The Visual Effects Society is host to the 2007 VES Festival of Visual Effects at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, June 7-10. The highlight of the weekend is sure to be the unveiling of the VES 50: The Most Influential Visual Effects Films of All Time.
The panel for the VES 50 includes Academy Award winners Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Doug Trumbull and John Dykstra (schedule permitting), and the moderator will be Oscar winner John Knoll. This legendary group of experts will examine the top 50 films that have had, "a significant, lasting impact on the practice and appreciation of visual effects as an integral, artistic element of cinematic expression and the storytelling process."
Some of the programs that will be showcased during the Festival include:
* The Art Of The Miniature: What Can You Get Me In Two Weeks?
* VFX Manipulation: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
* Pre-Viz: All The Ins And Outs
* Fall Film Showcase
* SHREK Through the Ages
* PIRATE OF THE CARIBBEAN: A VFX Voyage
As a member of VES, you are eligible to buy a discounted full Festival pass for $150 (full price is $200).
Your discounted full Festival pass will give you entry into all aspects of the Festival, including the opening night party, all the panels, expert discussions, film screenings and the presentation of the VES 50.
The VES Festival is open to the public; information on programs and tickets will be released in upcoming months.
One of Hollywood's youngest organizations, the VES (www.visualeffectssociety.com) was formed in 1997 in response to the explosive growth in the visual effects industry. It is a professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community, and promoting industry recognition. The VES is the entertainment industry's only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of about 1,500 global members, the VES strives to enrich and educate its own members and members of the entertainment community at large through a multitude of domestic and international events, screenings and programs.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
