We open on a college student fast asleep at his desk next to his textbooks. It’s 11:25 a.m. and we see from a self-reminder note that he has a final exam in history at 11:30.
So much for studying hard until the wee hours paying off at test time. It looks doubtful he will even be awake at test time. But not to worry. Historical mini-figures come to life from the textbooks and make every effort to arouse him–initially to no avail as a volley of arrows and even detonation of an explosive fail to get him up.
Finally Napoleon, Da Vinci and Cleopatra have a sure-fire idea. They notice a nearby Coke bottle sitting on the desk and devise a plan to use the familiar “psshht” sound of the bottle opening to awaken him. Sure enough the popping open of the Real Thing does the trick and the student dashes off hopefully to ace his final.
Daniel Kleinman of Epoch Films and Rattling Stick directed “Finals” for Wieden+Kennedy, Portland. Moving Picture Company was the VFX house. Editors were Steve Gandolfi and Isaac Chen of Cut+Run.
Visual Effects Society Elects 2025 Board of Directors’ Executive Committee
The lineup of officers is set for the Visual Effects Society’s (VES) 2025 Board of Directors. The officers, who comprise the VES Board Executive Committee, were elected at the January 2025 Board meeting. The Officers include Kim Davidson, who was re-elected Board chair, and is the first Board member from outside the United States to hold this role since the Society’s inception.
“It is my privilege to serve as chair of our worldwide community of visual effects artists and innovators,” said Davidson. “Since I joined the Society 18 years ago, I have seen the VES grow from a California-based organization to a global society with 16 regional Sections and members in more than 50 countries. As the first chair elected from outside the U.S., I am representative of our thriving globalization, and I look forward to further championing our expansion worldwide. The leadership on our Board brings enormous commitment, expertise and enthusiasm to their volunteer service and I’m excited about what we can achieve, together.”
“Our Society is fortunate to have strong leadership represented on our Executive Committee,” said Nancy Ward, VES executive director. “I am honored to work alongside these exceptional, dedicated professionals, especially amidst this time of dynamic change. We appreciate their commitment to further advance the Society’s global initiatives and impact.”
The 2025 officers of the VES Board of Directors are:
--Chair: Kim Davidson
--1st Vice Chair: Susan O’Neal
--2nd Vice Chair: David Tanaka, VES
--Secretary: Rita Cahill
--Treasurer: Jeffrey A. Okun, VES
Kim Davidson, Chair
Davidson is the president and CEO of SideFX®, a company he co-founded in 1987. SideFX is... Read More