People, Pixels and Production

Digital effects artists and technicians are still struggling to find their rightful place in the motion picture industry. VFX are perhaps still not fully understood by our colleagues in the other trades of cinema. Probably a subject to address in more details later; for the moment, some interesting comments from Visual Effects Society Chairman Jeffery Okun in today’s San Francisco Chronicle:

“Visual-effects artists in general are treated like interchangeable parts,” Okun says, “and are not regarded as an equal to the cinematographer, the editor, the writer or the production designer.”

…and farther down :

“The perception is that visual effects are driven by really smart computers with cool buttons that make things go faster or look better,” Okun says. “There’s a lack of understanding that the process is driven by artists.” The film industry’s faster-cheaper mantra has caused “tremendous stress and strain”

You can read the full article here.

Also mentioned in the short article, the Visual Effects Society is preparing this year’s Production Summit in Los Angeles where all areas of the industry can convene to discuss the challenges they face in an effort to open communication and move the industry forward.

The VES Production Summit will take place on October 24.