MUMBAI: The Visual Effects Society (VES) has sent an open letter to the state of California to bring in new tax incentives and called for a VFX Congress to explore other solutions to the problems facing the visual-effects industry.

The move followed a demonstration last Sunday that drew nearly 500 people representing the visual-effects community to focus on the film industry‘s attention on the economic problems threatening visual-effects houses.

While the industry has been facing problems for some time, those issues have received more attention since Rhythm & Hues, the VFX studio behind the VFX of Life of Pi filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month.

VES did not organize the Oscar day demonstration, and as an honorary society, it does not have collective-bargaining power. But the open letter, signed by VES executive director Eric Roth, said VES intends to urge California Governor Jerry Brown and the state legislature to expand its tax-incentive program to include "a focused approach concentrated on the visual effects and post production sectors of the industry."

VES also plans to organize a VFX Congress to take place in the coming weeks because it feels that the industry has reached a tipping point for the visual effects industry.