Saturday, May 2oth, 2017

2017 VES Bay Area Summit Speakers

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY BAY AREA SUMMIT 2017
Film & Beyond | The Next Twenty Years

As the Visual Effects Society celebrates and honors its Twentieth Anniversary, The Bay Area Chapter is taking the opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are and where we are going in the NEXT TWENTY YEARS!

From it’s roots in hand made, traditional visual effects craftmanship, through expansion into digital tools and technologies, feature-length animation, cinematic video game content…  the Bay Area’s digital arts community continues, year after year, to be a leader in the modes through which VFX can affect the world.

Blockbuster Movies.  Science.  Education.  Theme Parks.  Virtual and Augmented Reality.  We want to engage in a joyous reflection on our history, and to dream where we can go next.

As such, the VES Bay Area Board of Directors invites local and global experts from the fields of Animation, Broadcast & Film, VFX, Video Games and Technology to gather for this 2nd Annual Bay Area Summit.

The event will include approximately ten Roundtable Topics to encourage discussion and interaction.  These discussions will include accomplished local and international industry contributors — directors, producers, art directors, cinematographers, editors, post production supervisors, visual effects practitioners and executives — dedicated to both their own industry, and to the health of the production community at large.

Come join this amazing event with us and be a part of the conversation as we look to the past, the present and the Next Twenty Years.

Opening Keynote Speaker

Lynwen Brennan – EVP & General Manager | Lucasfilm, ILM & Skywalker Sound

As General Manager of Lucasfilm, Lynwen Brennan oversees all operational matters for Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, as well as the development and execution of Lucasfilm’s business strategy and implementation of the company vision. Prior to her appointment to General Manager in February 2015, Brennan served as President of ILM for seven years, where she was responsible for all production and business aspects of the company…read more

Closing Visionary

Robert Legato – Visual Effects Supervisor, 2nd Unit Director, Director

After a career in Television for Paramount Pictures, Rob Legato joined the newly formed Digital Domain, a visual effects company founded by James Cameron, Stan Winston and Scott Ross.  For Rob’s first feature assignment, he became the Visual Effects Supervisor, 2nd Unit Director and VFX Director of Photography for Neil Jordan’s “Interview with the Vampire.”  This first feature led to Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13” with Legato serving as the film’s Visual Effects Supervisor…read more

Additional Speakers COMING SOON! Check back for updates

2017 VES Bay Area Summit Roundtables

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY BAY AREA SUMMIT 2017
Film & Beyond | The Next Twenty Years

As the Visual Effects Society celebrates and honors its Twentieth Anniversary, The Bay Area Chapter is taking the opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are and where we are going in the NEXT TWENTY YEARS!

From it’s roots in hand made, traditional visual effects craftmanship, through expansion into digital tools and technologies, feature-length animation, cinematic video game content…  the Bay Area’s digital arts community continues, year after year, to be a leader in the modes through which VFX can affect the world.

Blockbuster Movies.  Science.  Education.  Theme Parks.  Virtual and Augmented Reality.  We want to engage in a joyous reflection on our history, and to dream where we can go next.

As such, the VES Bay Area Board of Directors invites local and global experts from the fields of Animation, Broadcast & Film, VFX, Video Games and Technology to gather for this 2nd Annual Bay Area Summit.

The event will include approximately ten Roundtable Topics to encourage discussion and interaction.  These discussions will include accomplished local and international industry contributors — directors, producers, art directors, cinematographers, editors, post production supervisors, visual effects practitioners and executives — dedicated to both their own industry, and to the health of the production community at large.

Come join this amazing event with us and be a part of the conversation as we look to the past, the present and the Next Twenty Years.

