On the strength of Avatar, Weta Digital in Wellington, N.Z., topped the field of nominated companies for the eighth annual Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in 20-plus categories of film, animation, TV, commercials and video games.
Weta scored nine nominations for Avatar–one for Outstanding Visual Effects in a VFX-Driven Feature Motion Picture; another in the Best Single Visual Effect of the Year for the “Neytiri Drinking” sequence; Outstanding Animated Character in a Live-Action Feature for the character Neytiri; Outstanding Models & Miniatures in a Feature (for Samson/Home Tree/Floating Mountains/Ampsuit); three noms for Outstanding Created Environment in a Feature (Floating Mountains, Jungle/Biolume, and Willow Glade), Outstanding Compositing in a Feature; and Outstanding Matte Paintings in a Feature (Pandora).
Avatar also garnered Industrial Light+Magic (ILM), San Francisco, a pair of nominations, contributing to that studio’s total of six.
Fittingly, in a year when Avatar has a dominant presence in the competition, its director James Cameron will be honored with the VES Lifetime Achievement Award during the VES Awards ceremony slated for Feb. 28 in Los Angeles.
ILM’s two Avatar noms were in the categories Outstanding Compositing in a Feature for the End Battle sequence; and Best Single Visual Effect of the Year for the Quarich’s Escape sequence. ILM’s other four nominations came for: Star Trek and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, both in the Outstanding Visual Effects in a VFX-Driven Feature category; Terminator Salvation’s “VLA Escape” sequence” for Best Single Visual Effect of the Year; and Star Trek for Outstanding Matte Paintings in a Feature.
Right behind Weta’s nine nominations was Zoic Studios, Culver City, Calif., with eight, including two for the V television pilot; another couple for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation-episode 1001 “Opening Sequence”; another pair for TV program Flash Forward; and one apiece for Ben 10: Alien Swarm (“Montage”) and Fringe-episode 206 “Earthling.”
Next up, tying ILM with six noms of its own was Framestore, London and New York, which included recognition in the Outstanding VFX in a Commercial as well as Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program or Commercial, and Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial–all for Pepsi’s “The Flight of the Penguin.” Framestore scored two more nominations for its work on the feature Sherlock Holmes, and one for video game trailer DJ Hero.
Copping five nominations was Portland, Ore.-based animation studio Laika, with five for Coraline and one for the feature 9.
Each earning four nominations were Sony Pictures Digital Productions, Culver City, Moving Picture Company (MPC), London, and Digital Domain in Venice, Calif. All four of MPC’s noms were for spots: Kerry LowLow’s “Mouse” and Plane Stupid’s “Polar Bears” for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial; “Mouse” for Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial; and Evian’s “Skating Babies” for Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program or Commercial.
Digital Domain’s field of noms consisted of one for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial on the strength of Audi’s “Intelligently Combined; and three for the feature 2012.
Sony’s noms included two for Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs.
Pixar in Emeryville, Calif., Image Engine, Vancouver, B.C., and The Mill each nabbed three VES nominations. Image Engine scored its three for District 9, while Pixar did the same for Up. The Mill L.A. earned two noms for the AMF spot “The Caterpillar”–one for Outstanding VFX in a Commercial, the other for Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program or Commercial. The Mill London copped a nom for Skellig in the category Outstanding VFX in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or a Special.
There were three other commercials recognized by VES judges: AMC Theaters/Coke’s “Magic Chairs” from Radium/Reel FX, Santa Monica and Dallas, which registered in the category Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program or Commercial; Kaiser Permanente’s “Emerald City” in the Outstanding Matte Paintings in a Broadcast Program or Commercial from Animal Logic, Sydney and Los Angeles; and Porsche’s “Family Tree” in the Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial from Asylum Visual Effects, Santa Monica.
Besides the Lifetime Achievement honor going to Cameron, another special VES kudo, the Georges Melies Award for pioneering, will be bestowed upon Dr. Ed Catmull.
