VES Bay Area Hosts Farewell Tribute to 32Ten Studios

By NAOMI GOLDMAN

VES Bay Area Section members, guests and the VFX community gathered for the Fall BBQ and farewell tribute to iconic 32Ten Studios.

VES Bay Area Section Manager and Tribute Event Producer Rose Duignan and VES Board Chair Lisa Cooke honor 32Ten Studios with fellow guests.

Beloved Star Wars friends joined in the festivities for 32Ten Studios at the VES Bay Area BBQ and VFX gathering.

Marking the end of an era, the VES Bay Area Section held an emotional final event at the 3210 Kerner Main Stage and Courtyard in San Rafael in tribute to the iconic 32Ten Studios, which has now shuttered operations. The gathering and VES Bay Area Fall BBQ was held on the revered grounds that were once home to Industrial Light & Magic. For more than four decades, thousands of the most exemplary blockbuster movie effects to hit the screen were created in this legendary studio, including Star Wars, Men in Black, Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, Terminator and more.

The tribute event brought together hundreds of visual effects artists, former employees and VFX colleagues to give a heartfelt sendoff to the acknowledged birthplace of cutting-edge visual effects and hub of creativity and innovation.

Rose Duignan, VES Bay Area Section Manager and Event Producer for the epic event, who once worked as a production supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic and Kerner Optical, echoed the sentiments of so many. “It was always about the people who brought their talent and passion into this special place,” Duignan said. “While buildings may rise and fall, the legacy of everyone who inhabited this space, the enduring friendships, the work we created together – that is what will live on and surely shape generations to come. I am forever grateful to have been a part of the history this space holds and to have the honor to help produce this final goodbye.”

VES Board Chair Lisa Cooke and a lineup of impassioned speakers, including Imagine Documentary filmmaker Joe Johnston, ILM Chief Creative Officer John Knoll, Pixar President Jim Morris, VES, pioneering visual effects artist Dennis Muren, VES and more – along with special guests R2D2, C-3PO and a squad of stormtroopers – were all on hand to honor the historic event and enduring relationships made along San Rafael’s canal. They all joined in for a momentous last group photo in front of the 32Ten soundstage.

For their support and hard work in coordinating the “party of the season,” the VES Bay Area Section wants to thank the great team who brought it to life, including its Section Board of Managers and VES headquarters, fantastic student volunteers, the founders of 32Ten and generous sponsors Advance Systems Group (ASG), Industrial Light & Magic, Barbier Security and local favorite Big Jim’s BBQ.