A PLF report on Iron Man proved useful in understanding previs and postvis. © 2008 MVLFFLLC. ™ & © 2008 Marvel Ent.

"Another key learning was that previs continues to evolve, and that previs practitioners worldwide would benefit from a permanent organization centered on their craft," Morin continues. "For that reason, the previs practitioners on our committee decided to join forces for the greater good and create a new, permanent non-profit trade organization centered on previsualization. At the last meeting of the previs committee, all members gave their full support to the new organization. That new organization is the single most important outcome of the previs committee. "

Meanwhile, funding for the society will come through corporate sponsorship (Autodesk is the first) and dues. There will be three main categories for membership, with fees to be determined: professional (practitioners), associate (the community that interfaces with previs) and educational (educators as well as students).

They are also interested in working with technology makers to better focus on tools that best benefit previs.

"The society will be the best thing to happen to previs since its birth," adds Gregoire. "We've needed a means to define the value statement of previs and discuss best practices. I really hope that we are successful in building a vibrant community that will engender people from all walks of production to come together and start talking about how we can utilize digital filmmaking techniques as a successful unit. We're going to be working really hard to build the visibility of previs in the eyes of consumers and put real data behind what we have done, what we are doing and what we can do in the future. I also hope that our starting this society encourages everyone -- from people interested in using previs to students looking to learn previs techniques -- to get involved in the previs world."

POV provided instruction on Journey to the Center of the Earth and stereoscopic previs. © MMVII New Line Prods., INC. and Walden Media, LLC.

Adds Pohl: "Previs is more than a simple disposable tool. It is a process crucial to any kind of artist desiring to create a better work of art. Whether that's in film production, architectural design, motion graphics or game cinematics, previs helps make monumental tasks manageable and clarifies the artist's vision."

Adds McDowell, "This group of independent previs practitioners came together within the Previs committee, and as the core practitioners in the industry they were vital to providing the committee members with history, context and an insight into their full range of skills and the uses of previs across all production. It was clear that the results and findings of the Previs committee needed to be widely disseminated, and that there will be no better group to do this, and to manage the future possibilities and outcome of previs for our industry, than the Previs Society.

"It is also clear that previs by it range of definitions, and by definition, transcends the traditional compartmentalizing of the film crafts. New digital production demands a non-linear workflow that is available to all departments and to the director and all creative leads. It requires a collaborative workspace that threads through all production iteratively generates the metadata of any film from inception, and gathers and distributes information throughout the production. Previs is perfectly placed to provide this virtual production space from early concept and design through locations, blocking, sequence, capture and post production, while managing technical data, assets and footage throughout production.