Here’s a rundown of the entire field of VES Award nominees:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
2012
Volker Engel, VFX supervisor; Josh Jaggars, VFX producer; Marc Weigert, VFX supervisor
Avatar
Richard Baneham, animation supervisor; Joyce Cox, VFX producer; Joe Letteri, sr. VFX supervisor; Eileen Moran, overall VFX producer
District 9
Stefanie Boose, VFX producer; Dan Kaufman, VFX supervisor; Peter Muyzers, on-set VFX plate supervisor; James Stewart, creature supervisor
Star Trek
Burt Dalton, special effects supervisor; Russell Earl, VFX supervisor; Roger Guyett, VFX supervisor; Shari Hanson, VFX producer.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Scott Benza, animation director; Wayne Billheimer, VFX producer; Scott Farrar, VFX supervisor; John Frazier, special effects supervisor
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Angels & DemonsAngus Bickerton, VFX supervisor; Mark Breakspear, VFX supervisor; Ryan Cook, VFX supervisor; Barrie Hemsley, VFX producer
The BoxPeter Cvijanovic, compositing supervisor; Mark Kolpak, VFX producer; Olcun Tan, digital effects supervisor;
Thomas Tannenberger, VFX supervisor
Invictus
Geoff Hancock, VFX supervisor; Dennis Hoffman, head of production; Cyndi Ochs, VFX producer; Michael Owens, VFX supervisor
The RoadMark O. Forker, VFX supervisor; Paul Graff, VFX supervisor–Crazy Horse Effects; Ed Mendez, compositing supervisor; Phillip Moses, VFX producer
Sherlock HolmesDan Barrow, VFX producer; Jonathan Fawkner, VFX supervisor; Chas Jarrett, VFX supervisor; David Vickery, VFX supervisor
Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
9Ken Duncan, animation supervisor; Jinko Gotoh, co-producer; Daryl Graham, supervising animator; Joe Ksander, animation director
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs
Mike Ford, CG supervisor; Chris Juen, co-producer; Alan Hawkins, supervising animator; Pete Nash, animation director
Coraline
Claire Jennings, animation producer; Henry Selick, animation director
Ice Age: Dawn of the DinosaursGalen Chu, supervising animator; Jeff Gabor, sr. animator; Anthony Nisi, animation production supervisor; Melvin Tan, sr. animator
UpGary Bruins, effects supervisor; Pete Docter, director; Steve May, supervising TD; Jonas Rivera, producer
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Alice–Night 2
Sebastien Bergeron, DFX supervisor; Les Quinn, CG supervisor; Lisa Sepp-Wilson, VFX producer; Lee Wilson, VFX supervisor
Ben 10: Alien Swarm–Montage
Evan Jacobs, VFX supervisor; Sean McPherson, VFX supervisor; Andrew Orloff, VFX supervisor
Disney Prep And Landing–Gadgets, Globes, and other Garish Gizmos
David Hutchins, EFX animator; Scott Kersavage, VFX supervisor; Dorothy McKim, VFX producer; Kee Suong, EFX animator
Infestation
Dan DeEntremont, animator; PJ Foley, VFX producer; James May, TD; Efram Potelle, VFX supervisor
SkelligSara Bennett, compositing supervisor; Jean-Claude Deguara, sr. animation supervisor; David Houghton, VFX supervisor; Jenna Powell, VFX producer
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series
Battlestar Galactica Season 4-Ep. 421 “Daybreak”
Michael Gibson, VFX producer; Gary Hutzel, VFX supervisor; Dave Morton, CGI artist; Jesse Toves, CGI artist
Defying Gravity–Pilot
Dale Fay, VFX supervisor; Jared Jones, lead compositor; Sam Nicholson, VFX producer; Mike Yip, 3D lead artist
Fringe-Ep. 206 “Earthling”
Robert Habros, VFX supervisor; Eric Hance, VFX artist; Andrew Orloff, VFX supervisor; Jay Worth, VFX supervisor/producer
Stargate Universe-“Air”
Shannon Gurney, VFX producer; Andrew Karr, CGI supervisor; Mark Savela, VFX supervisor; Craig Vandenbiggelaar, digital effects supervisor
V–pilot
Johnathan R. Banta, lead compositor; Karen Czukerberg, VFX producer; Andrew Orloff, VFX supervisor; Chris Zapara, VFX supervisor
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
CSI Crime Scene Investigation-Ep. 1001 “Opening Sequence”
Sabrina Arnold, VFX producer; Steve Meyer, compositor; Rik Shorten, VFX supervisor; Derek Smith, compositor
Flash Forward-“No More Good Days”
Kevin Blank, VFX supervisor; Andrew Orloff, VFX producer; Steve Meyer, 2D supervisor; Jonathan Spencer Levy, facility VFX supervisor
Kings-Ep. 001 “Goliath”
Ron Moore, VFX producer; Brian Vogt, lead lighting TD; Craig Weiss, VFX supervisor; Niel Wray, CG supervisor
Krupp–Eine Deutsche Familie-Krupp
Thomas Tannenberger, VFX supervisor; Olcun Tan, digital effects supervisor; Mark Kolpak, VFX producer; Shane Cook, compositing supervisor
Lost–The Incident Part 1 & 2
Eric Hance, supervising artist; Samantha Mabie-Tuinstra, VFX producer; Sean Scott, character animator;
Mitch Suskin, VFX supervisor
Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
2012-Escape from L.A.
