Rising Sun Pictures announced that their co-founder and MD Tony Clark has been named as a VES Fellow by the Visual Effects Society. Clark, the first Australian to be named a VES Fellow, received the honour alongside other 2022 honourees at the organisation’s Honours Celebration on 14 October at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles.
A statement on Rising Sun Pictures (RSP) website stated that the title VES Fellow, signifies that the individual is recognised for earning an outstanding reputation through sustained contributions to the art, science or business of visual effects, as well as through meritorious service to the Society and the entertainment industry at large for a period of not less than 10 years within the last 20 years.
A 30-year industry veteran, Clark was honoured for his work in building RSP into a world leader in visual effects production with credits on scores of movie blockbusters and streaming series, as well as his role as an industry innovator, whose many accomplishments include co-developer of the remote collaboration software cineSync, for which he won a 2011 Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement.
“Our VES honourees represent a group of exceptional artists, innovators and professionals who have had a profound impact on the field of visual effects. We are proud to recognise those who helped shape our shared legacy and continue to inspire future generations of VFX practitioners,” VES board chair Lisa Cooke.
“I am humbled and flattered to receive this honour from the Visual Effects Society. I have received other honours over the years, but this is especially meaningful as it comes from my peers. I feel great admiration for the distinguished professionals who’ve previously become VES Fellows and take great pride in joining their ranks,” said Clark.
He further said, “We’ve been successful because we’ve stuck to our values here in Australia, delivering quality effects and conducting business in a manner we think is right. I am extremely proud of the team we’ve built and the contributions they have made to the visual effects industry, both here at RSP and through their subsequent careers at other high-profile companies around the world.”
An Emmy Award-winning cinematographer, Clark’s early career included roles at Australia’s national broadcaster the ABC and Sky News in the UK, before he was a director of photography on Australian independent films.
A keen interest in technology combined with creative vision, led Clark to digital arts in Australia, where he helped create a unique real-time motion control system and shot his first feature film as DP on celebrated Australian producer/director; Rolf de Heer’s Epsilon.
In 1995, Clark co-founded Rising Sun Pictures (RSP). Off the back of Terminator and Jurassic Park, His motivation was to create a visual effects company which combined his twin passions of art and technology, that could deliver VFX from anywhere in the world; in this instance, his hometown of Adelaide, South Australia, 8,000 miles (12,875 km) from Hollywood.