Scott Davids '99 visits campus for PolyConnect

Last Wednesday, 40 students gathered to hear Scott Davids '99 discuss his career in film production and visual effects (VFX). Scott quickly related to the students, reminiscing that he had been in the audience when writer, producer, and director Alec Berg '87 visited Poly. As a student, Scott explored film as a hobby and began creating skateboarding movies with friends. At the time, he also took advantage of the access to computers and technology that Poly afforded — resources that were not readily available at home as they are now through educational discounts and free trial downloads. The experience Scott gained in high-end software programs enabled him to help found the Digital Art Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder during his undergraduate studies. After graduation, he returned to Los Angeles to work in film editing, but quickly identified a need in the industry for more VFX specialists, particularly to create temporary special effects. Scott founded his VFX company, now named Level 256, in response and has experienced tremendous success ever since. Students then enjoyed watching a reel of before-and-after sequences for which Level 256 has done VFX work, including "The Bourne Legacy," "The Five-Year Engagement," and "Bridesmaids."