Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Creating a visual effects community across Europe

26/01/2023

TVBEurope catches up with ACCESS:VFXs founder Simon Devereux and new European chapter lead Chris Kiser to talk about the need for a European-wide organisation aiming to promote diversity and mentoring within the visual effects industry

By Jenny Priestley

Published: January 26, 2023

TVBEurope catches up with ACCESS:VFX's founder Simon Devereux and new European chapter lead Chris Kiser to talk about the need for a European-wide organisation aiming to promote diversity and mentoring within the visual effects industry

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>

In late 2022, non-profit visual effects coalition ACCESS:VFX announced plans to launch a new European chapter that will build on its mission to promote diversity within the VFX industry.

The new chapter is led by Glassworks' chief operating officer, Chris Kiser, with the support of ACCESS:VFX founder and director, Simon Devereux,

TVBEurope caught up with them both to talk about their plans for the European chapter, the need for mentoring in the visual effects industry, and how Netflix came on board to sponsor the new chapter.

Access:VFX originally launched in 2017. How has it been going? Simon Deveraux: I always say we started by accident. It was never the plan to launch a global movement. It started as an event in London off the back of the work that I'd done at The Mill, London, where we did a National Inclusion Week 2016, and we created this conversation that had never happened before about inclusion. After we delivered that event, the following year in 2017, UK Screen did a diversity survey, and we got into this whole conversation around inclusion and diversity. I just said, look, we could do this as an industry, let's do an industry inclusion week and that's what we did. We got a small group of studios together, planned an event and long story short we delivered the event.

Since then, we've been running loads of events. Not long after we launched Access:VFX UK, New York got interested, and then the West Coast came along and Chicago got involved. Now we have chapters in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Chris and I have been talking about Europe for a long time. It's taken a while for it to get off the ground. It just felt like a natural move to do some good in Europe.

Chris, you were obviously already aware of Access:VFX, and now you're getting very much involved in launching it into Europe. Why do you think Access:VFX needs a European chapter? Chris Kiser: It was a logical next step in many ways. I suppose you can't go without acknowledging a Brexit factor in terms of suddenly the UK having more of a separation from mainland Europe as it relates to organisations and some of the logistics around what happens with what Access:VFX does in terms of activities and outreach and support. Glassworks joined as a member company as our headquarters is based in the UK, but since we have offices both in Amsterdam and Barcelona I started speaking to Simon pretty early on about what else we could do and what would we need to do to make it official and to plant the Access:VFX flag on the European side of things.

We kind of understood that there were legal requirements particular to the mentorship platform that meant we needed to spend some resources on laying the groundwork to make the platform available in what we identified as eight specific countries: the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden. With those eight countries, we can officially accept mentees from 18 and up and the platform can support them and do the identity verification and things required for this mentor-and-mentee relationship to begin. There's an amazing community of VFX artists and creators in Europe that branches across various countries, and so we want to make both studios and individuals that are in the industry aware of Access:VFX as a group and organisation looking to support and grow diversity in the next generation of people entering the industry.

What are your aims for Access:VFX Europe, and how might they differ from the other chapters that we've already talked about?

Simon: Chris touched on community earlier. I've worked for a number of creative sectors over the years. I'm always so taken by the community that exists within visual effects, animation and games. I would challenge any other industry to set up an organisation like Access:VFX. Try and do it in advertising and it just wouldn't happen because it's so adversarial. Look at any big TV show, or a piece of episodic content, and there's always so many different studios working on the same show on different shots. So that's the nature of the beast, we're all working towards the same goal.

With Access:VFX Europe, the mentees won't just get connected to European mentors from European studios. They can get connected to anybody from any of the chapters, because it's e-mentoring. So the way we designed the programme back in the day was you don't necessarily have to actually speak to your mentor. You share your work and you respond to it in your own time and whatever time zone you're in. I don't think the aims differ globally. It's just another addition to what is a really rich, creative community.

