By ROSS AUERBACH
By ROSS AUERBACH
Founded in 2006, the VES Bay Area Section continues its vibrant role in the visual effects and technology industries. Boasting nearly 550 members, the (San Francisco) Bay Area keeps a busy schedule of events throughout the region. The expert craftspeople who call the Bay Area home led education panels and webinars, hosted screenings and led the field in innovation.
VES Bay Area Board of Managers Chair Jeff A. Johnson credits open communication for the success of the Section: “We’ve made an effort to listen to our members, to push forward with what resonates with them. There’s been a renewed focus on in-person events and social gatherings. And we found inventive and effective ways to offer screenings, outside of the typical professional facilities, so we can continue to provide regular film presentations.”
Home to Pixar Animation Studios, Lucasfilm, ILM and many effects studios and workshops, the Bay Area hosts family-friendly screenings and events nearly every week, bringing colleagues, members and their loved ones together to enjoy films the way they were made to be seen. Highlights included an engaging Q&A session with the filmmakers of Elio following an early screening at Pixar, and a conversation with Wicked: For Good VFX Supervisor Pablo Helman and VES Vice Chair David Tanaka, VES.
The annual Summer BBQ was packed with VES members from the Bay Area and beyond. The Golden Gate Garrison cosplayers arrived fully dressed in handmade Star Wars costumes and props. Other major events included a full house of volunteer judges and panelists at the Nomination Event for the 24th Annual VES Awards. Pub nights at Pond Farm Brewery in San Rafael and Lost Marbles in San Francisco brought members out for casual evenings of discussion and camaraderie. February 28th saw the members reunite at the annual Winter Party in Oakland. VES Bay Area founding member Rose Duignan loves being a part of the Section. “I really enjoy the Holiday Party and BBQ plus all the great screenings and events.”
VES Bay Area members contribute to the Society and to the industry in many ways, including the 4th Edition of The VES Handbook of Visual Effects: Eric Durst, Florian Kainz, Piotr Stanczyk and Davis Tanaka added to the chapter on Post-Production/Image Manipulation; Francois Chardavoine explained layering fur and feathers to digital creations; Rob Bredow wrote a section in the Complete Animation chapter; and Dan Rosen contributed to Visual Effects Workflows. John Knoll’s expertise was pivotal to three chapters in the Handbook, and his personal essay was included as the Foreword.
Focused on education and innovation, VES Bay Area members represented the Society at media and technology conferences worldwide. The Section also supported the San Francisco-based Game Developers Conference (GDC) by co-sponsoring a VFX mixer, giving attendees an opportunity to network with gaming industry insiders.
Bay Area Vice Treasurer Michael Conte, VES, finds each interaction an opportunity for mentorship: “I love chatting with the members who literally founded the modern VFX industry. The Bay Area Section has several members who worked on the original Star Wars! At the same time, the Bay Area is the world center for developing new technology. Our members are building the hardware and software that we’ll use tomorrow.”
Local filmmakers Matt Jacobs and Ari Rubenstein screened their indie short film in person at the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE) and spoke on the creative process and indie production pipeline. Bay Area Board of Managers Chair Jeff Johnson introduced the film: “This event celebrates independent filmmakers and studio owners, inspiring our global community with valuable insights into innovative creative pathways and entrepreneurial opportunities that are shaping the future of CGI and animation.”
VFX producer and author Corey Rosen led a workshop co-hosted by VES and PGA in-person at ILM’s Dagobah Theater. In conversation with Bay Area Vice Chair Daniel Cavey, the author shared practical storytelling tools to help teams align, build trust and navigate complexity in creative environments.
Active in all applications of visual artistry, Bay Area members’ work has innovated game development, VR/AR/MR, software, venue-based projects and aerial cinematography. Bay Area BOM worked with local partners to tour facilities including Ignite Animation Studios, and they recently co-sponsored a demonstration of the AI pipeline tool, Filmspark.ai, at the Video Industry Networking Event (THE VINE).
The future is bright for the Bay Area as the calendar fills with events to educate, inspire and engage members locally and globally.
