All Special Honorees to be Recognized at VES Honors Celebration in November
Los Angeles (October 7, 2025) – Today the Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s global professional honorary society, announced the honorees for its upcoming VES Honors Celebration, taking place November 7th at Sony Pictures Imageworks’ new facility in Los Angeles. Selected by the VES Board of Directors from member-submitted candidates, these distinguished honorees have profoundly impacted visual effects (VFX), shaped its legacy, and continue to inspire future generations of VFX practitioners.
“The annual VES Honors Celebration serves to acknowledge the incredible contributors to our industry. Each individual is selected for advancing the craft of VFX and the sector overall. We’re excited to host this unique and intimate forum and give this year’s recipients their well-deserved recognition,” said VES Board Chair, Kim Davidson.
This year’s event will welcome two new Honorary VES Members, Jon Favreau and Tim Sweeney. Favreau is the groundbreaking director behind Iron Man (2008), The Jungle Book (2016), The Lion King (2019), and television series including The Mandalorian (2019-2023). Sweeney is the visionary founder and CEO of Epic Games, whose Unreal Engine software helped to usher in a new era of real-time rendering and advancing virtual production capabilities in the VFX industry.
This year Bob Coleman, VES will receive the VES Founders Award for sustained contributions to the art, science, and business of VFX and distinguished service to the Society. Dennis Hoffman will receive an Honorary VES Lifetime Membership for his dedication to the Society, the industry, and for furthering the interests and values of VFX artists worldwide. This year’s VES Fellows, recognized for outstanding contributions to VFX and dedicated service over ten of the last twenty years, include Colin Campbell, Darin Grant, and Gayle Munro.
Additionally, Glenn Campbell (1956-2024), Mabel Normand (1893-1930), and Eiji Tsuburaya (1901-1970) will join the VES Hall of Fame for their pioneering contributions that advanced the art, science, and technology of VFX.
The VES will also honor the following Section leaders for their exceptional dedication, having served three consecutive terms on their Section Board of Managers and several years as a Section Chair or Co-Chair: Rachel Copp (New Zealand), Eric Greenlief (Washington State), Anthony Tan (Montreal), Agon Ushaku (Germany) and Philipp Wolf (Montreal).
Honorary VES Members:
Awarded for exemplary contributions to the entertainment industry at large, and for furthering the interests and values of visual effects practitioners around the world.
Tim Sweeney is the founder and CEO of Epic Games, the makers of Unreal Engine, Fortnite, and the Epic Games Store. Sweeney started Epic in 1991 with the release of its first shareware game, ZZT, and the company has gone on to build a portfolio of technologies and studios to provide an end-to-end digital ecosystem for creators. Sweeney has led the company through the eras of PC, console, mobile, and online gaming, and now, the metaverse – challenging big tech titans like Apple and Google along the way. Sweeney lives near Epic headquarters in Cary, North Carolina.
Jon Favreau is a filmmaker, writer, and actor. He is the creator and showrunner of the beloved Disney+ series The Mandalorian, which has received 52 Emmy Award nominations and 15 wins. He is also an executive producer on The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew. He recently wrapped production on the next installment of the Star Wars franchise, The Mandalorian & Grogu, scheduled for release on May 22, 2026. He also recently completed principal photography on a series based on the character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit for Disney+.
Favreau has directed and produced live-action adaptations of Disney’s animated films. His 2016 film, The Jungle Book, won an Academy Award and a BAFTA for its visual effects. In 2019, he directed and produced The Lion King, which grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide.
Favreau directed Iron Man and Iron Man 2, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). These films had a combined gross of $1.3 billion worldwide. He also served as an executive producer on The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. In the MCU, he plays the character Happy Hogan in the Iron Man and Spider-Man films.
In 2014, Favreau wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film Chef. This led to the Netflix series The Chef Show, which he co-hosts with chef Roy Choi. His other directing credits include Cowboys & Aliens, starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford; Zathura: A Space Adventure, starring Josh Hutcherson, Tim Robbins and Dax Shepard; the crime comedy Made, which he starred in opposite Vince Vaughn; and the acclaimed perennial holiday family-favorite, Elf, starring Will Ferrell.
Favreau executive produced both seasons of the docu-series Prehistoric Planet for Apple TV+ and the BBC. The mini-series, narrated by broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough, earned multiple award nominations, including a Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information, an Annie Awards nomination for Best Animated Special Production, and an Astra Television Awards nomination for Best Streaming Nonfiction Series. Inspired by Favreau’s Prehistoric Planet, Apple TV+ launched Prehistoric Planet Immersive, which is available on the groundbreaking Apple Vision Pro.
As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as Swingers (which he also scripted), The Wolf of Wall Street, and played the role of boxer Rocky Marciano in the biopic Rocky Marciano. His television credits include appearances on Seinfeld, Friends, and The Sopranos.
