Happy New Year to VES members and VFX Voice readers worldwide! We look forward to bringing you an exciting year of insightful, in-depth features focused on the art and craft of visual effects for entertainment and beyond.
In our Winter cover story on Avatar: Fire and Ash, writer-director James Cameron describes the dramatic evolution of Avatar’s lead characters and the possible future of the franchise with AI. In addition to Fire and Ash, we also spotlight the artistry behind likely contenders for Best Visual Effects at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards, as leading VFX supervisors recount the highlights that defined their work.
Elsewhere in this issue, director Guillermo del Toro explains the role VFX plays in his gritty Frankenstein, Shakespeare’s Hamlet is reimagined through the lens of Mamoru Hosoda’s animated Scarlet, and we profile ILM Digital Artist Paige Warner and Epic Games Co-Founder/CEO Tim Sweeney, the visionary driving Unreal Engine and the ongoing VP revolution.
To anchor our State of the Industry 2026 coverage, we turn to VFX professionals for a diversity of views on the outlook going forward. We also examine how smaller studios adapt to shifting markets, and we continue to chronicle AI’s impact on every corner of the global industry. Then, in Tech & Tools, we unpack the ultimate VFX supervisor’s location survival kit.
Finally, as a special bonus to VES members around the globe who share a common passion for photography, we are delighted to present “A World’s-Eye View,” a unique showcase of original photography by VES members, as selected by a VES panel. Enjoy!
Kim Davidson, Chair, VES Board of Directors
Nancy Ward, VES Executive Director
P.S. You can continue to catch exclusive stories between issues only available at VFXVoice.com. You can also get VFX Voice and VES updates by following us on X at @VFXSociety and on Instagram @vfx_society.
