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ILM’s Dennis Muren to Receive VIEW 2020 Visionary Award

Legendary nine-time Oscar-winning senior VFX supervisor to be honored at this week’s conference; ‘Tenet’ VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson to deliver closing keynote Friday, October 23.

VIEW Conference has just announced that its 2020 Visionary Award is being presented to Industrial Light & Magic senior VFX supervisor and creative director, Dennis Muren, who will participate in his own keynote Q&A on the conference’s final day. Part of the core visual effects team that worked on the original Star Wars, Muren was at the forefront of the digital effects revolution with his groundbreaking work on The Abyss, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park. At ILM, the nine-time Oscar winner continues to steer the evolution of the company while championing new effects techniques and technologies.

“Dennis Muren is a force of nature and a real living legend,” says festival director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez. “Throughout his career he has elevated his craft to the highest levels, and inspired young artists to follow him into the stratosphere. He is without question a worthy recipient of this year’s Visionary Award.”

The festival has also added a closing keynote by Andrew Jackson, VFX supervisor on Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, on Friday, October 23. Jackson will discuss the mind-bending visual effects on Nolan’s latest thriller in a special discussion with Carolyn Giardina of The Hollywood Reporter.

Tenet marks the second collaboration between Nolan and Jackson, who was visual effects supervisor on the director’s previous film, Dunkirk, for which he gained a BAFTA Award nomination. Renowned for his skill in seamlessly integrating digital effects with practical action, Jackson received an Academy Award nomination for his work as visual effects supervisor on George Miller’s post-apocalyptic epic Mad Max: Fury Road.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Andrew Jackson headlining the closing session at this year’s VIEW Conference,” says Conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez. “Like everyone attending the conference, I can’t wait for him to share his insights and experience of working on Christopher Nolan’s newest theatrical spectacle.”

In other conference news, three 60-minute panels continue the “big picture” theme, beginning on Tuesday, October 20 with The Future of Cinema, which will be discussed by Tomm Moore, co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, Jorge R. Gutierrez, director of The Book of Life, and Tony Bancroft, director of Animal Crackers, with Steven Gaydos, executive VP of content at Variety, moderating.

Steven Gaydos returns on Wednesday, October 21 to moderate a panel on The Future of Storytelling, which brings together Kyle Balda, director of Minions: The Rise of Gru, Kris Pearn, director at Sony Pictures Animation, Eric Darnell, chief creative director at Baobab Studios, and Ron Martin, creative and technical director of media and entertainment at Unity Technologies.

On Thursday, October 22, the subject under discussion is Women in the Animation Industry. Mireille Soria, president of Paramount Animation, joins forces with Marge Dean, head of studio at Crunchy Roll and president of Women in Animation, Osnat Shurer, producer of Moana and Raya and the Last Dragon, and Maureen Fan, CEO and co-founder of Baobab Studios, with Carolyn Giardina moderating.

“The best way to discuss big ideas is to surround yourself with true industry giants,” says Dr. Gutierrez. “I am so grateful that we have been able to do just that with our stellar line-up of directors and studio heads.”

The international VIEW Conference, Italy’s premiere event for Computer Graphics, Interactive & Immersive Media, Animation, Visual Effects, Games, Real-time Rendering, Virtual Production, AI, VR, AR, and Mixed Reality, brings top professionals from those fields to the beautiful baroque city of Torino, Italy for a week of talks, presentations, and workshops.

The 2020 VIEW Conference is taking place now through October 23 in Torino’s state-of-the-art OGR venue and virtually. “Because VIEW Conference will be online as well as onsite this year, we are taking advantage of the wonderful opportunity to include remarkable professionals from all over the globe,” says Dr. Gutierrez. “VIEW 2020 will be amazing.”

VIEW Conference 2020 is made possible thanks to the support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, Regione Piemonte, Città di Torino and the OGR.

Free registration is now open. Additional information is available on the event website.

Source: View Conference

Dan Sarto's picture

Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.