Favreau has received several awards for his work. He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023, named a Disney Legend in 2019, and received the Visual Effects Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
VES Founders Award:
Awarded to any individual member of the VES who has significantly contributed to the organization’s success.
Bob Coleman, VES founded Digital Artists Agency (DAA) in 1998, a Los Angeles talent agency exclusively representing an international and award-winning portfolio of VFX artists. He leverages his extensive experience in top-level management positions to further the development of the visual effects craft. Bob’s VFX and post-production career spans over 40 years. He began his journey at Editel Chicago, where he served as VP of Marketing and was later appointed President. During his tenure, he pioneered the creation of the Effects Animation Design Group, which helped position Editel in the realm of 3D animation and digital optical effects. In 1991, he was recruited by George Lucas to join Skywalker Sound South as Vice President and General Manager. There, he oversaw audio post-production for major films and television series, including JFK, Grand Canyon, A Few Good Men, The Joy Luck Club, and The Simpsons. Bob’s contributions to the Visual Effects Society (VES) are extensive, having served as Treasurer, Executive Committee Member, Board Member, and chairing various Committees. In 2023, the VES honored him with a Lifetime Membership and named him a VES Fellow.
VES Lifetime Member:
Awarded for meritorious service to the VES, the industry, and for furthering the interests and values of visual effects artists around the world.
Dennis Hoffman is a long-time veteran of the film industry and a founding member of the Visual Effects Society (VES). He began his VFX career as a producer at Dream Quest Images, where he rose to VP/Executive Producer, and was part of the leadership team that negotiated the company’s acquisition by Disney in 1996. He later went on to serve as VP/Head of VFX at Cinesite, VP/Head of Feature Production at Digital Domain, SVP/General Manager for VFX at CIS-Vancouver (later Method Studios), and other studios. Throughout his career, Hoffman has played key roles in building and expanding studio capabilities, developing client relationships, overseeing budgets and production, and shaping strategic growth. He is equally committed to fostering healthy, supportive environments for artists. His credits include Ted, Schmigadoon!, Cloud Atlas, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Argo, Invictus, Changeling, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and Oscar nominees Mighty Joe Young and Armageddon. Hoffman is also a charter member of the VES, where he has served on the Board of Directors, multiple Committees, and the Executive Committee as Treasurer. He helped start the VES Vancouver Section, serving on its Board of Managers and as Co-Chair. He also serves on the board of SparkFX Vancouver and is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He holds an MFA in Film from the California Institute of the Arts and a BA in Political Science/International Affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
VES 2025 Fellows:
Designated by the post-nominal letters “VES,” this title signifies that the individual is recognized for earning an outstanding reputation through sustained contributions to the art, science, or business of visual effects, as well as through meritorious service to the VES and the entertainment industry at large, for a period of not less than 10 years, within the last 20 years.
Colin Campbell, VES has a 38 year career as a visual effects artist, who has contributed to over 50 films and TV shows. He started his career in 1987 at Klasky/Csupo, at the time a small animation and graphics company, executing many tasks including motion control camera operator on the animated commercial bumpers for The Simpsons. He transferred his experience into the world of VFX on such films as The Abyss, Hook, Alien 3, and Death Becomes Her at such companies as Dream Quest Images, Boss Film, and Industrial Light and Magic. He made the transition to digital effects as a compositor in the early 1990s on the early groundbreaking films Babe, Anaconda, and Contact while at Rhythm & Hues and Sony Pictures Imageworks. Preferring to stay as a hands-on creator, he continued in various compositing roles on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Transformers, Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and His Dark Materials for ILM, Digital Domain, and Framestore. He continues to work as a compositor in various roles from senior, lead, and supervisor. Campbell has served a total of 12 years on the VES Global Board of Directors. Based in Texas, he was instrumental in the recruiting push, petition, and finally voting in 2024 to form the 16th VES section in Texas, of which he is currently in his second year as Chair for the local Board of Managers. He has also served on the VES’ Archives Committee, the ad hoc committee for the establishment of the Fellows classification, co-chaired the Working from Home/Remote Committee, and served on the Strategic Planning Committee for new guidelines regulating section operations.
Darin Grant, VES has been fortunate enough to work in animation and VFX for almost 30 years. He currently serves as the SVP, Global Technology for Netflix Animation Studios, following the acquisition of Animal Logic in October 2022, where he leads the company’s technological strategies and innovations. Over the years, Grant has held significant technology roles at studios such as Digital Domain, DreamWorks Animation, and Animal Logic, where he has contributed to the development of production pipelines and software solutions. He has also consulted with various software providers on industry strategy and M&A activities, including the acquisition and integration of Solid Angle Inc (Arnold) by Autodesk. Grant is actively involved in many industry volunteer activities, including serving as co-chair of the Scientific and Technical Academy Awards Committee, the Chair of ACM SIGGRAPH, and Treasurer and Governing Board member of the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF). He believes that active volunteerism in your industry of choice opens opportunities for you far beyond your day job.
