The Previsualization Society, a non-profit, interdisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of previsualization (“previs”), has been formally launched. Founded by previs practitioners for those who produce or use previs, the Previsualization Society will build a community to maximize the current and future capabilities as well as contributions of the previs medium.
The Previsualization Society includes members from many different disciplines and markets, just as the previs process does, and is already comprised of a number of charter members from the motion picture industry. The Previsualization Society will focus on producing and publishing information and resources to promote effective previs through key activities such as promoting standards, education, workflow development and practical knowledge exchange. As inspired by the recently completed ASC-ADG-VES Joint Technology Subcommittee on Previsualization, co-chaired by David Morin and Ron Frankel, The Previsualization Society will also provide a platform for ongoing interchange and learning among all contributors that engage with previs, which has become a more common practice and carries greater weight as content production continues to evolve in the digital age.
“When I started my career in previs 15 years ago, I used to always have to explain why productions might need previs,” said Previsualization Society president Colin Green, who is president/founder of the shop Pixel Liberation Front. “Now producers simply call saying ‘we need previs.’ Despite the popularity of the process, there are still many different views of what previs is, and how it should all work. The Previsualization Society will be a great way to bring expertise into a common forum for everyone to share.”
Membership in The Previsualization Society is open to previs professionals (previs supervisors and practitioners), associates (directors, producers, storyboard artists, cinematographers, art directors, production designers, editors, studio executives and other industry personnel) and academics (students and educators). General interest memberships will also be offered.
Founding members of the Previsualization Society are: Green; David Dozoretz, founder, director and VFX supervisor, Persistence of Vision (POV) Previs; Chris Edwards, CEO, The Third Floor; Ron Frankel, president/founder, Proof; Daniel Gregoire, owner, Halon Entertainment; and Brian Pohl, CEO of POV Previs.
The charter membership of Previsualization Society currently includes directors, cinematographers, visual effects supervisors, production designers, art directors, editors and technology developers, as well as previs artists and supervisors whose credits collectively span from pioneering previs on films like Judge Dredd, Mission: Impossible, the Star Wars prequels and Minority Report to recent movies such as Avatar, Star Trek, Alice in Wonderland, and Iron Man.
Funding for the Previsualization Society is provided through membership and sponsorship. A prime charter sponsor is Autodesk–, a leading provider of media and entertainment technology. Autodesk products include a family of 3D applications that are core tools for previs and pre-production of movies, commercials and video game cinematics.
Inquiries for membership in the Previsualization Society may be made through the Previsualization Society Website, www.previssociety.com. Applications submitted now will be considered for membership induction in January 2010. Also in January, the Previsualization Society expects to launch a purpose-built content site to be populated with public articles, professional forums, handbooks, tutorials, definitions, archives, real-world previs examples, databases and downloadable tools. The web portal will also offer targeted advertising, promotional and continuing education opportunities.
The Previsualization Society is headquartered in Los Angeles, with chapters in Europe, Latin America, Australasia and other regions.
Sheriff Reports Preliminary Autopsy Results On Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa
Preliminary autopsy results didn't determine how Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife died at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but did rule out that they were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, the sheriff leading the investigation said Friday.
The condition of the bodies found Wednesday indicated the deaths occurred at least several days earlier and there was no sign of foul play.
At a news conference, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the initial examination by the medical examiner showed no sign of carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas produced from kitchen appliances and other fuel-burning items. When it collects in poorly ventilated homes, it can be fatal.
Mendoza also said an examination of the 95-year-old Hackman's pacemaker showed it stopped working on Feb. 17, which means he may have died nine days earlier.
Hackman's body was found in an entryway. The body of his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, was in a bathroom. She was on her side and a space heater was near her head. Investigators said the heater likely was pulled down when she fell. There also was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on a countertop.
Whether the pills or other drugs were a factor won't be known until toxicology tests are completed in the coming weeks.
Dr. Philip Keen, the retired chief medical examiner in Maricopa County, Arizona, said it would be unlikely for a person who tests negative for carbon monoxide initially to later be found to have been poisoned by it.
He also said the moment when a pacemaker stops working could mark the point when a person dies, but not always.
"If your heart required a pacemaker, there would certainly be an interruption at that point โ and it might be the hallmark of when... Read More