The Visual Effects Society (VES), the world's premiere visual effects organization, announced today that it will hold its third annual Production Summit for the greater entertainment industry on October 1st. Production Summit 2011 – Trending the Global Marketplace: You Are Here -- will gather leading executives, creatives, technologists and visionaries to discuss and examine the impact of globalization and the opportunities and challenges it presents the entertainment industry. The event will bring together the production community for a day of conversation, collaboration and inspiration. Practitioners from all crafts are invited to join together to engage in discussion regarding the very active 24/7 global world in which we currently reside. The one-day event will be held at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Eric Roth, VES Executive Director, states, “This year’s Summit will feature ongoing interaction between an international group of key industry leaders whose mandate is to adapt to the global nature of the entertainment industry by staying current with ever changing technologies, and rethinking production schedules and distribution channels. Attendees will be encouraged to think innovatively in order to find better solutions for their businesses.”

Presentation speakers will include:

A Keynote Address by Bob Pisano, President and COO, Motion Picture Association of America and feature presentations by Autodesk Fellow, Tom Wujec, and leading entertainment industry analyst with Janey Montgomery Scott, Tony Wible.

Panelists and Roundtable Moderators confirmed as of this date include:

Rob Bredow - Chief Technology Officer and Visual Effects Supervisor, Sony Pictures ImageworksAnnie Chang - Vice President of Post-Production Technology for The Walt Disney Studios Digital Production TechnologyRichard Chuang - CEO Cloudpic Global, IncBob Coleman - President, Digital Artists Agency, Inc (DAA)Chris deFaria - Executive Vice President, Production Digital Production for Warner Bros.Warren Franklin - CEO, Rainmaker EntertainmentTed Gagliano - President Feature Post Production, Twentieth Century Fox StudiosDan Glass - Sr VFX Supervisor, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Method StudiosUday Kumar - Vice President US Operations Reliance Media WorksThilo Kuther - CEO & Managing Director, PixomondoAmy Lemisch - Executive Director, California Film CommissionSteve Papazian - President, Worldwide Physical Production, Warner BrosChristian Roberton - Managing Director, MPC FilmAndy Romanoff - Industry Relations / Business Development, AbelCineCarl Rosendahl - Faculty, Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology CenterScott Squires - Visual Effects ProducerRandy Starr - Visual Effects ProducerStephan Trojansky - VFX Supervisor / Co-Founder of Scanline VFX

The Sessions will include:

The Studios' POV: Adapting to Innovation in a 24 Hour World

What do you need to know in order to keep up with the latest technology and keep your business on track? Innovative digital technology has radically changed the post and distribution channels of the studios which in turn affects the filmmakers and services providers within their sphere. Meeting these new needs requires extraordinary operational coordination and responsiveness across the studios’ global digital efforts. This reality creates a need for cooperation and conflict resolution mechanisms within and across all functions, as well as budget procedures that allow for flexibility and rapid direction changes. The very things that push creativity and efficiency can provide new obstacles. This panel examines how studios determine a clear approach for monitoring, sharing and adapting within this globally interconnected network and the best ways to work together and maintain reasonable margins.