The Visual Effects Society has announced its newest lifetime and honorary members as well as this year’s recipient of the VES Founders Award, all of whom will be recognized during a special event in October.
Educator and industry vet Pam Hogarth will be presented the VES Founders Award at the event. Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter — the Oscar-winning director of Up, Inside Out and Soul — will receive honorary VES membership, and Jeff Barnes, Patricia “Rose” Duignan, Toni Pace Carstensen, David Tanaka and Hogarth will be given lifetime VES memberships for service to the Society and industry.
Hogarth is recognized for her contributions to VFX and service to the Society. She has fulfilled roles from marketing to industry relations and dedicated the majority of her career to education. She ran the Digital Media Institute in Hollywood, helped grow the digital program at AFI and has taught at the Art Directors Guild, Otis College, Gnomon and AFI. She served eight terms on the VES board of directors, twice as vice chair.
VES past chair Barnes, who currently serves as executive vp of creative development at Light Field Lab, co-founded and led companies including CaféFX, The Syndicate and Sententia Entertainment.
Carstensen was VES’ founding treasurer and co-edited the first edition of the VES Handbook of Visual Effects. Her feature credits include VFX producer/digital production manager on Avatar.
Duignan spent more than a dozen years at ILM, during which time she started the ILM Daycare Center. She continues to play a role to uplift women, people of color and veterans in VFX through the VES Education Committee.
VFX editor, producer and creative director Tanaka works at Tippett Studio and serves as an adjunct professor for the Academy of Art University. He served as VES Bay Area section chair and a 2nd vice chair on the board of directors.
“Our VES honorees represent a group of exceptional artists, innovators and professionals who have had a profound impact on the field of visual effects,” said VES board chair Lisa Cooke. “We are proud to recognize those who helped shape our shared legacy and continue to inspire future generations of VFX practitioners.”