Chris: I agree. The only additional thing that I think is sort of unique now and differs from existing chapters is the language barrier and removing that and giving people who may not speak English or have limited abilities to speak English access to industry veterans that speak their native tongue. That is such a unique situation that I'm really excited about. There could be a mentor or a mentee out there somewhere that has been waiting to have that level of connection with someone and suddenly this creates that opportunity.

There's an
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/creating-a-visual-effects-co...
See more stories from tvb

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

19/02/2026

Submissions open for Best of Show Awards at NAB 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/02/2026

SMPTE Issues Call for Summit Papers

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/02/2026

Broadband Usage Jumps by 9.9% in Q4

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/02/2026

NBC Sports Details NEPs Extensive Work for Winter Olympic Coverage

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/02/2026

Fuse Media and Complex to Launch Complex TV

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/02/2026

Spincast Gets U.S. Patent for AI-Powered Shoppable TV

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/02/2026

IBCAP Announces $21 Million Lawsuit Against DMTN IPTV

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/02/2026

NRB Backs ATSC 3.0 Tuner and Must-Carry Requirements

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/02/2026

Foundry Acquires Griptape to Accelerate AI Integration Ac...

Foundry, the leading developer of creative software for the Media and Entertainment industry, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Griptape, a p...

19/02/2026

Scott D Smith Captures the Chaos and Intimacy of The Bear...

Capturing the raw energy and emotional intensity of FX's hit series The Bear is no small feat, especially when the set itself is as hectic and unpredictab...

19/02/2026

Cobalt Digital Products Receive IPMX Product Certificatio...

Cobalt Digital Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning video and audio conversion, processing, and distribution solutions, and a founder of o...

19/02/2026

DHD to Demonstrate Latest-Generation Audio Production Sys...

DHD s complete range of digital audio mixers plus the latest-generation RM1 Pro broadcast-from-anywhere unit will be promoted at the upcoming Lokalradioforbunds...

19/02/2026

Media Companies Gain Operations Observability With Operat...

Operative, the preferred advertising management solution provider for the world's leading media brands, today announced a partnership with GraySwan to bring...

19/02/2026

Witbe Launches New Agentic SDK to Power Agentic Automatio...

Witbe today announced the launch of Agentic SDK, a new test automation framework designed to help video service providers build, operate, and scale agentic auto...

19/02/2026

Network18 Media and Investments Selects Grass Valleys Pla...

Grass Valley today announced that Network18 Media & Investments Ltd., one of India's largest and most influential media conglomerates, is deploying Grass Va...

19/02/2026

Clear-Com to Sponsor and Present USITT Stage Management A...

Clear-Com is sponsoring and presenting the USITT Stage Management Award during the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Annual Conference & S...

19/02/2026

Paramores Hayley Williams Praises Berklee Ensemble: Make Noise

Paramores Hayley Williams Praises Berklee Ensemble: Make Noise Williams acknowledged the Paramore Ensemble after their show at the Berklee Performance Center ...

19/02/2026

February 18, 2026

Mapping protein production in brain cells yields new insights for brain disease Scripps Research and UC San Diego scientists used a novel method to show that so...

18/02/2026

Milano Cortina 2026: How OBS is Utilizing Audio QC at the First Winter Games to Use Immersive Sound

Audio quality control (QC) is becoming ever more crucial for Olympic Broadcastin...

18/02/2026

Milano Cortina 2026: OBS Demonstrates its Commitment to an Inclusive Sports Media Landscape

The Olympic Games are not only a showcase of athletic excellence, they are also ...

18/02/2026

Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Headlines Netflix's First Live MMA Event

Netflix is entering the MMA game with a matchup between two of the biggest names ever to compete on the women's side. Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix ...

18/02/2026

Network18 Media & Investments Selects Grass Valley's Playout X to Power Unified News Operations

Grass Valley announces that Network18 Media & Investments Ltd., one of India'...

18/02/2026

Cobalt Digital Products Receive IPMX Product Certification Following Inaugural Testing Event

Cobalt Digital Inc., a designer and manufacturer of video and audio conversion, ...

