joey Skaggs, Godfather of the media hoax, as he tries to pull off the most challenging prank of his career. This is interwoven with amazing archive footage of his earlier escapades-all reported as fact by prestigious journalists. The resulting twists and turns provide unprecedented insight into Joey’s work as an artist, activist and social satirist.
Art of the Prank is not rated by the MPAA, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13. Children under the age of 5 will not be admitted.
In honor of September 11th, Lance Cain’s (1990 Film and Video) A Few Days After will be on view in the lobby before and after the screening.
Ticket Information
All After School Special festival screenings are free and open to the public. General Admission RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee admittance. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening.
If you would like to attend this event, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email svatheatre@sva.edu or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior.
Concessions Information
A limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings. Otherwise, concessions are not available for purchase at SVA Theatre. Guests are welcome to bring food and drink. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
Please contact svatheatre@sva.edu with questions. Guests subject to change.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Lionsgate’s and Millennium Films’ THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD
Please RSVP below Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Columbia Pictures’ THE DARK TOWER
Please RSVP below Friday, August 11, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of The Weinstein Company’s WIND RIVER
Please RSVP below Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Focus Features’ ATOMIC BLONDE
Please RSVP below Friday, August 4, 2017 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to 3D Screening of STX Entertainment’s VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS, plus a live interactive Q&A with the filmmakers.
Panelists will include Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Stokdyk, Visual Effects Producer Sophie Leclerc, Rodeo FX Associate Visual Effects Supervisor Peter Nofz and Weta Digital Visual Effects Supervisor Martin Hill with moderation by VES Board member Bill Taylor, VES, ASC. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Sunday, July 30, 2017 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESVALERIAN, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
Please join us for great food, cold beverages, and raffle prizes that you won’t want to miss.
Members and Non-Members are welcome, so come out and mingle with the entire NY VFX Community! Tickets are required for this event. Please purchase and reserve at the link below:
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening Of Columbia Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
Please RSVP below Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend Screening of 20th Century Fox’s WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, plus a live interactive Q&A with the filmmakers.
Panelists will include Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Letteri and Director Matt Reeves with moderation by VES Board member Jeff Kleiser. (All panelists’ participation based on availability.)
Please RSVP below Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Please tweet your questions after the screening in order to participate in the Q&A panel (which will take place in Los Angeles) immediately following the screening. (be sure to include the hashtag, #VESWARFORTHEPLANET, in your tweet.)
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a 3D Screening of Paramount Pictures’ TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT
Please RSVP below Friday, June 30, 2017 at 9:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Night 3D Screening of Universal Pictures’ and Illumination Entertainment’s DESPICABLE ME 3
Please RSVP below Friday, June 30, 2017 at 7:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
It’s been a while since we’ve all gotten together! Please join the VES NY for another Pub Night.
Location will be at the Loreley Beer Garden. We can hang outside at the Garden or by the tables that will be reserved on the main floor.
Open to members and non members. Drink tickets will be given to VES members. Snacks will be provided.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to an Opening Weekend Fathers’ Day Screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ and Pixar Animation Studios’ CARS 3
Please RSVP below Sunday, June 18, 2017 at 3:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
New York VES Members and Their Guests are Invited to a Screening of Universal Pictures’ THE MUMMY
Please RSVP below Monday, June 12, 2017 at 8:00PM SVA Theater at the School of Visual Arts
333 W. 23rd Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10011 Click here for a map
Screenings are overbooked to compensate for no-shows. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee seating.
Ken Perlin, Academy Award Winner and Director of NYU’s Future Reality Lab will receive the 2020 VES Empire Award in recognition of his achievements in visual effects.
Now that the 18th Annual VES Awards season is underway, we once again invite VES members to participate in our Nomination Panels. The Nomination Event will be held worldwide on January 4, 2020.
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Please join the VES New York Section for the 5th Annual VES Awards after-after party as we celebrate the finest achievements in visual effects artistry – from New York’s VFX community to the VES Award winners around the globe. This year, the Visual Effects Society’s New York Section is proud to present the 2019 VES NY Empire Award to Bob Greenberg and the 2019 VES NY Empire Innovator Award to Jonah Friedman and Andy Jones..jpg)
Bob Greenberg, Founder and Executive Chairman of R/GA, will receive the 2019 VES Empire Award in recognition of his trailblazing work in the advertising and communications industry for nearly four decades.
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