Roundtable Topics & Moderators

	Filming for VR Moderator: Ariel Braunstein, Hallelujah VR Music Experience Discussion Topic:  Lytro has built the first ever production-ready Light Field video solution for Virtual Reality – Lytro Immerge.  This breakthrough system was recently used to produce Hallelujah, the first ever Light Field VR music experience produced with Within.  At this roundtable we’ll discuss the process/workflow of producing content with Lytro Immerge … read more
	VR and AR – Near-term Opportunities and Long-term Directions Moderator: Carl Rosendahl, Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center Discussion Topic:  At the roundtable we’ll discuss where VR and AR could be headed in the next 10 years, and where some of the immediate opportunities are. Examples from projects at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center will be available, and participants are encouraged to bring in other examples. … read more
	Merging Realms: Art, Science, and Social Awareness  Moderator: Drue Kataoka, Technology Artist Discussion Topic: At this roundtable we’ll discuss current Virtual Reality tools for artists and creators.  Participants are welcome to bring examples of their VR artwork or experiments in this space. What are some cool ways that VR can be blended with other traditional art forms?  How can some of these VR art tools be … read more
	The Future of Machine Learning in Entertainment Moderator: Kamal Mistry, Netflix Discussion Topic:  “Machine Learning and Computer Vision algorithms are seeing greater adoption in Media & Entertainment. Researchers are developing automatic Green Screen and Wire Removal algorithms, Tagging algorithms to mark videos to identify and classify content e.g. object, face, nudity detection. Where is this heading? Can we use AI, ML and Computer… read more
	Physical sets, RAPTURE Gear, and Social Experience Moderator: Cliff Plumer, The Void Discussion Topic:  We have yet to see true mass-consumer adoption of VR. In-home and mobile equipment is expensive and the experiences, while visually compelling, are isolating and limit movement. Destination-based experiences like the ones being created at THE VOID, on the other hand, are setting the stage for VR to become a much more social and engaging experience … read more
	Modern VFX Production in the Cloud Moderator: Kevin Baillie, Atomic Fiction Discussion Topic:  “Deadpool, The Jungle Book and Pirates of the Caribbean are all poster children of the biggest leap forward for VFX & Animation in decades: cloud computing. Allowing infrastructure to change in scale and makeup with each passing second is having a profound impact on how productions and businesses are run. Is it possible to evaluate the cloud’s… read more
	THE BAY LIGHTS: Villareal Studio | Public Artworks Moderator: Amy Critchett, The Bay Lights’ Villareal Studio | Public Artworks Discussion Topic:  In leading the development and management of Leo Villareal’s largest artwork to date THE BAY LIGHTS, Amy built community, grew international awareness and assembled a world-class team to fund, permit and produce this complex and highly creative now permanent work of public art. Other International installations are underway. Visual Effects is what visual artists do… read more
	Achieving Photoreal Digital Actors in Movies, Games, and Virtual Reality Moderator: Paul Debevec, Google VR Discussion Topic:  In less than a decade, the ability to render a photorealistic animated human face has gone from being an unfathomable challenge to an enabling technology in feature films from Benjamin Button to Rogue One.  What will it take to bring this same level of realism to games and virtual reality?  And how can we make the process less expensive and more reliable?  In the future… read more
	Storytelling in VR Moderators: Annmarie Koenig and Bruna Berford, Penrose Studios Discussion Topic:  More and more people are using the capabilities of VR to let the viewer experiment with something new. However, films and VFX companies may see this as an opportunity to expand the experience of their existing titles, but how exactly do you create content “made for VR”? How do you transition from flat movies to VR? How do you engage your viewer in your experience?… read more
	Bruna Berford, Penrose Studios Bruna Berford is a VR Lead Animator working for Penrose Studios, a startup based in San Francisco. At Penrose, Bruna is the Animation Supervisor for Arden’s Wake (2017 Tribeca Film Festival), the company’s third project that continues the elegant evolution of storytelling for Virtual Reality. She also helped bring to life the beautiful and unique Allumette, a VR film that Premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. Before joining Penrose, Bruna worked as an animator… read more
	Interactive Characters in AR/VR Moderator: Tom Sanocki, Interactive Characters in AR/VR Discussion Topic:  After decades of promise, virtual reality is finally here. Storytellers are gravitating to this new medium with its promise of immersion, interaction, and emotional connection. How does storytelling change when VR characters respond to what the viewer does and says? How much of this can we do today, and what can we look forward to in the future?… read more
	Crossover from Live Action VFX Films to AR/VR/Multi-Media  Moderator: Wayne Billheimer, ILM Executive Producer Discussion Topic: The VFX World is the perfect training ground for the new (and not-so-new) kinds of screens and experiences people are craving: VR/AR/XR/Multi-Media/etc.  This roundtable will explore where and how those crossover skills are, can, and should be applied in a world that has evolved from “a over b” compositing to include real-time-interactive-360-immersive-branching narratives… read more
	Telling Stories using Virtual Light, the Beauty & Challenges  Moderator: Danielle Feinberg Director of Photography, Pixar Discussion Topic:  As a Director of Photography, working in the computer gives us so many options that the real world doesn’t have, but this power can be a great boon and sometimes a bust…sometimes in the moment, one doesn’t know which it is. Intersecting with Camera, Production Design, Animation, etc. is vital.  We will talk about various experiences using virtual light to tell stories… read more

