Visual Effects Society Recognizes 2024 Honorees

By NAOMI GOLDMAN

VES celebrated a distinguished group of VFX practitioners and industry leaders at its festive annual VES Honors event October 25th, held under the night sky at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Producer and VFX industry leader Brooke Breton, VES was named recipient of the 2024 VES Founders Award. “Receiving this recognition means so much. I love this organization for its full representation of artists and practitioners and for how we support our expanding global community. Bringing talented people together to technically and artistically problem-solve and give them the opportunity to shine has been one of my greatest joys in this business.”

The Society designated VFX Producer/Supervisor Reid Paul and VFX Producer Ronald B. Moore with Lifetime VES memberships. Our newest Honorary VES members are award-winning Director and Animator Don Bluth; award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor and Filmmaker John Bruno; award-winning Director, Production Designer & Visual Effects Specialist Robert Stromberg; and acclaimed Animation and Optical Effects Supervisor Harry Walton.

This year’s venerated VES Fellows are: Head of Visual Effects for Wētā FX Matt Aitken, VES; Director of Creative Innovation at Netflix Girish Balakrishnan, VES; award-winning Titles Designer and Visual Effects Supervisor Randall Balsmeyer, VES; VES award-winning Artist and Supervisor Michael Conte, VES; Executive Producer and former VES Chair Lisa Cooke, VES; Senior Visual Effects Supervisor at Scanline Bryan Grill, VES; Executive Producer Thomas Knop, VES; Senior Vice President, Production Visual Effects at Sony Pictures Entertainment Arnon Manor, VES; and Visual Effects Supervisor Susan Rowe, VES.

The 2024 class of VES Hall of Fame inductees include Oscar-winning VFX Supervisor and VES Founders Award recipient Tim McGovern, VES; Visual Effects Supervisor Thad Beier; experimental filmmaker Maya Deren; and film Director-Producer Dorothy Davenport.

And for their long service as leaders of their Section Board of Managers, the Society recognized: Zach Bell, VES Georgia; Tony Botella, VES France; Kay Delventhal, VES Germany; Kay Hoddy, VES New Zealand; Andy Romine, VES Washington; Marc A. Rousseau, VES Montreal; and Sean Thigpen, VES Georgia.

“Our honorees represent a group of exemplary artists, innovators and thought leaders who have had a profound impact on the field of visual effects and our global Society,” said VES Board Chair Kim Davidson. “We are proud to recognize those who helped shape our shared legacy and continue to inspire future generations of VFX practitioners.”