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VES Announces 50 Most Influential

The Visual Effects Society announced this week the VES 50: The Most Influential Visual Effects Films of All Time, which was determined by a vote of their members.

THE VES 50 are (Bold and Italics indicates a tie score)

1. Star Wars (1977)
2. Blade Runner (1982)
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. The Matrix (1999)
5. Jurassic Park (1993)
6. Tron (1982)
7. King Kong (1933)
8. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
9. Alien (1979)
10. The Abyss (1989)
11. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. Metropolis (1927)
13. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
14. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
15. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
16. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
17. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
18. Titanic (1997)
19. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
20. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
20. E.T. the Extraterrestrial (1982)
22. Toy Story (1995)
23. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
24. The Ten Commandments (1956)
25. The War of the Worlds (1953)
25. Forrest Gump (1994)
25. Citizen Kane (1941)
25 The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
25. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
30. The Terminator (1984)
31. Aliens (1986)
32. Mary Poppins (1964)
33. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
34. Forbidden Planet (1956)

The VES will present the winners at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills on the weekend of June 8-10th. Among the panels and screenings, there will be a formal unveiling of the VES 50: The Most Influential Visual Effects Films of All Time. 

The panel for the VES 50 includes Academy Award winners Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Doug Trumbull and John Dykstra (schedule permitting), and the moderator will be Academy Award winner John Knoll. This group of experts will examine the top 50 films that have had “a significant, lasting impact on the practice and appreciation of visual effects as an integral, artistic element of cinematic expression and the storytelling process.”

The Festival is open to the Public.

Here is the program schedule for the weekend:

Thursday, June 7

7:00-10:00: OPENING NIGHT FESTIVAL PARTY

Friday, June 8

2:30-4:00: ACTIVISION PRESENTS
Games and films are increasingly sharing the same techniques. Learn how Activision creates cinematic gameplay, believable characters and realistic game environments in real time.

5:00-6:30: VFX FOR SPECIAL VENUES
Visual effects for special venues, from IMAX 3D to theme-park rides, are an art almost unto to themselves. This panel of pioneering special venue experts will give you the low down on what keeps them, and their work, at on the cutting edge of visual effects production.

7:30-10:00: SURF’S UP Screening (Sony Pictures Imageworks) with Q&A

Saturday, June 9

10:00-11:30: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THEN AND NOW
What’s old is new again, thanks to new technologies and a new generation of science fiction fans. This panel offers the double treat of looking back at the wizardry that has made the original Battlestar Galactica a television classic while also peering behind-the-scenes of the current hit Galactica on the Sci Fi Channel.

1:00-2:30: THE ART OF THE MINIATURE: WHAT CAN YOU GET ME IN TWO WEEKS?
Learn how miniature effects are called upon like the proverbial cavalry to come riding in to save a picture with a visual effect. See when miniatures are built and shot on short schedules to give movies that "Wow" factor at the last minute. Also, a special surprise "Behind the Magic" featurette!

3:30-5:00: PRE-VIZ: ALL THE INS AND OUTS
Going far beyond conceptual artwork and storyboards, animatics are produced by dedicated pre-viz companies and artists (as well as art directors, effects supervisors and the directors themselves), to help filmmakers zero in on their creative vision while providing studios and producers with a concrete guide for budgeting and production. Once seen as a luxury, pre-visualization has become a mature tool and part of most every visual effects production. Join a panel of pre-viz veterans as they discuss the challenges of the design process, with plenty of eye-opening examples of how "visual drafts" are created.

6:00-7:30: VFX MANIPULATION: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
Visual effects technology has made virtually anything possible: long-dead actors can dance with vacuum cleaners or speak new dialogue; young actors can be inserted into films made before they were born; product placement can be added in post-production, circumventing the artistic stance of the directors; performances can even be altered without the input of the cast. While many of these techniques are being used to make films better and more to their creators' vision, it can be a slippery slope. Join the VES on a raucous and freewheeling journey through this digital frontier, with examples, opinions, and plenty of controversy.

8:30-10:00: FALL FILM SHOWCASE
Get a sneak peak at the Fall’s biggest, hottest VFX films with presentations by the people making them happen!

Sunday, June 10

10:00-11:30: SHREK THROUGH THE AGES
What a long strange trip it’s been through the animated world of Dreamwork’s Shrek franchise! VFX Supervisor Ken Bielenberg was there for every step along the way and he’ll be our guide through this look back at all three Shrek movies – from birth to becoming a monster hit!

12:30-2:30: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: A VFX VOYAGE
Set sail for an epic exploration of the cutting edge technology and dashing storytelling that made Pirates of the Caribbean one of the most successful movie franchises of all time.

3:30-5:30: THE VES 50: THE MOST INFLUENTIAL VISUAL EFFECTS FILMS OF ALL TIME
Our extraordinary panel for the VES 50 includes Academy Award winners Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Doug Trumbull and John Dykstra (schedule permitting), and our moderator will be Academy Award winner John Knoll. This incredible group of experts will examine the top 50 films that have had “a significant, lasting impact on the practice and appreciation of visual effects as an integral, artistic element of cinematic expression and the storytelling process.” You won’t want to miss this!

6:30-8:30: THE VES 50 SCREENING WITH Q&A
A special screening of a film from The VES 50 list with special guests.

(Program and schedule subject to change)

TICKET INFORMATION

$200 - Master Festival Pass (Includes all panels, screenings and the Opening Night party)
$150 - Master Festival Pass for VES members
$20 - Individual Panel Tickets
$30 - Ticket to the Festival Opening Night Party
$100 - Student Master Pass (with valid student ID)
$15 - Student Ticket to Individual Panels (with valid student ID