The conference’s 1st hybrid edition hosted some 210,000 visitors online and 300+ attending in-person with a total of 297 speakers delivering 160 talks, panels, workshops, masterclasses, and keynote speeches; over 140 sessions are now available to stream on-demand.
VIEW Conference 2021, Italy’s premiere animation, VFX and computer graphics conference, took place from October 17 to 22, 2021, marking the most successful year in the event’s 22-year history. Staged as a hybrid event, multiple speakers attended, presenting in-person at the state-of-the-art OGR venue in Torino, Italy, with even more presented virtually; a total of 297 speakers delivered 160 talks, panels, workshops, masterclasses, and keynote speeches.
Through the course of the week, some 210,000 visitors attended VIEW Conference 2021 online with 300+ people attending the venue itself, where four rooms were open for in-person presentations and workshops. Four live feeds streamed these and other sessions all day and into the night, making the entire program available to a global audience.
Conference highlights included keynote speeches by film directors Tom McGrath (Madagascar, The Boss Baby: Family Business), Jorge R. Gutierrez (The Book of Life, Maya and the Three), and Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells, Wolfwalkers, also director and co-founder of Cartoon Saloon), plus a special Q&A with Sir Roger Deakins, Oscar-Winning cinematographer, and recipient of the VIEW Visionary Award 2021.
A wide range of sessions were offered featuring the creative teams behind the latest features and short films, with panels on Disney’s upcoming animated feature Encanto, led by director Byron Howard; Sony Pictures Animation's The Mitchells vs. The Machines with director Mike Rianda; Pixar’s Luca with director Enrico Casarosa; and Sony Pictures Animation's Vivo with director Kirk DeMicco. Director Patrick Imbert discussed his upcoming animated feature The Summit of the Gods, while Aardman co-founder Peter Lord joined directors Daniel Ojari and Mikey Please for a panel on the creation of the studio’s seasonal short film Robin Robin.
Continuing its mission to support representation and diversity, VIEW Conference 2021 welcomed more women speakers than ever before, including Marge Dean and Jinko Gotoh, president and vice-president of the support and advocacy group Women in Animation.
The conference continued its commitment to education and training with the presentation of a range of workshops designed to expand knowledge and advance skills in VFX and animation software. An exclusive SideFX Houdini HIVE suite of presentations included the official launch reveal of Houdini 19. Speakers from Epic Games presented on a range of topics including the company’s real-time 3D creation tool Unreal Engine.
“Delivering a hybrid event of this magnitude was unbelievably challenging,” shared Conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez. “I am delighted to say that everything ran like clockwork, and I am incredibly proud of everyone who helped make this year’s event such a record-breaking success. I am truly honored that so many masters of their craft gave up their time to speak at VIEW Conference this year. Between them they have inspired nearly a quarter of a million people around the globe, including large audiences in emerging economies such as Mexico, India, and Brazil.”
“My determination to make VIEW Conference 2021 free to attend was borne of a conviction that we all need to support each other and help each other heal after the suffering we have all endured through the pandemic,” she continued. “I like to think of the conference as a plate piled high with delicious food, which anyone can sample and enjoy. It is a way for some of our greatest creative talents to share their wisdom and experience, and for students to meet their heroes. At VIEW Conference, everyone gets to feel the magic.”
Since closing the conference, the organizers have been inundated with messages of support from those who attended.
“I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection we have received from all our friends who spoke at this year’s VIEW Conference,” added Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez. “I am thrilled to share their testimonials with the world.”
“This was our first experience with VIEW Conference, and we enjoyed it very much,” shared Academy Award-winning cinematographer Sir Roger Deakins. “We loved the chance to sit with our friend and collaborator, Dean DeBlois, and talk about vision. And we thought the questions from the audience were great. Thanks to the VIEW Conference for holding such a stimulating program and allowing us to be a part of it.”
“The VIEW Conference is the most beautiful expression of the enthusiasm and passion we all share for animation,” said Tom McGrath, director of Madagascar and The Boss Baby: Family Business. “After 20 months of isolation, it was a healing experience to meet people in person that I admire from different studios and positions and become forever bonded by our shared experience.”
“As an insane lover of the astounding magical gathering that the VIEW Conference has become over the years,” shared Jorge R. Gutierrez, director of The Book of Life and Maya and the Three, “It was my great honor to be the keynote speaker for the 2021 edition. I leave with not only a full heart but a revived spirit after everything I witnessed at this year's astounding and profound event. The amount of talent gathered is nothing short of miraculous. May we all be so lucky as to be a part of VIEW 2022!”
“VIEW Conference is such an inspiring and special event,” Tomm Moore, director of Wolfwalkers, also director and co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, said. “This year’s hybrid event reminded me how important it is to hear from other creators and share our passion. It elevates the art form when we come together like this.”
“The VIEW Conference is AMAZING,” said Mike Rianda, director of The Mitchells vs. The Machines. “It's both a place for industry artists to meet and exchange ideas – but more importantly for students and animation fans around the world to get skills, knowledge, and inspiration! It's both indispensable and a ton of fun!”
Over 140 sessions from VIEW Conference 2021 are now available to stream on-demand at your convenience. On-demand tickets are available here or check the list of individual sessions that are available on demand here.
The conference is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to delivering a stellar annual program that features presentations, keynotes, workshops and panels by industry leaders and icons. It continues its mission to support representation and diversity as well as its commitment to education and training with first-class presentations of a range of workshops designed to expand knowledge and advance skills in VFX and animation. Please consider supporting the event to help keep VIEW Conference going strong.
Subscribe to the VIEW YouTube channel to be notified when new content drops. Coming later this week, a 60-minute interview with Maya and the Three director Jorge R. Gutiérrez.
Source: VIEW Conference 2021
