On November 14^th, 2018, Dr. Scott Ross, an important pioneer in the digital media entertainment industry, visited the Center on Frontiers of Computing Studies of PKU and gave a lecture titled "The History of VFX, the Death of VR and the Future for AI" at the Peking University Global Collegiate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. Professor Baoquan Chen from CFCS hosted the lecture.

Dr. Scott Ross

Interaction with Students

Professor Baoquan Chen and Dr. Scott Ross

Abstract:

Scott Ross has been at the forefront of technology and entertainment for well over 35 years. As the General Manager of Industrial Light and Magic, he ushered film into the digital age and as the founder along with James Cameron of Digital Domain, he led the digital revolution of motion pictures. Dr. Ross will take the audience from analog filmmaking to the latest in digital technology. He will explain why Virtual Reality will never come to pass, why Augmented Reality will not be a consumer product and ultimately why Artificial Intelligence will change the nature of an international workforce.

Biography:

As one of the most notable pioneers in digital media and entertainment, Scott Ross' career has spanned three decades. In the 1980's he led George Lucas' vast entertainment empire, running ILM, Skywalker Sound, LucasFilm Commercial Productions and DroidWorks. In 1993 he founded, along with Hollywood luminaries James Cameron and Stan Winston, Digital Domain, one of the largest digital production studios in the motion picture and advertising industries. For well over a decade Ross oversaw the company that created imagery for movies such as Titanic, the Fifth Element, Apollo 13, Fight Club, True Lies, Interview with the Vampire, O Brother Where Art Thou, X-Men, the Lord of the Rings, the Day after Tomorrow, I, Robot and many others. In 2006 as Digital Domain's CEO and Chairman, he successfully sold Digital Domain to director Michael Bay and a group of private equity investors.   Mr. Ross is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (OSCARS); The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (EMMYS). He has worked on over 100 of the world's largest special effects films and has lectured extensively about the creative process, content and technology in over 30 countries around the world.