Among its notable events, the VES Australia Section has hosted a series of Virtual Production workshops, including: a panel with experts from Unity Technologies, MOD, Nant Studios, Wētā FX and Disguise; a workshop on virtual production at a local Sydney studio, hosted in collaboration with Mandrake Studios, TDC, ARRI and ASC; and a VES x Dreamscape Virtual Production Showcase focused on in-camera VFX, LED walls and real-time production, with participation from Dreamscreen, Nant Studios and Canon. The Section hosted a World VFX Day celebration and holiday mixer at the Atomic Brewery in Sydney, enthusiastic VES Awards nominations events in Sydney at Animal Logic, and in Melbourne at Framestore, where members were featured in the CrewCon opening night “State of the Industry” panel and hosted a special Q&A on “The Making of Transformers One” with the Sydney ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter and key members of the ILM Sydney creative team.
Demonstrating its support for diversity and inclusion across the industry, the Section partnered with Women in Film and TV (WIFT Vic) for their Christmas-in-July event and co-sponsored a forum with WIFT Vic, “Invisible Art, Visible Costs: What Filmmakers Need to Know About VFX and the Women Behind It,” which brought together a dynamic group of women VFX supervisors, producers and creative leads.
Moving forward, Section leadership aims to regularize master talks and Q&A panels in collaboration with studios, and strengthen its presence in Adelaide and Brisbane with more screenings. It is also focused on creating educational programs and working more closely with the education system, exploring opportunities to bring mentorship around VFX to large universities so students can learn from experienced membership. “When it comes to the VES Awards, it’s essential that we spotlight the [VES-Autodesk] Student Award as an opportunity for students to showcase their work and be part of a first-class show,” Talwar said. “This is a part of our efforts to invite students into our world to foster the next generation of VFX professionals.”
Sarralde and Talwar reflected on their membership in the Society and what makes the VES Australia Section a source of pride. “I’m proud of our Section and its strong sense of community and support,” Sarralde said. “As a Board member, I’m able to deliver ideas because I strongly identify with people trying to learn and network in this tough industry. I know their pain. Now, we have a mission to spread the word about all that the VES has to offer, to bring more colleagues into this amazing worldwide community.” Talwar observed, “The VES has really been an anchor for me in the VFX industry. The Society has forged an excellent technical community and has been a champion of standardization, such as the VFX reference platform, amidst our segregated industry around the world. It’s great to be part of a vibrant community that brings together all of the different companies and studios under one umbrella as the ambassadors for visual effects.”
