Can a Visual Effects studio survive only on film work? “Absolutely not!”

Scott Ross is an important part of the history of Visual Effects. He was manager at ILM, Senior VP at Lucasfilm, Chairman & CEO of Digital Domain and one of the Founding Members of Visual Effects Society. He summarized his experiences and a part of the industry’s history in his book “Upstart”. In our episode we trace a line from the cloistered halls of ILM and Lucasfilm through the founding of Digital Domain, across the rise of digital pipelines and into today’s inflection point of Agentic AI.

Scott’s path into film wasn’t linear: Music studies, audio engineer, then Bay Area post with One Pass before Lucasfilm recruited him. When he arrived at ILM in the mid-1980s, the reality contradicted the Oscars on the shelf: ILM was losing money and morale was low. The corporate layer above him prized brakes and cost cutting over progress and acceleration.

Scott sketched ILM at a crossroads. The facility’s reputation masked cashflow issues and a flattening culture. His first months were spent earning the trust in a “Hell’s Angels”-tight shop that viewed him as a young “video” guy; an outsider. Once in, he ignored the brake pedal people and ran ILM as if it were his own: Buying new gear, fixing the org chart, restoring transparency and diversifying revenue to smooth the feature-film boom-bust cycle, opening up opportunities for commercial and location-based attractions.

Soon after he found himself on a crossroad to either stand behind his team and support their efforts for a fair compensations and bonuses that they were promised or accepting the games at play. Waging his job for what he believed was right he found himself looking for another job. The problem was that he was the general manager of one of the biggest visual effects studios on the planet, no one else wanted to replace their GM while Scott’s reputation wasn’t of someone who played the cooperate games.

“A fixed contract to do something that’s never been done before, giving the facility all of the responsibility and none of the authority, is a model of madness.”

Scott Ross

Three-legged stool

Over the years Scott defined the concept of the “three-legged stool” as the key ingredients of a successful business. Remove even one leg and the shop tips and the business fails. The three legs consists of:

• Technology: Technology is the key to staying relevant in quality and production speed. ILM’s analog-to-digital pivot foreshadowed today’s shift toward AI-assisted craft.
• Finance: A diversified revenue is key for any business but especially for visual effects as there are only a handful of production houses. From commercials, attractions, episodic productions to visualisations those had different field while often have better margins.
• Creativity: Keep the core creative decision-makers close to the tools, but align authority with responsibility. Scott’s ILM anecdotes reveal how often errors are organisational rather than technical.

“Follow your bliss, but be brutally honest about your lane, and plan your rent. You can’t survive without profit. If it doesn’t make money, it’s not a business.”

Takeaways

Scott’s stool test is still the fastest sanity check for any show or facility. If technology dazzles but cash burns, the shop tips. When finance is tight but creative authority is outsourced, the frames suffer. If creativity is strong but tech lags deliverable specs, you ship compromise. The “fixed bid for the impossible” contract structure is as dangerous now as it was then. As AI moves from assistive to agentic, we need to write scopes, schedules, and authority trees that assume fewer hands on more decisions and still protect image integrity and human sanity.

Finally Scott warned against believing one’s own hype: if you want to be a core storyteller, develop those muscles; if not, your skills will be valuable across medicine, manuals, advertising, and beyond, especially as visual communication saturates every industry.

Do you want to read this for yourself? The Book “Upstart: The Digital Film Revolution. Managing the Unmanageable” by Scott Ross and Joanne O`Brien-Levin.

The post “A Model of Madness” Scott Ross Why VFX Fails as a Business first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Alexander Richter.

Visual Effects Society Awards, VES Awards 2025, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes VFX, Dune Part Two visual effects, The Wild Robot animation, Shōgun TV series VFX, VES, Awards, VFX, AnimationPreheader: The 23rd Annual VES Awards honor top visual effects in film, television, and animation, with notable wins for ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Dune: Part Two,’ and ‘The Wild Robot.’

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Swings to Victory

In a move that surprised absolutely no one, ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ clinched the award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature. The film’s exceptional digital characters and environments left the competition in the dust, showcasing the pinnacle of VFX artistry.

Dune: Part Two Sands Up Multiple Awards

Not to be outdone, ‘Dune: Part Two’ swept through several categories, demonstrating its mastery of visual storytelling. The film dominated in areas such as CG Cinematography, Effects Simulations, and Compositing & Lighting, proving that spice isn’t the only thing it controls.

The Wild Robot Animates Success

In the animation realm, ‘The Wild Robot’ made a significant impact, securing awards for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature, Character Animation, Effects Simulations, and Environment. Its innovative approach and technical prowess set a new standard for animated storytelling.

