THE VIEW TURNS 25: A SPECTACULAR CELEBRATION OF VFX MASTERY AND CREATIVITY

By JIM McCULLAUGH

Images courtesy of the VIEW Conference, except where noted.

Mark your calendars for October 14-19, 2024, as the VIEW Conference in Turin, Italy, celebrates its 25th anniversary. This international symposium on Animation, VFX, Games, AI, AR, VR, XR, MR, Virtual Production, Metaverse, Storytelling and Immersive Media promises to be a landmark event.

VIEW CEO and Executive Director Maria Elena Gutierrez and VFX Supervisor Kyle Odermatt (Raya and the Last Dragon, Moana, Wish) onstage at the VIEW.

Over the past quarter-century, the VIEW Conference has “welcomed literally thousands of people into a supportive global family of creatives, innovators and visionaries,” says CEO and Executive Director Maria Elena Gutierrez. “We’ve provided them with opportunities to learn from the industry’s best in digital media. Our mission has always been to inspire, educate and innovate, all within an atmosphere of love, support and inclusivity. We’re not just a conference – we’re a community.”

“The incredible quality of our speakers means our content is always of the highest standard.”
—Maria Elena Gutierrez.CEO and Executive Director, VIEW Conference

Reflecting on the journey, Gutierrez muses, “It seems like only yesterday when it all started – those 25 years went like a dream! In the early days, our biggest challenge was putting the conference on the map. It was tough getting top talent to make the time commitment necessary to visit Italy, a country not known for its animation, VFX and games industry.”

German film score composer and music producer Hans Zimmer wows the crowd at the VIEW.

Today, the landscape has transformed. “I regularly get calls from filmmakers working on their latest projects, asking if they can present at VIEW Conference when the movie’s finished! When they come to Turin, they stay for the entire week – remember, these are people whose time is so precious that it’s usually hard even to get 15 minutes with them. I believe this happens because we’ve succeeded in creating an experience that people genuinely love and want to prioritize.”

“[The VIEW Conference] creates an environment where… top-level speakers challenge themselves to deliver more. As a result, the VIEW Conference program is always gold standard, frequently filled with exclusives… and occasionally delivers a stunning surprise.”
—Maria Elena Gutierrez.CEO and Executive Director, VIEW Conference

Gutierrez attributes the conference’s success to its unwavering commitment to quality and its unique approach. “We don’t just string presentations together,” she explains. “We spend many months curating a meticulous program of keynotes, talks, workshops and masterclasses designed to inspire and teach both professionals and students. This is supported by a year-round program of free online sessions, such as panels, that bring together awards contenders on the run-up to the Oscars. The incredible quality of our speakers means our content is always of the highest standard.”

American cartoonist ND Stevenson, animator Troy Quane, animator Nick Bruno and Ted Ty of DNEG Animation at the VIEW.

The VIEW Conference goes beyond delivering top-notch content. “It creates an environment where these top-level speakers challenge themselves to deliver more. As a result, the VIEW Conference program is always gold standard, frequently filled with exclusives… and occasionally delivers a stunning surprise. Also, it has to be said that the timing is good. VIEW Conference takes place just as the industry is gearing up for awards season, making us the perfect showcase for the leading contenders to present their achievements. And it doesn’t hurt that Turin in October is just so beautiful.”

Jeff Rowe, American writer and director, brings the VIEW audience into the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

She adds, “Hans Zimmer also blew me away with a rousing retrospective on his amazing career. Tom McGrath and Mireille Soria moved me deeply with their highly personal talks about the influence their families have had on their work. Peter Sohn and Doug Chiang wowed us with their dazzling creativity while at the same time speaking eloquently about their experiences growing up in immigrant families in the U.S. And I have a special place in my heart for the extraordinary hour I spent at VIEW Conference 2022, when Rob Minkoff, director of the original The Lion King, took to the stage with his ukulele and treated us all to a never-seen-before musical journey through his experience making one of the best-loved animated features of all time. If I’m allowed a shameless plug, you can enjoy that session and more through our extensive online archive of recordings – just visit the VIEW Conference website.”

Gretchen Libby, Director of Visual Computing at Amazon Web Service, addresses VIEW attendees.

Shannon Tindel, American animator and storyboard artist, and Peter Ramsey, American illustrator and storyboard artist, share insights with the VIEW audience.

Christina Heller, film producer known for Trolls, Hotel Transylvania 3 and Over the Moon, at the VIEW.

French cartoonist and animator Benjamin Renner.

Peter Ramsey, American illustrator and storyboard artist, and Portuguese-American animator and storyboard artist Joaquim Dos Santos.

Doug Chiang, Senior Vice President and Executive Design Director at Lucasfilm, packs the VIEW auditorium.

Danielle Feinberg, director of photography and visual effects supervisor, at the VIEW.

German-American animator Andreas Deja.

Director Chris Sanders will be at VIEW 2024 to discuss The Wild Robot along with Production Designer Raymond Zibach and VFX Supervisor Jeff Budsberg. (Image courtesy of DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures)

Shannon Tindle, director of Ultraman: Rising, will be a featured speaker at VIEW 2024. (Image courtesy of Netflix)

“[W]e’ve succeeded in creating an experience that people genuinely love and want to prioritize.”
—Maria Elena Gutierrez.CEO and Executive Director, VIEW Conference

Looking ahead to this October’s program highlights, Gutierrez remarks, “There simply isn’t enough time to list them all! Suffice it to say, VIEW Conference 2024 promises a unique lineup of award-winning creatives discussing their latest projects alongside top-level Silicon Valley innovators. Live on stage, we’ll have the directors of this year’s big animated features – Inside Out 2, Ultraman: Rising and The Wild Robot, to name but three – but as always, we go deeper. For example, in addition to speaking about his movie, Josh Cooley, director of Transformers One, will also be teaching a special masterclass on the story, designed to enlighten and inspire professionals and students alike while passing on a wealth of practical advice and insight. We dive deep with VFX, too. Our exploration of Dune: Part Two boasts no less than five presenters, including triple-Oscar-winning Production VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert. We’re also proud to welcome the VFX supervisors of big movies like Twisters and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and hit streaming series like Fallout and 3 Body Problem.”

Inside Out 2’s director Kelsey Mann will be a speaker at VIEW 2024. (Image courtesy of Pixar/Disney)

Production VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert and second unit VFX Supervisor Patrick Heinen will be speaking about Dune: Part Two at VIEW 2024. (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

Jay Worth, Overall VFX Supervisor of Fallout, will be a featured speaker at VIEW 2024. (Image courtesy of Amazon Prime Video)

Steven Fangmeier, Production VFX Supervisor of 3 Body Problem, will be a featured VIEW 2024 speaker. (Image courtesy of Netflix)

Twisters VFX Supervisor Florian Witzel will be a featured speaker at VIEW 2024. (Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon. Courtesy of Universal Pictures)

Jason Greenblum, VFX Supervisor for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, will be a featured speaker at VIEW 2024. (Photo: Jaap Buitendij. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures/Sony)

Josh Cooley, director of Transformers One, will be speaking about the film and also teaching a special masterclass on story at VIEW 2024. (Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

Additionally, she continues, “We offer a comprehensive range of sessions on game design and animated short films – not to mention special tracks dedicated to business, generative AI and education – and you’ll quickly see that our 25th anniversary edition will be one to remember.”

For more information, visit the VIEW website at viewconference.it.