Update: The Event came, was great, and if you want to know who said what, here is the Recording:
Beyond VFX returns on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, as part of the ICE.ART conference series, in partnership with the Visual Effects Society’s Megabrain Masterclasses. This time, the focus turns to AI ethics in visual effects, a topic increasingly relevant as generative and assistive AI tools actually enter production pipelines (Hell, it’s difficult to avoid it when updating any part of your pipeline). Registration is free of charge via linktr.ee/VESxICE.
The panel
A heavyweight panel will unpack how AI reshapes artistic authorship, production safety, and creative control in VFX.
- Dr Jana Sedlakova, philosopher and ethicist from the University of Zurich and soon Oxford, examines how human-AI interaction affects responsibility and legitimacy in digital systems.
- Ben Lock, BAFTA-winning producer and Director of Production Strategy at Moonvalley, brings decades of production experience from ILM, Framestore and Aardman and insights into building artist-centric AI workflows.
- Victor Perez, award-winning VFX supervisor and director, adds his well-known compositing precision and long-running interest in the intersection of science, technology and art.
- Frank Govaere, filmmaker and creative technologist, contributes his perspective on storytelling in an era of machine-assisted imagination.
Familiar faces at the helm
Moderation comes from Agon Ushaku, Chair of VES Germany, curator of VES Megabrain Masterclasses and a long-time friend of Digital Production together with Matthias Buehler, founder of vrbn group AG and Head of ICE. Both are known for connecting the VFX community through ICE.ART and FMX partner events.
Free, open, and worth your calendar
The Beyond VFX series has built a reputation for clear-eyed discussions and genuinely open exchange between artists, researchers, and studios. This upcoming session promises the same mix of practical production insight and critical reflection as Ice.Art.
Attendance is free, but registration is required at linktr.ee/VESxICE. The organisers encourage professionals, students, and studios alike to join the debate on how AI tools can serve, rather than steer, creative work.