Shōgun Commands the Episodic Arena

The episodic category saw ‘Shōgun’ making waves, earning accolades for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Episode, Environments, and Effects Simulations. The series’ commitment to visual excellence and immersive environments captivated audiences and critics alike.

The Penguin Marches to Recognition

‘The Penguin’ solidified its reputation as a visually striking series, receiving praise for its compositing and practical effects. The show’s meticulous attention to detail and seamless integration of visual elements garnered well-deserved acclaim.

And here is the full list of all 25 Categories

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

• Erik Winquist
• Julia Neighly
• Paul Story
• Danielle Immerman
• Rodney Burke

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Civil War

• David Simpson
• Michelle Rose
• Freddy Salazar
• Chris Zeh
• J.D. Schwalm

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature The Wild Robot

• Chris Sanders
• Jeff Hermann
• Jeff Budsberg
• Jakob Hjort Jensen

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Shōgun; Anjin

• Michael Cliett
• Melody Mead
• Philip Engström
• Ed Bruce
• Cameron Waldbauer

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode The Penguin; Bliss

• Johnny Han
• Michelle Rose
• Goran Pavles
• Ed Bruce
• Devin Maggio

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project Star Wars Outlaws

• Stephen Hawes
• Lionel Le Dain
• Benedikt Podlesnigg
• Andi-Bogdan Draghici

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial Coca-Cola; The Heroes

• Greg McKneally
• Antonia Vlasto
• Ryan Knowles
• Fabrice Fiteni

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project D23; Real-Time Rocket

• Evan Goldberg
• Alyssa Finley
• Jason Breneman
• Alice Taylor

Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature Better Man; Robbie Williams

• Milton Ramirez
• Andrea Merlo
• Seoungseok Charlie Kim
• Eteuati Tema

Outstanding Character in an Animated Feature The Wild Robot; Roz

• Fabio Lignini
• Yukinori Inagaki
• Owen Demers
• Hyun Huh

Outstanding Character in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project Ronja the Robber’s Daughter; Vildvittran the Queen Harpy

• Nicklas Andersson
• David Allan
• Gustav Åhren
• Niklas Wallén

Outstanding Environment in a Photoreal Feature Dune: Part Two; The Arrakeen Basin

• Daniel Rhein
• Daniel Anton Fernandez
• Marc James Austin
• Christopher Anciaume

Outstanding Environment in an Animated Feature The Wild Robot; The Forest

• John Wake
• He Jung Park
• Woojin Choi
• Shane Glading

Outstanding Environment in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project Shōgun; Osaka

• Manuel Martinez
• Phil Hannigan
• Keith Malone
• Francesco Corvino

Outstanding CG Cinematography Dune: Part Two; Arrakis

• Greig Fraser
• Xin Steve Guo
• Sandra Murta
• Ben Wiggs

Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project Alien: Romulus; Renaissance Space Station

• Waldemar Bartkowiak
• Trevor Wide
• Matt Middleton
• Ben Shearman

Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature Dune: Part Two; Atomic Explosions and Wormriding

• Nicholas Papworth
• Sandy la Tourelle
• Lisa Nolan
• Christopher Phillips

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature The Wild Robot

• Derek Cheung
• Michael Losure
• David Chow
• Nyoung Kim

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project Shōgun; Broken to the Fist; Landslide

• Dominic Tiedeken
• Heinrich Löwe
• Charles Guerton
• Timmy Lundin

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Feature Dune: Part Two; Wormriding, Geidi Prime, and the Final Battle

• Christopher Rickard
• Francesco Dell’Anna
• Paul Chapman
• Ryan Wing

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in an Episode The Penguin; After Hours

• Jonas Stuckenbrock
• Karen Cheng
• Eugene Bondar
• Miky Girón

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Commercial Coca-Cola; The Heroes

• Ryan Knowles
• Alex Gabucci
• Jack Powell
• Dan Yargici

Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal Project The Penguin; Safe Guns

• Devin Maggio
• Johnny Han
• Cory Candrilli
• Alexandre Prod’homme

Emerging Technology Award Here; Neural Performance Toolset

• Jo Plaete
• Oriel Frigo
• Tomas Koutsky
• Matteo Olivieri-Dancey

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project Pittura (entry from ARTFX – Schools of Digital Arts, France)

Helloïs Marre

Adam Lauriol

Titouan Lassère

Rémi Vivenza

The post VES Awards 2025: Apes Ascend, Dune Dazzles, Robots Rule first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Günter Hagedorn.

