For the first time, the Visual Effects Society's Festival of Visual Effects will include an ongoing showcase that will highlight examples of the best visual effects work being done by international artists. This year's Festival, the eighth annual, will be held July 6-8, at the famed Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
"The Visual Effects Society celebrates visual effects from all around the world so we are pleased that the Egyptian has a secondary screening room which will allow us to conduct an international survey of visual effects practitioners," explained Eric Roth, exec director of the VES.
The VES invites professional artists and effects facilities outside of the U.S. to submit samples of their work, with an emphasis on work from their native countries. Understanding the challenges of creating effects for local markets and the unique perspectives and techniques that individual artists from these markets display will be one of the highlights of the showcase. Although 3D-animated work can be submitted, the VES makes a distinction between visual effects and digital animation, preferring to focus on the use of visual effects, and all of its attendant techniques, both digital and traditional, for this showcase.
Submitted sample reels should ideally contain both final shots as well as behind-the-scenes or very short before and after sequences (five minutes or less) so the work can be fully understood and appreciated. Reels should be broadcast resolution (720x480) and be submitted in digital format (QuickTime or AVI format) or on DVD-R NTSC. Please do not send entire features.
Submitting parties are solely responsible for the truth and accuracy of all information on the reel, and must warrant that they are in fact primarily responsible for creating the submitted work.
Additionally, the VES will use any or all of the samples at its sole discretion and will not be able to return the samples sent to VES. The deadline for submission of materials to the VES is June 19, 2006.
All materials submitted to the VES will be considered cleared only for the following uses:
* Screening by the VES staff for the purposes of surveying the scope and nature of visual effects work being performed by international artists and facilities.
* Screening by VES members and attendees of the 2006 Festival of Visual Effects as part of an illustrative montage of international visual effects work.
* Archival purposes.
For more information and submission entry form, visit www.visualeffectssociety.com
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
