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VIEW Conference Adds Oscar-Winning VFX Talent to 2017 Speaker Lineup

Four-time Oscar winner Joe Letteri, Oscar winner John Nelson, two-time Oscar winner Bill Westenhofer, and Oscar winner Martin Hill join the roster of more than 25 top industry professionals already confirmed for Italy’s computer graphics conference.

Academy Sci-Tech Award winner Martin Hill supervised Weta Digital’s visual effects work on Luc Besson’s visually complex and beautiful ‘Valerian.’

VIEW CONFERENCE 2017, Italy’s renowned VFX, computer graphics, digital media games and VR conference, has announced the addition of more great speakers to the show’s already stellar line-up of industry leaders who will present at the renowned 18th annual event running October 23-27, 2017 in Turin, Italy.

Among those just announced to attend are four-time Oscar winner Joe Letteri, Oscar winner John Nelson, two-time Oscar winner Bill Westenhofer, and Oscar winner Martin Hill. These top talents join the roster of more than 25 top industry professionals already confirmed for the renowned conference.

Weta Digital Senior VFX Supervisor Joe Letteri will present the evolution of visual effects technology and artistry behind War for the Planet of the Apes, the final film in the trilogy.

John Nelson will share the visual effects work on the highly anticipated film Blade Runner 2049, scheduled for release October 6.

Bill Westenhofer brings Wonder Woman, this summer’s critically acclaimed, superhero blockbuster.

Martin Hill, a Sci-Tech award winner, supervised Weta Digital’s visual effects work on Luc Besson’s visually complex and beautiful Valerian.

Other additions to the previously announced VIEW Conference slate include:

  • Randy Lake, President, Sony Pictures Imageworks
  • Larry Cutler, CTO, Baobab Studios
  • Leslie Iwerks, Director, Iwerks & Co.
  • Elaina Scott, Animation Supervisor for the popular CW television series Super Girl
  • Bernard Yee, Executive Producer and Program Manager, Oculus Games
  • Megan Brain, Artist and Paper Sculpture Designer
  • LK Shelley, Managing Partner, Affiniti Ventures, AV(M), an investor in early stage mobile first startups
  • Jason Bickerstaff, Character Artist, Pixar Animation Studios

“VIEW is special not just because we bring so many amazing people to Torino, but because of the collaboration we see among our speakers and our attendees,” said conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez. “VIEW has become not only a place where ideas are presented, it’s a time and place where ideas are incubated.”

Second Annual Game Development ‘Boot Camp’

For aspiring game developers, VIEW conference proudly announces a call for submissions for its second annual Games Development Boot Camp Accelerator Program, with applications due August 31. An international panel of judges will give six early-stage game companies the chance to be mentored for two weeks by industry experts and equity partners who invest in the industry or have a financial interest in the sector (one week mentoring online and one week during the VIEW conference itself). At the end of the boot camp, winners will be invited to pitch their project to potential investors. This exciting opportunity is open to console, mobile, social, casual, and online start-up game companies with no restriction on genre, platform, or distribution method, as well as to middle-ware, publishing and distribution companies.

The exciting list of just announced Visual Effects Supervisor additions join a deep slate of industry leaders scheduled to present at the event. Already confirmed for keynote presentations are legendary World of Warcraft game designer Rob Pardo, CEO of Bonfire Studios; and Baobab Studios Chief Creative Director Eric Darnell, known for co-directing and co-writing all four DreamWorks Animation Madagascar films with Tom McGrath, as well as directing Antz.

Adding to the VFX program are Oscar® nominee Christopher Townsend, the overall VFX supervisor for Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2; Oscar® winner Hal Hickel, the animation director for Rogue One; Mike Ford, VFX Supervisor for Smurfs: The Lost Village; and Victor Perez, VFX Supervisor for Gabriele Salvatores Invisible Boy 2.

In addition to keynote speaker Eric Darnell, who co-founded Baobab Studios to explore animation in virtual reality, other VR artists and practitioners coming to VIEW 2017 include Phil Chen, co-founder of HTC Vive; Sci-Tech Award winner Paul Debevec, a senior staff engineer at Google VR; Vicki Dobbs Beck, executive in charge of ILM’s XLab; Maureen Fan CEO of Baobab Studios; Larry Cutler, CTO at Baobab, Shannon Tindle, director of the Google Spotlight Story On Ice; Eloi Champagne, technical director for the National Film Board of Canada’s VR; Bernard Yee, executive producer and program manager for Oculus Game VR; and David Putrino, director of rehabilitation innovation at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai.

Animation aficionados will applaud the addition of speakers Kris Pearn who directed The Willoughbys; Kim White, Pixar’s lighting director on Disney/Pixar’s Cars 3; two-time Oscar® nominee Rob Coleman, head of animation for the Lego Batman Movie; two-time Oscar® nominee Mark Osborne, director of The Little Prince; Noelle Triaureau, production designer on Smurfs: The Lost Village; Carlos Zaragoza, production designer on The Emoji Movie; Cinzia Angelini, director of Mila, and Francesco Filippi, director of Mani Rosse; as well as legendary animator and acting teacher Ed Hooks.

President of Sony Pictures Imageworks Randy Lake will bring a celebration of the visual effects and animation studio’s 25th anniversary to VIEW. Since its founding, the studio has contributed imagery to more than 100 live-action and animated productions.

VIEW Awards

The VIEW Conference’s popular awards competition recognizes animated short films and videogames created between January 1, 2015 and September 15, 2017.  The awards categories are:

  • Best Short – category for those creating and animated short, music video or commercial using 2D/3D animation. The contest is open to students and professionals with a maximum length of 30 minutes. The best short will be evaluated based on design, environments and best character. First prize is 2,000 Euros.
  • Social Contest – a short video clip or commercial focusing on social themes. First prize is 500 Euros.
  • Game Contest – an award recognizing the best gameplay, design and mechanics. First prize is 500 Euros.
  • ItalianMix – dedicated to the work of Italian artists, the work can be animated, experimental or documentary. Maximum length 30 minutes. First prize is 500 Euros.

Registration is now open at www.viewconference.it. The deadline for Games Development Boot Camp Accelerator Program Submissions is August 31. The deadline for VIEW Awards submissions is September 15.

The VIEW 2017 Conference is made possible with the support of Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, Piedmont Region, Turin’s Chamber of Commerce and the City of Turin, Twith.tv.

Source: VIEW 2017

Jennifer Wolfe's picture

Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.