By ROSS AUERBACH
By ROSS AUERBACH
Now in its 13th year, VES Toronto has established itself as a center of the community in an active and diverse city. Membership grew by 60% to 215+ members in the past three years alone. Section Chair, and Head of Technology for WeFX, Laurence Cymet credits much of this to “Toronto’s long history in VFX and building a tight community where people have worked at many of the different studios and software companies. That small community creates a strong connection between people in the VFX, software and animation industries, and they often want to take part and contribute.”
One consistent theme among the Board of Managers (BOM) is the strength the community finds in the wide diversity of its members. VES Toronto Treasurer Ray McMillan, VES, says, “Toronto is a unique VES member community because of its diverse VFX talent pool and developing technologies. It’s home to over 20 major gaming software development companies, legacy VFX companies like SPIN VFX, as well as boutique VFX companies. It’s a great place to work.”
Ryan Stasyshyn, Head of Studio and VFX Supervisor for RodeoFX and VES Toronto member, believes the Section is a mirror of the city itself. “Diversity in people, thoughts and ideas – it’s pretty unique,” he says. “Regardless of the studio you work at, walk into or virtually join, you’ll be greeted hearing people with different accents, skillsets and career paths. Our diversity is our greatest strength, and I think it makes the overall community special for industry veterans and newcomers alike.”
A buzzing hive of activity, VES Toronto hosted in-person and virtual events, toured studios, engaged with new and veteran animators and visual effects artists, and continued to cement its place as a welcoming community of like-minded artists and technologists focused on bringing out the best in each other. Amanda Heppner, VES Toronto Vice Chair, believes shared vision is what drives the VES Toronto community. “When we come together as VES members, I see us show up as one collective – supportive, collaborative and deeply invested in each other’s success,” Heppner states. “What grounds our Section is a shared understanding that, at the end of the day, we are all building this industry together.”
Dr. Paul Debevec, VES, Global VFX leader and Chief Research Officer for Eyeline Studios, visited Toronto to present new technologies in HDRI, virtual cinematography, volumetric capture and more. The sold-out event was just one part of the trip, which included working with students at University of Toronto’s Dynamic Graphics Project and Sheridan College’s Screen Industries Research and Training Centre, to build up the next generation in visual effects.
Launched in 2024, the annual event, “Pixel Pioneers,” organized by BOM member Kate Xagoraris, highlights the historical contributions of Toronto visual effects artists. The first in the series, held at University of Toronto looked at early computer graphics. The 2025 event focused on Alias/Wavefront and the inception of Autodesk Maya. Stay tuned for the 2026 events – details coming soon!
Party-lovers enjoyed the annual “Big Summer Party,” which brought together more than 200 members of the Toronto VFX com-munity to celebrate and welcome the newest members, often new to the city as well as their job. The “Behind the VFX: Spooky Edition Halloween Party” animated the creative side of VES Members with a costume party and panel on Horror VFX work from genre experts and artists.
Other well-attended events included the “Behind the VFX” panel on Amazon Prime’s The Boys, showcasing how the visual and practical effects worked together to create the look of the show. And, in May, Toronto BOM members introduced VFX as a career option to young filmmakers at Pinewood Studios’ first Future Festival. Virtual events complemented the many in-person events with a focus on the past, present and future of visual effects, and strategies for building a career in the industry.
Members of the Toronto Section have contributed in myriad ways to the development and implementation of new technolo-gies. From SideFX’s Houdini, Autodesk Software including Maya and Project Reframe, Foundry Nuke, Physical.AI and much more. Advancements in the science and craft of visual effects are taking place every day in Toronto.
2026 began with Toronto hosting Nomination Events for the 24th Annual VES Awards with two in-person judging panels and one virtual. This year, the Section plans to host workshops focused on business skills, core art skills and color science. Partnerships with TIFF, Ontario Creates and local organizations highlight the local contributions of visual effects artists.
Of the Section’s forward-looking agenda, Cymet says, “Another goal we have is to provide better representation for everyone in our community. Partnering with WIFT+ Toronto, we hosted an in-per-son panel and networking event discussing leadership for Women in M&E called ‘Lead without Permission.’ There was a great turnout and a lot of participation in discussion, and we learned a lot about where we could go next in this space.”
VES Toronto Secretary Jo Hughes is passionate about the community and how the Section can continue to grow. She says, “Toronto is home to a fabulous variety of locally-grown and global talent. Our diverse community celebrates collaboration, and VES Toronto does everything we can to contribute to events which support that!”
