If you have any questions or are interested in joining a committee, please email the Chair(s) directly.
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Archives Committee

Mission or Purpose:
The purpose of the archives committee is to preserve the history of our craft and our society by collecting materials and knowledge related to the industry and working with other organizations to promote the understanding of the visual effects art form.

Current Projects:

  • Build physical research library on-site at VES office
  • Develop methodology to deliver research library benefit to memberships
  • Continue oral history project
  • Archiving of VES events
  • Possible archives partnerships with other organizations.

Chair
Lisa Cooke

Co-Chair
David Tanaka, VES

Awards Committee

Mission or Purpose:
The Awards Committee plans, designs, and helps produce the annual VES Awards, which provides insight into and knowledge of the field of visual effects for peers, practitioners, students, and the industry. It is your chance to inform the world of what you do with our art and science. To challenge and inspire – as well as the new up and coming generation of visual effects artists – to step in, step up and imagine a new world!

Current Projects:

  • Hold global VES Awards nomination events
  • Prepare Policies and Rules & Procedures for Annual VES Awards.
  • Implement new technologies to enhance global participation in the online view and vote.

Chairs
Dennis Serras (Chair)
Scott Kilburn (Co-Chair)
Lopsie Schwartz (Co-Chair)

Education Committee

Mission or Purpose:
The VES Education Initiative is a long-term goal of finding and creating avenues, under the education umbrella, to expand the visual effects global talent pool, focusing on untapped and non-traditional demographics, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. This includes finding raw new talent and creating new opportunities for those currently employed in visual effects.

Handbook Ad Hoc Committee

Mission or Purpose:
The intention of the Committee is to create and publish a handbook of visual effects under the VES brand. The book should have valuable information that applies to all levels of our field, including but not limited to techniques and technical approaches.

Co-Chairs
Jeffrey A. Okun, VES
Susan Zwerman, VES

Health and Wellbeing Committee

Mission or Purpose:
To increase access by members to resources that better assist them in maintaining or improving their health and mental wellbeing thus improving their overall quality of life. To demonstrate to members that we care about them as people. This includes discounts, membership benefits and educational resources.

Co-Chairs
Emma Clifton Perry
Philipp Wolf

Member Education and Training Committee

Mission or Purpose:
Our mission is to elevate the member experience by empowering our community through robust education and training. We offer invaluable learning opportunities from industry leaders and peers, focusing on cutting-edge technologies and future innovations. We are committed to equipping our members with the essential resources and knowledge to excel and succeed in the dynamic world of visual effects.

Co-Chairs
Susan O’Neal

Membership Committee

Mission or Purpose:
The Membership Committee is a permanent standing committee of the Society, as specified in the by-laws. The Membership Committee’s primary purpose is to review applicants for membership, and make recommendations to the VES Board of Directors regarding admission of the applicants to the society. The Board of Directors retains the rights to admit or reject applicants into the society.

Current Projects:

  • Twice-yearly review of applicants resulting in recommendations to the Board of Directors.
  • Monitoring and updating the application forms and procedures.
  • Monitoring and maintaining the endorsement guidelines
  • Monitoring and making recommendations for membership admission requirements and procedures.
  • Monitoring the society’s desire for growth, as applied to membership count and upcoming applications.
  • Monitoring the “welcome package” – what the new member receives upon acceptance – recommending any changes, updates, or improvements that might be needed or desired.

Chair
Susan O’Neal

Co-Chair
Joe Weidenbach

Outreach to Developing Regions Committee

Mission or Purpose:

  • To help qualified and interested VFX professionals, in regions where there are few VES members to become VES Members by helping them secure the required endorsements from current VES Members.
  • To help young growing regions, that aspire to become VES Sections, to grow to reach the necessary membership numbers to do so .
  • To reach out to the Animation and Gaming professionals everywhere to make them aware of the value we place on them, how we see them to be of the same stuff as our current VFX membership and to show them how the VES is as relevant to them as all the other crafts we already represent.
Technology Committee

Mission or Purpose:
The Visual Effects Society Technology Committee exists to facilitate the sharing of expertise, establish and promote industry best practices, and be a catalyst for innovation and sustainability across the community. The Technology Committee works on an evolving portfolio of projects selected to advance the art and science of visual effects for the benefit of all industry professionals. Visit the Technology Committee Activities Page for more details

Chair
Nick Cannon

Co-Chair
Sam Richards

Work From Home Committee

Mission or Purpose:
The Work From Home Committee exists to advocate for a mutually workable set of recommendations such that our members and the industry at large can continue to benefit from the new mode of operation that emerged during the coronavirus pandemic. It has a goal of providing resources to educate, and assist with enabling any advocacy necessary to ensure WFH and Hybrid Working Practices can continue in some manner into the future.

Chair
Gavin Graham

Co-Chair
Colin Campbell