Spearheaded by VES Germany and now in its 6th year, the international education series “VES Megabrain Masterclass” continues to engage VFX artists with educational webinars by experts taking live Q&A on a wide variety of subjects. Held last April, “Masterclass Volume 11” featured Dr. Diana Arellano, Senior Lecturer for Technical Directing at Animationinstitut of the Filmakademie Baden-Württenberg; Christopher Herrick, CG Supervisor, VFX Generalist and Character Artist; and Sebastian Schütt, Lead Compositor at Image Engine. “Megabrain Masterclass” will record its 12th session focusing on “Women in VFX” in April 2026 with presentations by Amanda Heppner, WeFX; Valentina Rosselli, ILM; and Kader Bagli, RiseFX. The series has branched out to include “Megabrain Insight,” live events focused on the future of the industry, and “Megabrain Students,” virtual panels that include international state-of-the-art student projects. All Masterclass sessions are recorded and available to the entire global membership on the VES website.
Over the past year, members of VES Germany traveled across Europe and represented the Society, speaking and networking at global events: IBC Amsterdam, SIGGRAPH and VIEW. Vice-Chair Jonas Kluger noted, “Our members are active across the globe, attending conferences, sharing knowledge and representing German VFX talent internationally. Positioned at the center of Europe, we’re surrounded by countries with thriving VFX industries, which makes collaboration and connection a natural part of who we are. We’re proud to be a hub where creativity and community come together.”
What makes VES Germany so special is that “it is a tight-knit network where you learn from some of the most diverse and talented people in the field, all while staying connected to the global VES Sections and the bigger conversation about where the industry is heading. These close connections make collaboration natural and meaningful, turning the community into more than just a professional network,” said Christine Resch.
2026 is packed with activity for VES Germany: Live nomination events for the 24th Annual VES Awards will be held in both Berlin and Munich (a first for the Section!); travel is already booked for international conferences; the location for the FMX2026 mixer is being scouted; and “Megabrain Students Volume 2” will record live in March. In June, fostering cross-section collaboration, VES Germany and VES France will co-host a major event for the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Many more exciting events are planned throughout the year.
The Visual Effects Society would like to congratulate Chair Agon Ushaku, a 2025 VES Section Honoree, for the years of hard work he has put into leading the VES Germany Section.