Top reasons to attend the 2022 VIEW Conference: An exclusive interview with Conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez

Featuring an extensive program of presentations, workshops, and masterclasses, the 2022 VIEW Conference is an English language event celebrating the latest achievements in VFX, animation, game design, virtual production, computer graphics, interactive and immersive media, VR/AR/XR, the Metaverse, artificial intelligence, real-time rendering, and much more.

Taking place from October 16-21 in the beautiful city of Torino, Italy, the VIEW Conference offers an unparalleled opportunity for attendees to immerse themselves in an inspiring, inclusive environment as they expand their industry knowledge, meet their heroes, and advance their careers. The conference, which will also be live-streamed for online attendees, brings industry professionals, thought leaders, students, and enthusiasts together to explore the future of creative innovation.

CGW is thrilled to be partnering with the VIEW Conference this year. We had the opportunity to interview Conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez to learn more about this inspiring and unmissable event.

Conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez

CGW: Can you give us an overview of the 2022 VIEW Conference and the types of topics that will be covered?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: VIEW Conference is a week-long international event held annually in beautiful Torino, Italy. This year is our 23rd conference, and I can truthfully say it’s going to be bigger and better than ever. The conference is a celebration of everything that’s happening in animation, visual effects, and games, with a massive program of live presentations, workshops, and masterclasses digging deep into topics including storytelling, virtual production, computer graphics, interactive and immersive media, VR, AR and mixed reality, AI, real-time rendering…the list goes on!

VIEW Conference 2021

CGW: What are the in-person and virtual attendee registration options that are available this year?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: VIEW Conference 2022 is a hybrid event, with tickets available for anyone to attend in-person at Torino’s spectacular OGR venue. Since the majority of our speakers will be there in person, there are huge benefits to physically being there. Not only do you get the buzz of the live event, but there are real opportunities for face-to-face meetings with our incredible line-up of creative professionals, A-list film directors, technology masters, and thought leaders. At the same time, we’re streaming the whole event online. This means our doors are open, virtually, to a global audience. It’s the best kind of win-win scenario. Full details of the various ticketing options are available on the VIEW Conference website.

VIEW Conference 2021

CGW: Can you tell us about the 2022 VIEW Conference job fair events and recruitment programs?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: You remember I mentioned the benefits of face-to-face encounters? Well, that’s exactly what the VIEW Conference recruitment program delivers. We have a host of recruiters from major creative studios ready to engage in conversation with students and junior creatives—in fact, anyone who wants to chat about their career options in a friendly and informal setting. We have candid “Ask-Me-Anything” sessions with leading creative talent, and visitors can book portfolio reviews with top industry professionals. The whole aim is to provide a welcoming, inclusive space that helps people open their eyes to a bright future.

2022 VIEW Visionary Award recipient Henry Selick

CGW: Can you tell us about the VIEW Visionary Award and this year’s recipient, Henry Selick?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: Every year we present the VIEW Visionary Award to a pioneering individual who has consistently advanced the state of the art in their chosen field. Previous recipients include Dennis Muren, Nora Twomey, Sir Roger Deakins, and the dear departed Ralph Eggleston. In 2022, we’re delighted to present the award to the stop-motion filmmaker Henry Selick. From The Nightmare Before Christmas to James and the Giant Peach and Coraline—for which he received a richly-deserved Oscar nomination—his films have left indelible memories in the minds and hearts of audiences across the world. Henry is attending VIEW Conference 2022 in person, presenting his latest film for Netflix, Wendell & Wild. I have no doubt this latest opus will stand alongside all his other great achievements, and I’m over the moon to honor him with this year’s VIEW Visionary Award.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

CGW: Can you tell us about the DreamWorks Animation presentations that are scheduled for this year’s conference?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: Our DreamWorks Animation presentations are a wonderful example of how VIEW Conference delivers deep dives—both creatively and technically—into the latest animated features…including some that haven’t even been released yet! This year we have Mark Edwards, visual effects supervisor on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, discussing how he and his team helped to steer the film’s unique aesthetic. And Matt Baer, visual effects supervisor on The Bad Guys, explores the techniques used by each department to integrate hand-drawn and 2D animation techniques into the film’s 3D workflow.

Pinocchio

CGW: Can you tell us about the special presentations for Disney’s Pinocchio that are scheduled for this year’s conference?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: We are truly honored to welcome legendary director Robert Zemeckis to VIEW Conference for the first time. He’ll appear in an exclusive video in conversation with Kevin Baillie, visual effects supervisor on Pinocchio, discussing the making of the film and answering questions we’ve received for him through our social media channels. What’s more, Kevin Baillie is attending the conference in person, giving our audience an extraordinary insight into the cutting-edge filmmaking techniques used for Pinocchio, with his live presentation entitled "The Lies and Truths of Virtual Production."

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

CGW: Can you give us an overview of other notable speakers and special guests that will be presenting at this year’s conference?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: Well, our program runs for six days, with sessions running concurrently in three different areas from 09:00 through into the evening, so it’s hard to know where to begin—and impossible to name one speaker without leaving out a dozen more!

We have an incredible roster of film directors including Rob Minkoff, Domee Shi, Chris Williams, Nora Twomey, and Peter Ramsey, plus studio presidents like Nickelodeon’s Ramsey Naito and Kristine Belson of Sony Pictures Animation. We have industry giants like AMD’s James Knight, NVIDIA’s Richard Kerris, Cathal Loughnane from Aston Martin, Wacom’s Faik Karaoglu and Tom Wujec, who’s perhaps best known for creating SketchBook Pro. And I haven’t even mentioned the visual effects talent responsible for shows like Thor: Love & Thunder, Stranger Things 4, The Sandman, Jurassic World Dominion, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and Moon Knight, to mention but a few. Oh, and there really is so much more.

I urge people to visit our website, where they can browse the full program and pick out all the sessions that interest them. I guarantee there’s something for everyone.

CGW: Are there any other events or programs that you would like to highlight?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: This year, VIEW Conference is excited to deliver a dedicated track on the Metaverse, curated and presented by the amazing Marc Petit, vice president and general manager of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. Marc is bringing together leading thinkers—including Julien Fournié, CEO and Jean Paul Cauvin of Julien Fournié Haute Couture, plus many others—to map out their collective vision of this deeply immersive virtual world of the future. The VIEW Conference Metaverse track promises to be mind-expanding, thought-provoking, and truly inspirational. I can’t wait!

[Also see the “Digital Worlds Becoming Real: Virtual Production Panel” featuring ILM Chief Creative Officer Rob Bredow and other top industry experts]

VIEW Conference 2021

CGW: What are you most looking forward to at the 2022 VIEW Conference?

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez: The people, without question. Their intelligence and humor. Their friendliness and warmth. Their willingness to share their wisdom and experiences. VIEW Conference is a celebration, a way for people to make strong and lasting connections in a vibrant and welcoming space. My greatest hope is that the event inspires people to conquer their fears and follow their hearts. Because that’s what VIEW Conference is all about—heart.