The Visual Effects Society announced today that Technology Futurist, Eric Haseltine, will be the keynote speaker at the VES’ Production Summit 09 on October 24th. Haseltine, the former Director of Research at the National Security Agency (NSA) and CTO for the U.S. intelligence community under the Director of National Intelligence, and former head of Walt Disney Imagineering, will give the keynote address at the one-day industry-wide event which will be held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey.
Haseltine, a self proclaimed ‘psycho-ecologist’ with a Ph.D in physiological psychology, is known for applying neuroscience to new technologies, using how the human brain naturally wants to interact with technology to improve performance. Haseltine offers a vision on the intersection of technology and human nature, providing a unique perspective about the application of brain science to technology developments.
Before entering government service and Walt Disney Imagineering, Haseltine was Director of Engineering for Hughes Aircraft. He holds 15 patents in optics, special effects and electronic media, and has been published in more than 100 science and technical journals.
Eric Roth, VES Executive Director, states, “We’re honored to have a visionary like Eric Haseltine as our keynote speaker. He is someone who can illuminate not only what’s on the horizon now but also, what lies ahead from a global technology and psychological perspective. He’s sure to provide a fascinating point of reference for exploring our future.”
Adds VES Chair, Jeffrey A. Okun, “The idea of getting a speaker like Eric Haseltine is to change the way we approach things. We want to change our outlook to really and truly challenge the status quo in a meaningful way and to look at new, fresh solutions to the evolving paradigm shift and lead, instead of being a victim of business.”
The Production Summit 09 will convene a unique consortium of leading creatives, executives and visionaries to offer a rare opportunity to examine innovative approaches to producer challenges, technology developments and the globalization of the production industry. The one-day event will bring together an international group of directors, producers, cinematographers, art directors, editors, technologists and visual effects leaders for a day of inspiration, conversation and collaboration. Practitioners from all crafts will join together to look at the present in order to start defining the future.
The day will feature sessions on topics including production, creativity, technology and the global economy, from the perspectives of everything from acquisition to projection. As leaders in their fields, attendees will be encouraged to not only think outside the box, but also, to reinvent the box in the process of creating an entirely new production paradigm.
For more information and to register go to http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/productionSummit2009.
About the VES
The VES is a non-profit, professional, honorary Society dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences and applications of digital visual effects and to upholding the highest uniform standards and procedures for the visual effects profession. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the VES is a global organization and has Sections in Australia, London, San Francisco and Vancouver.
The VES is the entertainment industry’s only official trade organization representing the extended community of visual effects practitioners including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers, educators, PR/marketing specialists and studio executives. Its 1,800 global members contribute to all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos, games and new media. The VES strives to enrich and educate its members and the entertainment community at large through many domestic and international events, screenings and programs. Visual effects professionals constitute a vital creative force in content creation and are literally shaping the future of entertainment. www.visualeffectssociety.com