Volker Engel, VFX supervisor; Josh R. Jaggars, VFX producer; Mohen Leo, VFX supervisor; Marc Weigert, VFX supervisor
Avatar-Quarich’s Escape
Jill Brooks, VFX producer; John Knoll, VFX supervisor; Frank Losasso Petterson, simulation TD; Tory Mercer, compositor
Avatar-Neytiri Drinking
Thelvin Cabezas, lighting TD; Joyce Cox, VFX producer; Joe Letteri, sr. VFX supervisor; Eileen Moran, overall VFX producer
Knowing-Plane Crash
Dan Breckwoldt, lead compositor; Camille Cellucci, VFX producer; Andrew Jackson, VFX supervisor; Angelo Sahin, special effects supervisor
Terminator Salvation-VLA Escape
Chantal Feghali, studio producer; Charles Gibson, studio VFX supervisor; Susan Greenhow, VFX producer; Ben Snow, VFX supervisor
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
AMF-“The Caterpillar”
Asher Edwards, VFX producer; Jamie O’Hara, lead character modeler; Becky Porter, lead compositor; Robert Sethi, VFX supervisor
Audi-“Intelligently Combined”
Jay Barton, VFX supervisor; Rafael F. Colon, sr. compositor; Chris Fieldhouse, VFX producer; Ronald Herbst, CG supervisor
Kerry LowLow-“Mouse”
Ashley Bernes, effects TD; Louisa Cartwright Tucker, VFX producer; Jake Mengers, VFX supervisor; Stephen Newbold, VFX supervisor
Pepsi-“The Flight of the Penguin”
Murray Butler, VFX supervisor/lead Flame; Jenn Dewey, sr. VFX producer; Seth Gollub, animation lead; Andy Walker, VFX supervisor, technical lead
Plane Stupid-“Polar Bears”
Scott Griffin, VFX producer; Suzanne Jandu, compositor; Jake Mengers, VFX supervisor; Vicky Osborn, CG artist
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
Beyond All Boundaries-Multi-plane Visual Effects
Susan Beth Smith, VFX producer; Cedar Conner, lead compositor; Daren Ulmer, VFX supervisor
Dance of the Dragons-Eastern
Derry Frost, VFX supervisor; Michael Morreale, VFX producer
Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2-Gulag Extraction
Robert Gaines, lead VFX artist; David Johnson, VFX artist; Richard Kriegler, art director; Mark Rubin, producer
Fight Night Round 4-Gameplay
Jeff Atienza, producer; Jenny Freeman, art director; Ben Ross, lead character artist; Frank Vitz, CG supervisor
Need For Speed Shift-World Sequence
Robert Dibley, lead rendering software engineer; Dave Flynn, development director-World; Andreas Moll, art director; Sven Moll, art director
Uncharted 2: Among ThievesChristophe Balestra, technical lead; Evan Wells, game producer
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Video Game Trailer
DJ Hero
Diarmid Harrison-Murray, VFX supervisor; Sarah Hiddlestone, sr. CG producer; Jamie Jackson, game producer; Marco Puig, art director
Halo 3: ODST-The Life
Ryan Meredith, VFX producer; Robert Moggach, VFX supervisor; Michael Pardee, executive producer; Jens Zalzala, CG supervisor
Mass Effect 2
Tim Miller, VFX producer; Brandon Riza, VFX supervisor
Star Wars: The Old RepublicTim Miller, VFX producer; Brandon Riza, VFX supervisor
Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Avatar-Neytiri
Andrew R. Jones, animation director; Joe Letteri, sr. VFX supervisor; Zoe Saldana, actress; Jeff Unay, facial lead
District 9-Christopher Johnson
Brett Ineson, motion capture supervisor; Jeremy Mesana, animation lead; Steve Nichols, animation supervisor; Vera Zivny, sr. VFX coordinator
G-Force-Bucky
Benjamin Cinelli, sr. character animator; Peter Tieryas, character set-up TD; Dustin Wicke, lead cloth and hair; Ryan Yee, animator
Watchmen-Doctor Manhattan
Aaron Campbell, character rigger; Kevin Hudson, CG modeling supervisor; Victor Schutz, lead CG lighting and compositing artist; Keith Smith, lead animator
Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Coraline-“Coraline”
Travis Knight, lead animator; Trey Thomas, lead animator
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs-Buck
Simon Pegg, Buck; Peter de Seve, character designer
Monsters vs. Aliens-B.O.B.
