Van Ling

Van Ling is a freelance visual effects supervisor, producer, editor, consultant, and digital artist whose film credits include "The Abyss", "Terminator 2", "Twister", "Starship Troopers", "Doctor Dolittle" and "Titanic"; in addition, he has designed and produced several of the THX trailers seen in theatres around the world and also created stereoscopic 3D trailers for both THX and DTS.  When not doing visual effects and/or graphics for feature films and television (“Milk”, “Public Enemies”, “Piranha 3D”, “Last Man Standing”, “John Adams”, “The Walking Dead”, “Person of Interest” and even the Werner Herzog documentary “Cave of Forgotten Dreams”), Ling designs and produces animated graphics and effects for a diverse range of theme park projects; his work on such attractions as “Star Tours: The Adventure Continues”, “Soarin’ Over the Horizon”, “EPCOT Test Track” and “The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow” is seen by thousands every day at the Disney theme parks around the world, and folks aboard the Disney Cruise Ships can see his multiscreen animated city panoramas in the Skyline Lounge.  Ling has also produced many seminal DVDs and high-definition Blu-ray discs, creating in-depth special features (on titles ranging from "Field of Dreams" to “Titanic”) and often pioneering innovative menu systems, including those for "The Abyss Special Edition", "Independence Day", the “Hunger Games” films, various incarnations of “Terminator 2” and all of the “Star Wars” films on DVD.  His work on many of these titles has garnered multiple awards and nominations from various home theatre and industry trade organizations and is widely respected by both home video professionals and consumers.
An active member of the Visual Effect Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Producers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild and the Visual Effects Society, Ling has served six terms on the VES Board of Directors and was recently elected to the Board of Managers of the Los Angeles Section, and has been active over the years on the Archives, Vision and Annual Membership Meeting Committees, co-Chairing the latter. He has also created a number of signature VES images, including the VFX image collage (featured on the 11th Annual VES Awards program) and his “VES 50 Most Influential VFX Films” compilation and annual VFX-film montages have been inspiring artists at VES events around the world.  He is currently writing and developing new feature projects and next-generation entertainment formats, in addition to creating graphics, animation and visual effects at his home studio in southern California.  He also recently directed and co-wrote his first feature film, “Cliffs of Freedom”, a historical drama that will be released in early 2019.

Role with the VES

Current Board Member (Los Angeles Section), former VES Board Director (global), Archives Committee, Annual Membership Meeting Committee (former co-Chair), Vision Committee