VES Committees2024-03-07T10:04:09-08:00

VES Committees

If you have any questions or are interested in joining a committee, please email the Chair(s) directly.

Mission or Purpose:
The purpose of the archives committee is to preserve the history of our craft and our society by collecting materials and knowledge related to the industry and working with other organizations to promote the understanding of the visual effects art form.

Current Projects:

  • Build physical research library on-site at VES office
  • Develop methodology to deliver research library benefit to memberships
  • Continue oral history project
  • Archiving of VES events
  • Possible archives partnerships with other organizations.

Chair
Lisa Cooke

Co-Chair
David Tanaka, VES

Mission or Purpose:
The Awards Committee plans, designs, and helps produce the annual VES Awards, which provides insight into and knowledge of the field of visual effects for peers, practitioners, students, and the industry. It is your chance to inform the world of what you do with our art and science. To challenge and inspire – as well as the new up and coming generation of visual effects artists – to step in, step up and imagine a new world!

Current Projects:

  • Plan, design and produce the Annual VES Awards show along with all the necessary graphics, programs, marketing, location sites, catering search, technical show production, etc.
  • Held nominating events in London, Bay Area, Australia, New York, New Zealand, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, and Germany Sections of the VES concurrently with the nominating event in LA as part of the VES’ continuing commitment to involve the international visual effects community in all its activities.
  • The submission rules have been split into 2 documents, Policies and Rules & Procedures, both available online.
  • Implement new technologies to accomplish this event, which would allow more members to participate in the online view and vote.

Chairs
Dennis Serras (Chair)
Lopsie Schwartz (Co-Chair)

Mission or Purpose:
The VES Education Initiative is a long-term goal of finding and creating avenues, under the education umbrella, to expand the visual effects global talent pool, focusing on untapped and non-traditional demographics, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. This includes finding raw new talent and creating new opportunities for those currently employed in visual effects.

Chair
Arnon Manor

Mission or Purpose:
The intention of the Committee is to create and publish a handbook of visual effects under the VES brand. The book should have valuable information that applies to all levels of our field, including but not limited to techniques and technical approaches.

Co-Chairs
Jeffrey A. Okun, VES
Susan Zwerman, VES

Mission or Purpose:
To increase access by members to resources that better assist them in maintaining or improving their health and mental wellbeing thus improving their overall quality of life. To demonstrate to members that we care about them as people. This includes discounts, membership benefits and educational resources.

Co-Chairs
Emma Clifton Perry
Philipp Wolf

Mission or Purpose:
The Membership Committee is a permanent standing committee of the Society, as specified in the by-laws. The Membership Committee’s primary purpose is to review applicants for membership, and make recommendations to the VES Board of Directors regarding admission of the applicants to the society. The Board of Directors retains the rights to admit or reject applicants into the society.

Current Projects:

  • Twice-yearly review of applicants resulting in recommendations to the Board of Directors.
  • Monitoring and updating the application forms and procedures.
  • Monitoring and maintaining the endorsement guidelines
  • Monitoring and making recommendations for membership admission requirements and procedures.
  • Monitoring the society’s desire for growth, as applied to membership count and upcoming applications.
  • Monitoring the “welcome package” – what the new member receives upon acceptance – recommending any changes, updates, or improvements that might be needed or desired.

Co-Chairs
Susan O’Neal
Joe Weidenbach

Mission or Purpose:

  • To help qualified and interested VFX professionals, in regions where there are few VES members to become VES Members by helping them secure the required endorsements from current VES Members.
  • To help young growing regions, that aspire to become VES Sections, to grow to reach the necessary membership numbers to do so .
  • To reach out to the Animation and Gaming professionals everywhere to make them aware of the value we place on them, how we see them to be of the same stuff as our current VFX membership and to show them how the VES is as relevant to them as all the other crafts we already represent.

Chair
Tim McGovern

Mission or Purpose:
The Visual Effects Society Technology Committee exists to research, encourage, present, and publish new methods, materials, processes and technologies that forward the arts, craft, and science of visual effects. The Technology Committee is dedicated to seeking out and developing innovative and visionary solutions to empower the visual effects artist, engineer, and technician. Visit the Technology Committee Activities Page for more details

Chair
Sebastian Sylwan, VES

Mission or Purpose:
The Work From Home Committee exists to advocate for a mutually workable set of recommendations such that our members and the industry at large can continue to benefit from the new mode of operation that emerged during the coronavirus pandemic. It has a goal of providing resources to educate, and assist with enabling any advocacy necessary to ensure WFH and Hybrid Working Practices can continue in some manner into the future.

Chair
Gavin Graham

Co-Chair
Colin Campbell