A Visual Effects Galaxy Visual effects are many things to many people. At their most visible, they are the explosion at the apex of a chase scene; a space cruiser doing battle with a starship; a multi-limb leader of an alien universe. But most of the time, visual effects are not noticeable as effects. They are dust at the end of a broom or bubbles at the tail of a submarine. And visual effects are what you don't see: telephone poles and cables removed because they didn't exist in the 17th century; skyscrapers replaced by mountain ranges; the hero's eyes changed from blue to green.   In a comprehensive look at the visual effects industry, members of the Visual Effects Society focused on specific techniques and technologies of the past two decades. Production professionals who contributed to the effects of some of the most notable films of 1998-1999 gave in-depth, technical presentations on how they transformed ordinary pixels into extraordinary images. The sum of these seven individual pieces was a view of the past, present, and future of this incredible industry.   Organizers Pam Hogarth Gnomon, Inc., School of Visual Effects   Jill Smolin Cinesite Visual Effects   Moderator Harrison Ellenshaw   Lecturers Jon Alexander Tim Alexander Susan Kelley Andrews Rod G. Bogart Carl Frederick Industrial Light & Magic   Glenn Kennel Cinesite Digital Mastering   David Morehead DreamWorks SKG   David Prescott Digital Domain, Inc.   Brian Rosen Pixar Animation Studios   Scott Singer Pacific Data Images   Tom Smith Cinesite Visual Effects