The Visual Effects Society (VES) named a roster of VFX professionals to its latest class of VES Fellows.
The 2018 VES Fellows include VFX supervisor Craig Barron, creative director at Magnopus; VFX producer Joyce Cox, creator of Curó; VFX supervisor Dan Curry, computer scientist Paul Debevec, senior scientist at Google VR and adjunct professor of computer science at USC; and VFX supervisor Michael Fink, professor at USC. They will be honored at a reception in Beverly Hills on October 11, VES said.
From left: Craig Barron, Joyce Cox, Dan Curry, Paul Debevec, and Michael Fink
Courtesy VES
Craig Barron began his career at ILM, where he worked on The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. His company, Matte World Digital, created environments for Titanic and Zodiac, and Barron himself is an Oscar-winner for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He is co-chair of the Science and Technology Council for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and an Academy Governor representing the Visual Effects Branch.
Joyce Cox is a former commercial producer turned feature-film VFX producer. Her credits include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Dark Knight, Avatar and The Jungle Book. She teaches a course in VFX production at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and is the force behind the web-based VFX-production toolset Curó.
Dan Curry is a seven-time Emmy winner for his VFX work on television productions including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and Chuck. He’s a former Peace Corps volunteer, a DGA and PGA member, and ASC associate member.
Paul Debevec is a senior scientist at Google VR and adjunct research professor of computer science at USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering. His UC Berkeley Ph.D. thesis presented a photogrammetric modeling system he called “Facade,” techniques from which were used in his short film “The Campanile Movie” and, later, in The Matrix. His work with the USC Institute for Creative Technologies has led to Light Stage devices that were used to create digital doubles in Spider-Man 2, Superman Returns, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He is VP of ACM SIGGRAPH and a member of AMPAS and its Science and Technology Council.
Michael Fink’s first film was The China Syndrome, but he became a VFX supervisor with War Games. He was nominated for an Oscar and BAFTA for his work on Batman Returns and The Golden Compass, and he directed the first Coca-Cola Polar Bear spot in 1993. He’s a founding member of the VES and a member of the executive committee of the AMPAS visual effects branch. He’s a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he chairs the film and television production division and holds the George Méliès Endowed Chair in Visual Effects.
They join a roster of 2018 VES honorees that includes Founders Award recipient Gene Kozicki, VFX archivist and digital production supervisor, and VES Hall of Fame honorees including special photographic effects artist L.B. Abbott (The Poseidon Adventure), digital animator and VFX artist Richard “Doc” Baily (Fight Club), title designer Saul Bass (Psycho), animator Ray Harryhausen (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad), visual effects supervisor Derek Meddings (Superman), visual effects producer Eileen Moran (Avatar), and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Jonathan Erland, VES (Star Wars) was honored with a lifetime VES membership, and Tippett Studio CEO Jules Roman received an honorary VES membership.