Additional Topics & Moderators COMING SOON! Check back for updates

2017 VES Bay Area Summit Registration

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY BAY AREA SUMMIT 2017
Film & Beyond | The Next Twenty Years

As the Visual Effects Society celebrates and honors its Twentieth Anniversary, The Bay Area Chapter is taking the opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are and where we are going in the NEXT TWENTY YEARS!

From it’s roots in hand made, traditional visual effects craftmanship, through expansion into digital tools and technologies, feature-length animation, cinematic video game content…  the Bay Area’s digital arts community continues, year after year, to be a leader in the modes through which VFX can affect the world.

Blockbuster Movies.  Science.  Education.  Theme Parks.  Virtual and Augmented Reality.  We want to engage in a joyous reflection on our history, and to dream where we can go next.

As such, the VES Bay Area Board of Directors invites local and global experts from the fields of Animation, Broadcast & Film, VFX, Video Games and Technology to gather for this 2nd Annual Bay Area Summit.

The event will include approximately ten Roundtable Topics to encourage discussion and interaction.  These discussions will include accomplished local and international industry contributors — directors, producers, art directors, cinematographers, editors, post production supervisors, visual effects practitioners and executives — dedicated to both their own industry, and to the health of the production community at large.

Come join this amazing event with us and be a part of the conversation as we look to the past, the present and the Next Twenty Years.

Registration

Current VES members receive a special discounted price of $59. To register for this year’s VES Bay Area Summit, please click the link below. If you have any questions regarding the VES Bay Area Summit, please contact Kim Lavery at kimlavery@earthlink.net

This event is sold out and closed to any further submissions.

2017 VES Bay Area Summit Sponsor

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY BAY AREA SUMMIT 2017
Film & Beyond | The Next Twenty Years

As the Visual Effects Society celebrates and honors its Twentieth Anniversary, The Bay Area Chapter is taking the opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are and where we are going in the NEXT TWENTY YEARS!

From it’s roots in hand made, traditional visual effects craftmanship, through expansion into digital tools and technologies, feature-length animation, cinematic video game content… the Bay Area’s digital arts community continues, year after year, to be a leader in the modes through which VFX can affect the world.

Blockbuster Movies. Science. Education. Theme Parks. Virtual and Augmented Reality. We want to engage in a joyous reflection on our history, and to dream where we can go next.

As such, the VES Bay Area Board of Directors invites local and global experts from the fields of Animation, Broadcast & Film, VFX, Video Games and Technology to gather for this 2nd Annual Bay Area Summit.

The event will include approximately ten Roundtable Topics to encourage discussion and interaction. These discussions will include accomplished local and international industry contributors — directors, producers, art directors, cinematographers, editors, post production supervisors, visual effects practitioners and executives — dedicated to both their own industry, and to the health of the production community at large.

Come join this amazing event with us and be a part of the conversation as we look to the past, the present and the Next Twenty Years.

Sponsorship

Showcase your brand and your support at our 2nd Annual Visual Effects Society Bay Area Summit.

Build visibility and brand preference for your organization among elite entertainment industry decision-makers by partnering with us. The driving force of today’s multi-billion dollar entertainment industry, VES members – including artists, producers and studio executives – create the stunning visual imagery for film, television, animation, games, commercials and new media.

Enjoy sponsorship recognition while networking with 100+ entertainment professional and thought leaders at our one-day Summit devoted to exploring the future of film and entertainment.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Lisa Cooke lecooke@comcast.net

The Visual Effects Society (VES) is a non-profit professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community, and promoting industry recognition.
VES is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; therefore, a portion of your sponsorship may be tax-deductible. Please consult with your tax professional.

Past Bay Area Summit