SIGHT, SOUND & STORY: LIVE | The Role of the VFX Supervisor in Film

Sight, Sound & Story: Live continues!

Sight, Sound & Story's 2022 event series format is online. Sight, Sound & Story has delayed its live in-person events (June's Post Summit & November's The Art of Cinematography) until September 2022. Until that time the event series will continue live online monthly. This series will feature unique guests and subjects that will vary between editing, cinematography, and all aspects of filmmaking. Most importantly, these events will be live and free to the public.

Sight, Sound & Story Live - The Role of the VFX Supervisor in Film

Moderator: Ross Shain (Chief Product Officer from Boris FX)

Panelists: VFX Supervisor Jake Morrison ("Thor: Love and Thunder," "Thor: Ragnarok," "Ant-Man," "The Avengers," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers") and Director & VFX supervisor Mark Russell ("In the Heights," "The Wolf of Wall Street," "Minority Report")

Inside Episode XXI: The use of visual effects in film has become an essential part of production. Join us for this insightful conversation with BAFTA and Critics Choice Award nominated VFX Supervisor, Jake Morrison and VES and SLFCA nominated Director & VFX supervisor, Mark Russell.

Jake and Mark will discuss the indispensable contributions that VFX play in films such as "Thor: Ragnarok" and "In the Heights." They will also explore the unique relationship between the VFX Supervisor and the Director as well as give invaluable insights to anyone interested in pursuing a career in visual effects. The conversation will be guided by moderator Ross Shain, an Academy Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning visual effects veteran and Chief Product Officer from Boris FX.

When: Wedneday, August 31st, 2022

Time: 8:00PM ET / 5:00PM PT

General Admission: FREE!

All registered attendees will receive a link and password for access on the day of the event approximately a half hour before event.

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Panelists*:

Jake Morrison most recently acted as both Second Unit Director and Overall Visual Effects Supervisor for Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster “Thor: Love and Thunder.”

Morrison supervised, shot and designed the visual effects for Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ as well as Marvel Studio’s blockbuster hit “Thor: Ragnarok.” Directed by Taika Waititi, the film clocked in at nearly 2,800 shots and resulted in a 2018 Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.

Prior to this, Morrison supervised “Ant-Man”, directed by Peyton Reed, earning a BAFTA nomination for Special Visual Effects.

As overall VFX Supervisor on Alan Taylor’s “Thor: The Dark World,” he received a Saturn Award nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. He began his tenure with Marvel Studios over ten years ago as Second Unit Supervisor on Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers.”

Morrison has been blending photography and computer graphics for over twenty-five years. Pursuing an early interest in creating real-time visuals to be performed alongside live music, Morrison taught himself a graphical programming language and learned video-sampling techniques. Since then he has pursued a career as a VFX / CG Supervisor as well as a Lead Compositor on many tent-pole films including Peter Jackson’s Oscar winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and Zac Snyder’s “300” as well as numerous commercial and television credits.

Other motion picture credits (in assorted VFX roles) include “Mission Impossible II,” Sam Raimi’s "Spider-Man", a trio of projects for the Wachowski siblings (“Speed Racer,” “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions”), “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

For the last 20 years Mark Russell has supervised and managed the visual effects in both studio and independent film projects with a broad range of commercial and artistic appeal. Mark began his career in film production in Los Angeles, working on groundbreaking films such as "Saving Private Ryan," "Minority Report," and "Hellboy." Since moving to Brooklyn in 2004, he has been advocating for the NY film and television community. He was the visual effects supervisor on J. C. Chandor’s "A Most Violent Year" and "Triple Frontier," "The Promise "with director Terry George and visual effects producer on Martin Scorsese’s "The Wolf of Wall Street." In addition to studio films like "In the Heights," "The Adjustment Bureau" and "Tower Heist," Mark has a soft spot for less commercial fare like "The Sleep Dealer," "Please Give, "Synecdoche, NY" and "The Europa Report."

Mark is currently in pre-production on "Megalopolis" with Francis Ford Coppola which is scheduled to begin shooting in the fall.

Ross Shain is a visual effects artist, software product designer, and the Chief Product Officer of Boris FX. Ross has been honored numerous times for his technical contributions to the film and television industry for Mocha planar tracking software. In 2013, he received an Academy of Motion Pictures science & technology award and in 2019 a Television Academy Engineering Emmy.

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*All speakers are schedule permitting.