18/02/2026

Channel Nine's Wide World of Sports Hits Livigno; XR From North Sydney Drives Coverage

Production is divided between a studio in the mountains and a brand-new studio i...

18/02/2026

Milano Cortina 2026: Focusing in on the Parabolic' Sound of Skis on Snow at NBC Sports

At the Winter Games IBC in Milan, NBC Sports and Olympics' director of audio...

18/02/2026

2026 Milano Cortina Women's Alpine Photo Gallery

The Women's Alpine events at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Center, about a 10-minute drive from Cortina d'Ampezzo, featured some of the most exciting Olympic...

18/02/2026

Generated in the Italian Alps, NBC's Olympics Audio Is Mixed in Stamford

At the Broadcast Center, 14 audio-control rooms handle the sound in a complex routing and processing regimen We are exactly where we want to be, Karl Malone,...

18/02/2026

Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium Photo Gallery

With 300 hours of curling competition in two weeks, it's a safe bet that even the most curling-hungry fan will be satiated. It also requires a production te...

18/02/2026

Cortina Sliding Center Two-Man Bobsleigh Photo Gallery

Always seen as one of the more crazy Olympic events, Bobsleigh is a sport in which athletes must have nerves of steel and pilots must navigate high-tech sleds...

18/02/2026

Milano Cortina 2026: Inside the Milan-Based Warner Bros. Discovery Casa Italia Studio with Eurosport

A typical Winter Olympics day - or should I say evening - inside the Warner Bros...

18/02/2026

Milano Cortina 2026: How NOS is Delivering a Speed Skating-First Feed for Dutch Audiences

The Netherlands has dominated Milan's ice rinks, scooping six speed skating ...

18/02/2026

NBC Sports Sets Its Own Record With Olympics Comms

At the Broadcast Center in Stamford, three discrete intercom systems combine into a centralized infrastructure Into the second week of Milan Cortina 2026, eigh...

18/02/2026

Deloitte Releases 2026 Global Sports Industry Outlook

AI is reshaping operations, capital is scaling ownership, sports are converging with media and entertainment, and venues are evolving into year-round platforms...

18/02/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: DNA Inc.'s Thomas Engel on Evolving Digital Experiences and the Power of In-House Collaboration

DNA Inc. specializes in crafting next level digital experiences in the Media, St...

18/02/2026

Copyright Issues Are a Crack in the Ice for Olympic Figure Skating

Conflicts have increased, but so have solutions, driven chiefly by pragmatism and the threat of AI music The only persons on the Figure Skating ice at the 2026...

18/02/2026

Canada's CBC Navigates Multi-Zone Winter Olympics With Bi-Lingual Production Model, Remote Studios, and Custom Content Hubs

Canadian rightsholder deploys its most complex setup at an Olympics ever with ...

18/02/2026

Live From Stamford: NBC Sports Broadcast Center Is Anchor Point of the Entire Olympic Broadcast'

A crew of 1,685 people and 13 control rooms produce nearly every on-air minute f...

18/02/2026

Bad Bunny to Make History in Tokyo With First-Ever Billions Club Live Performance in Asia

Following an extraordinary 2025 in which he was named Spotify's Global Top A...

18/02/2026

Bad Bunny har historia en Tokio con el primer Billions Club Live en Asia

Despu s de un extraordinario 2025 en el que fue nombrado Top Artista Global de Spotify por cuarta vez, algo sin precedentes (y tras su presentaci n en el halfti...

18/02/2026

SBS brings Australians together to mark Ramadan and Eid with communities nationwide

SBS brings Australians together to mark Ramadan and Eid with communities nationw...

18/02/2026

L3Harris Secures Full-Rate Production Contract for US Navy Submarine Communication Systems

The Virginia-class attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) underway....

18/02/2026

TV Viewing Hits 12-Month High

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/02/2026

SinclairLaunches New True Crime Daily Video Podcast

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/02/2026

E! Co-Founder Alan Mruvka Launches Filmology Labs Studios

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/02/2026

Stephen Colbert, FCC Commissioner Gomez Blast FCC 'Censorship'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...