The Visual Effects Society (VES) will launch a new white paper program beginning in 2008 to better service and educate the entertainment industry on the practice and business of VFX. The first paper, titled "The State of VFX," is due out in March and will cover the industry transition to a digital-dominated production paradigm and how it is being driven by rapid changes in technology. Other issues addressed are economic and creative and how they all affect each other. In today's rapidly changing tech environment, new ways of working can appear so quickly and with so many crisscrossing ramifications, that it can be difficult to get a sense of the bigger picture.
"This will be the beginning of an important industry-wide dialog led by the practitioners who experience these changes on a daily basis," said Jeff Okun, chair of the VES. "Key issues need to be addressed now, not only within the visual effects industry, but as part of an industry-wide initiative to move the art and business of filmmaking forward."
"The State of VFX" will explore three key issues:
1. The eroding lines of production phases
2. The demands of new roles in the production process
3. Industry misperceptions that VFX is fast, cheap and easy to do
It will include information and opinions from the 2007 Visual Effects Society Think Tank, comprised of leaders from the visual effects and software industries, as well as many in-depth one-on-one interviews.
While research is still being gathered and compiled, initial analysis indicates:
* A majority of the entertainment industry does not have a working understanding of VFX
* Guilds and societies need to come together to address the key issues
* Educating key decision-makers at the studio level about the visual effects production process is crucial
VES is a professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects and to upholding the highest uniform standards and procedures for the visual effects profession. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary year, VES is the entertainment industry's only official trade organization representing the extended community of visual effects practitioners including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers, educators and studio execs. Its 1,500 global members contribute to all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos, games and new media. VES strives to enrich and educate its members and the entertainment community at large through many domestic and international events, screenings and programs. Visual effects professionals constitute a vital creative force in content creation and are literally shaping the future of entertainment.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