Gayle Munro, VES has built her 25-year career with adaptability, collaboration, and a steady hand in an ever-changing industry. She joined Wētā Workshop as a Production Manager on The Lord of the Rings trilogy and went on to oversee projects including King Kong, before transitioning to Wētā FX in 2006, where she spent four years contributing to Avatar and District 9, to name but a few. In 2010, Gayle moved to Vancouver and became a cornerstone of the city’s growing VFX community, producing work across multiple studios on both features and episodics at companies like Digital Domain, Image Engine, and Method Studios. Now a VFX Producer at Eyeline Vancouver, Munro continues to bring major features and series to life, including Netflix’s Wednesday and One Piece Season 2, as well as the upcoming Spider Noir series for MGM+ and Prime Video. Known for her calm leadership, collaborative spirit, and mentorship, she is guided by a simple but powerful principle: treating people the way she wished she had been treated on her own journey. Across decades of change—from the dominance of features to today’s fast-turnaround streaming landscape—Munro has remained a trusted voice and a steady presence, inspiring colleagues with her professionalism, resilience, and kindness.
VES 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees:
This distinction is bestowed upon a select group of professionals and pioneers who have played a significant role in advancing the field of visual effects by invention, science, contribution, or avocation of the art, science, technology, and/or communications.
Glenn Campbell (1956-2024): Glenn Campbell was a prolific visual effects artist whose 200+ career credits include Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Tron, Spaceballs, Johnny Mnemonic, and the Sharknado franchise. He additionally worked on iconic TV series, including The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He earned an Emmy Award in 2003 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for his work on Children of Dune. Glenn was additionally nominated for Emmy Awards in 1996 for his contributions to Space: Above and Beyond and in 2006 for his work on Into the West. He also brought his talents to the director’s chair, with recent credits including Planet Dune and Shark Side of the Moon, both co-directed with Tammy Klein. Glenn began his Hollywood career as a guide on the famed Universal Studios backlot tour, and his personable nature went on to make an outsized impact on the visual effects community. He was a 25-year veteran of the Visual Effects Society (VES), a founding member of its Board of Directors, and a consummate volunteer who served on multiple VES committees and spoke at many artist-facing events throughout his tenure.
Mabel Normand (1893-1930): Amabel Ethelreid Normand, known as Mabel Normand, was one of Hollywood’s earliest silent film actresses and a trailblazer for women in film. By age 16, she began working at Vitagraph Studios and later D.W. Griffith’s Biograph Studios, where she met actor and director Mack Sennett, leading to a lifelong professional and personal connection. Normand joined Sennett in establishing his Keystone Studios in Los Angeles, where she honed her slapstick skills as a comedy actor, and embarked on directing and producing. She became the first actress to direct herself in films, the first woman to have her name appear in her film titles, and the first-ever actor to endure a pie to the face. While at Keystone Studios, Normand played a key role in nurturing the film career of Charlie Chaplin, and appeared alongside him (as well as collaborating on writing and directing) in dozens of projects. Normand and Chaplin notably appeared together in Tillie’s Punctured Romance, directed by Mack Sennett, Hollywood’s first-ever feature-length comedy. In 1916, she became the first woman to have her own film studio, and later went on to collaborate with Samuel Goldwyn, notably starring in his 1918 film Peck’s Bad Girl. Normand appeared in 167 shorts and 23 feature films in her brief but impactful career.
Eiji Tsuburaya (1901-1970): Japanese filmmaker, cinematographer, and co-creator of both the Godzilla and Ultraman franchises, Eiji Tsuburaya, was known as the “Father of Tokusatsu” (or Japanese special effects). He was one of the film industry’s most influential artistic and technological pioneers, and worked on over 250 films – including internationally renowned features from Akira Kurosawa, Ishirō Honda, and Hiroshi Inagaki – throughout his prolific career. In 1932 he became one of the founding members of what would become the Japanese Society of Cinematographers, and soon after joined legendary Toho Studios. There, he became an early pioneer of special effects techniques, including the use of miniatures, film strip layering, rear projection, “suitmation” (the use of human actors in creature suits), matte painting, 3D, and optical printing. He launched Toho’s special effects division in the late 1930s, later achieving international renown in 1954 for his special effects work on Godzilla, directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Toho. Godzilla has since spawned the longest-running film franchise in history, and is widely considered one of the best monster movies of all time. Tsuburaya won the first of six Film Technique Awards for his work on Godzilla. He also notably collaborated with Honda on additional kaiju films including Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), and Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964). In 1963, Tsuburaya established his own company, Tsuburaya Special Effects Productions, where he went on to launch the Ultra series with television shows including Ultra Q, Ultraman, and Ultraseven.
# # #
Press Contact:
Shannon Deoul, Raz Public Relations
shannon@razpr.com
Click here to download the press release