The Visual Effects Society (VES) has named director-producer-screenwriter Roland Emmerich as the next recipient of the VES Visionary Award in recognition of his valuable contributions to filmed entertainment. The award will be presented at the 18th Annual VES Awards on January 29, 2020 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
The VES Visionary Award, bestowed by the VES Board of Directors, recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of visual effects to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work. VES will honor Emmerich, an inventive and highly visual storyteller, for his inspired vision and distinctive ability to harness craft and technology in creating epic cinematic experiences.
“Roland Emmerich has been at the forefront of utilizing visual effects to tell remarkable stories that transfix audiences and create new worlds,” said Mike Chambers, VES Board chair. “Roland has a unique ability to harness emerging technology to bring his expansive visions to life and he has made an indelible mark in the world of filmed entertainment. For this and more, we are honored to award him with the prestigious VES Visionary Award.”
Emmerich is an international director, producer and screenwriter whose films–including Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, The Patriot, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, White House Down and Independence Day: Resurgence–have taken in more than $4 billion worldwide. His latest feature, Midway, recounts the epic naval clash between American and Japanese forces that marked a turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The action-packed feature is based on real-life events, paying homage to the pilots, leaders and sailors, and their bravery. Summit Entertainment, a Lionsgate company, will release the film on Friday (11/8).
In his native Germany, Emmerich’s career began when his first film, a student project called The Noah’s Ark Principle, played in competition at the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. He subsequently set up Centropolis Entertainment in 1985 and under this banner, he has produced and directed over 20 feature films. Outside the focus of producing and directing, Emmerich is a campaigner and contributor for various charities and projects including, but not limited to, the Cambodian Children’s Fund, the Gay and Lesbian Education Network (GLSEN), Global Green, American Red Cross, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Previous winners of the VES Visionary Award have been Jonathan Nolan, Victoria Alonso, Syd Mead, J.J. Abrams, Alfonso Cuarón, Ang Lee and Christopher Nolan.
As previously announced, Martin Scorsese, Academy, DGA and Emmy Award winning director-producer-screenwriter, is the forthcoming recipient of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award. And acclaimed visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal is the forthcoming recipient of the VES Award for Creative Excellence.
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More