Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/44580
Bill of Rights protects VES members L OS ANGELES — The Visual Effects Society (VES) has introduced a "Bill of Rights" that recognizes and addresses numerous industry-wide issues affecting its membership and the VFX industry as a whole. The docu- ment comes on the heels of an open letter to the entertainment industry by the VES, which raised issues about the downward spiral of artist working conditions and benefits, as well as facility profit margins around the globe. The VES Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve the VFX Bill of Rights at its board meeting last month. "In the VES Open Letter, we said it was time to step up as the voice of the visual effects industry by talking to all parties regarding their concerns," explains Eric Roth, executive director of the VES (www.visualeffectssociety.com). "At this time we have engaged in a vigor- ous dialogue with key stakeholders at all levels and believe our Bill of Rights lays out the vital concerns of each segment of the industry. Our next step is to focus on bringing all parties together to seek solutions." The Bill of Rights recognizes that issues related to job security and working conditions dominate the concerns for artists and practitioners, while facilities and studios want better business practices and a more even playing field in a changing global economic environment. To address these concerns, the Bill states that VFX artists and practitioners, facilities and studios all have basic rights that need to be upheld in order to recognize the contributions of each group while improving the quality of life and work for artists, practitioners, facilities and studios. The VES has over 2,300 global members working in film, animation, televi- sion, commercials, music videos, games and new media. You can download the Bill of Rights by visiting www.postmagazine.com. Method expands to Australia S ANTA MONICA — Method Studios (www.methodstudios.com), the visual effects group within the Deluxe Entertainment Services Group (www.bydeluxe.com), has expanded with three new facilities in Australia. The group has existing studios in LA, Vancouver, NYC and London. Joining the group is a brand-new commercial facility in Sydney's waterside district of Walsh Bay; the Deluxe-owned and operated commercial post business MRPPP in Melbourne; and the Sydney-based feature visual effects studio at Lane Cove that previously operated as CIS-Postmodern. "Uniting our Australian visual effects businesses under the Method Stu- dios brand paves the way for those creative facilities to work together even more synergistically," says Stefan Sonnenfeld, president of Deluxe Cre- ative Services. Method Studios in Australia launched with a team that is already well known in the local Australian and Asian markets. "Being part of Method's international network means we can really raise the bar creatively for local clients," notes Alaric McAusland, head of Deluxe in Australia. "With the recent increase in the tax rebates for feature film production, our international clients will also be able to get their visual effects done locally. This is a win-win situation for the creative community of Australia." The Method Australia VFX facility includes a dedicated software team led by Paul Ryan, VP of technology and former CTO of Weta. Its goal is to allow the sharing of tools, assets and shots across facilities. On the commercial front, the Method Australia group will share resources with facilities in the US. In addition to VFX, the Walsh Bay and Melbourne studios offer editing, color grading, 3D/2D design and finishing. The world's first Digital Lab for VFX dailies. Optimized for DPX, OpenEXR & RAW Stack unlimited shot versions in a single timeline Full XML support and powerful database integration for effortless media loading Full automation of aspect ratio or frame offset correction Automatically set correct LUT based on file type Mac or PC: $4,995 Free trial offer at www.assimilateinc.com/trial Scene from "Derriére les Murs" © Stéphanie Dupont What Post readers are experiencing right now MUSIC: "I am listening to a real variety: Chester P "From The Ashes" is still blowing my mind since 2008. Loving Iron and Wine's new direction and, as always, Explosions in The Sky, whose new album is epic." Russell Dodgson Framestore, London DIGITAL INGENUITY www.postmagazine.com Post • October 2011 11