The event will showcase innovative approaches to virtual production workflows with practical case studies – (The Raytracing FTW – Movie) and software demonstrations. Notable speakers include representatives from leading VFX studios, the director and vfx-head.
VES Germany is thrilled to present a unique hands-on experience with the Project Arena Virtual Production solution, followed by a Q&A session with Daniel Thron, the director of the hilarious and engaging comedy short film “Ray Tracing | FTW,” created using this innovative technology and workflow.

This event is also open for Non-Members!

Event Details:

• Location: Berlin, Germany, Event Space @ XYZ Studios, Alexanderplatz 4, 10178 Berlin
• Date: October 25, 2024
• Cost: FREE
• Website: Official Event Page
• Full Program: View Program

Speakers include Christopher Nichols (Director of Special Projects – Chaos) and Daniel Thron (Director). Additionally, we are giving away signed copies of the following books to three lucky attendees:

The VES Handbook of Virtual Production by Susan Zwerman and Jeffrey Okun, Color Management Handbook for Visual Effects by Victor Perez and 20 Things You Should Know About Virtual Production by Frank Govaere

Links:

View Program

Official Event Page

Register to attend for free here: Eventbrite

The post Event: Project Arena – Redefining Virtual Production Workflow first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

In nuce: The Visual Effects Society (VES) has announced its Board of Directors Officers for 2023. This is according to a press release published on vesglobal.org on 18 January this year. The members of the Board of Directors thus include Lisa Cooke as Chair, Susan O’Neal as First Vice Chair, David H. Tanaka as Second Vice Chair, Rita Cahill as VES Secretary and Jeffrey A. Okun as VES Treasurer. The previous Chair, Lisa Cooke, was therefore re-elected. The members were elected at the Board meeting in the current month of January, thus forming the so-called VES Board Executive Committee.

Chair Lisa Cooke: As a VFX producer at Tippett Studio ( e.g. The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) and executive producer at Tippett Productions, Cooke has worked as an animation/VFX producer, story consultant, screenwriter and actress. Prior to joining Tippett, she founded Green Ray Media, where she produced animation and VFX and created scientific, medical and environmental media for a wide audience. In the past, Cooke has worked with Lucasfilm, Fox, Universal, Nickelodeon Films and Pixar.

Click to continue: To the press release on vesglobal.org- where background information on the careers of the respective board members is also available. Just last Wednesday, on 18 January 2023, Digital Production reported on the Visual Effects Society – at the time, filmmaker James Cameron broke his own record with a total of 14 nominations for his Avatar sequel; the creative minds behind film and series productions such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Jurassic World: Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick were also delighted to receive nominations.

Sources: awn.com ( news from Whitney Whitener), vesglobal.org ( press release)

The post Elected: Board members 2023 of the Visual Effects Society! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: The nominees for the 21st VES Awards (Visual Effects Society) were recently announced. This is according to an announcement published yesterday, 17 January, on fxguide.com by editor Mike Seymour. The prestigious visual effects industry award is presented in a total of 25 categories.

In toto: James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water leads the list with a total of 14 nominations. As Jazz Tangcay writes on variety.com, the second Avatar film thus breaks a record for the most nominations for a feature film at the VES Awards. It goes on to say that the first Avatar film – back in 2010 – was the previous frontrunner (with a total of eight nominations).

Other notable nominees include the streaming series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (seven nominations), the Pinocchio film by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson (six nominations), the dinosaur sequel Jurassic World: Dominion (two nominations), the Harry Potter film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (two nominations), the Batman remake from director Matt Reeves (three nominations) and the surprise box office success Top Gun: Maverick (three nominations).

New award category: This year, the VES Emerging Technology Award will be presented for the first time. This new award recognises inventors of new technologies, tools or software. Avatar 2 is nominated three times (for Depth Comp, Facial System and Water Toolset) – along with Pinocchio (3D Printed Metal Armature) and the Pixar-slash-Disney animation film Turning Red (3D Printed Metal Armature).

Click further: The announcement on fxguide.com lists all the nominated films in their respective award categories, naming the key contributors. The same report states that the VES is made up of almost 4,500 members from 45 countries. The members are active in a wide variety of functions within the entertainment industry – for example: Film, television, animated film, gaming or music videos. Visit the official website of the Visual Effects Society.

Sources: fxguide.com ( report by Mike Seymour), variety.com ( report by Jazz Tangcay), deadline.com ( report by Erik Pedersen)

The post Visual Effects Society announces nominees! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.