SANTA MONICA—The Visual Effects Society (VES) announced that founding executive director Tom Atkin has chosen to step aside at the end of his current contract on July 31, 2004. Atkin founded the nonprofit in ’97 (SHOOT, 2/28/97, p.1), and helped guide its growth to its current 900 global members, nine festivals worldwide and an annual awards show. He expects membership will reach 1,000 by next July.
Atkin related that he is leaving VES to go back to his roots as an entrepreneur. "Stepping aside from this post was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make," he said, "however I truly missed the entrepreneurial spirit of creating something from [scratch].
"I have always been an entrepreneur who is stimulated by great challenges," he continued. "The challenge and the assignment were to build an organization for visual effects professionals. I am extremely proud to say that that has been accomplished, probably at a greater level than anyone had originally anticipated. Basically, my job is done and it’s time for VES to grow on its own at the direction of its membership. [I will] continue to seek new challenges, and to create new opportunities from the bottom up."
Looking back, Atkin said, "One of the reasons that I believe I was successful in getting VES together—when others said it couldn’t be done— [is because] I came from outside the visual effects box. I had no relationships or agenda, other than forming the society. I think that had a great deal of influence on the society becoming a reality.
"The Visual Effects Society is the greatest organization for those who are involved in this industry," Atkin added. "I am so happy to have been the founding executive director, as well as a loyal fan of the outstanding work that has transformed filmmaking as we know it today."
VES chairman Jim Morris, who is president of Lucas Digital, San Rafael, Calif., could not be reached for comment at press time. He said in a released statement: "We are deeply saddened to see Tom leave. However, with the nature of our ongoing relationship, it makes his departure less difficult. Tom has achieved monumental tasks over the past ten years to bring the Society to where it is today, and we will be forever indebted to him for his dedication and drive."
It is likely that visual effects professionals in Europe will also be very sad to see Atkin step down; he put in enormous efforts to help build edit/VES: The European Festival of Visual Effects. At this year’s event, Atkin was greeted with applause everywhere he went; and government officials, as well as visual effects professionals, had nothing but praise for his integrity, enthusiasm, dedication and performance.
Details were still being ironed out at press time. To find a new executive director, VES has retained a search firm. Carl Rosendahl, a current VES board member, as well as a founding board member (and founder of PDI, which was acquired by DreamWorks), is serving as the chair of the search committee.
Upcoming VES events include the second VES Awards in February ’04, during which VES will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to George Lucas; a VES festival in San Rafael in June; the edit/VES Festival in Frankfurt in September; and a yet-to-be announced event next year in Asia.