Terran Boylan, character TD; David Burgess, head of character animation; Scott Cegielski, effects lead; David Weatherly, animator
Up-Carl-“No Dad Scene”
Ed Asner, voice of Carl; Carmen Ngai, character cloth artist; Brian Tindall, character modeling and articulation artist; Ron Zorman, animator
Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
AMF-“The Caterpillar”
Steve Beck, lead character animator; Jamie O’Hara, lead character modeler; Becky Porter, lead compositor; Robert Sethi, lead CG artist
Disney Prep and Landing-Wayne
David Foley, voice of Wayne; Mark Mitchell, supervising animator; Hidetaka Yosumi, character TD; Leo Sanchez Barbosa, modeler
Evian-“Skating Babies”
Jorge Montiel Meurer, lead animator; Jordi Onate, animator; Emanuele Pavarotti, animator; Wayne Simmons, animator
Pepsi-Penguin-“The Flight of the Penguin”
James Dick, TD; Seth Gollub, animation lead; Spencer Leuders, TD; Andy Walker, VFX supervisor, technical lead
Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Cloudy With A Chance of MeatballsRob Bredow, VFX supervisor; Matt Hausman, effects animation supervisor; Carl Hooper, effects animation supervisor; Dan Kramer, digital effects supervisor
Coraline
John Allan Armstrong, VFX animator; Richard Kent Burton, stop motion effects animator; Craig Dowsett, CG modeler
Monsters vs. Aliens
David Allen, effects animator; Amaury Aubel, effects lead; Scott Cegielski, effects lead; Alain De Hoe, effects lead
UpAlexis Angelidis, Eric Froemling, Jason Johnston, Jon Reisch, effects artist
Outstanding Matte Paintings in a Feature Motion Picture
Avatar-Pandora
Jean-Luc Azzis, sr. compositor; Peter Baustaedter, sr. matte painter; Brenton Cottman, lead matte painter; Yvonne Muinde, lead matte painter
Franklyn-Meanwhile City Scapes
Tania Richard, matte painter; Christoph Unger, matte painter
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceDavid Bassalla, TD; Emily Cobb, 3D artist; Tania Richard, matte painter
Star TrekBrett Northcutt, Digimatte lead; Shane Roberts, Digimatte; Masahiko Tani, Digimatte; Dan Wheaton, Digimatte
Outstanding Matte Paintings in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
Kaiser Permanente-“Emerald City”
Kim Taylor, Ben Walker, Ben Walsh, David Woodland, matte painters
Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture
Avatar-Samson/Home Tree / Floating Mountains / Ampsuit
Simon Cheung, modeler; Paul Jenness, lead modeler; John Stevenson-Galvin, sr. modeler; Rainer Zoettl, sr./lead modeler
CoralineDeborah Cook, lead costume design fabricator; Matthew DeLeu, miniature lighting technician; Paul Mack, modelmaker; Martin Meunier, facial animation design
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian-National Air and Space Museum Escape
Robert Chapin, digital FX supervisor; Tony Chen, modelmaker; Forest Fischer, model crew chief; Ian Hunter, VFX supervisor
Terminator SalvationPractical Models and Miniatures
Nick d’Abo, model shop supervisor; Brian Gernand, creative director, Model Shops; Geoff Heron, special FX supervisor; Patrick Sweeney, DP
Outstanding Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture
2012-Los Angeles Destruction
Haarm-Pieter Duiker, CG supervisor; Marten Larsson, CG effects animation lead; Ryo Sakaguchi, CG effects animation lead; Hanzhi Tang, CG lighting supervisor
Avatar-Floating Mountains
Dan Lemmon, VFX supervisor; Keith F. Miller, CG supervisor; Cameron Smith, lead compositor
Avatar-Jungle/Biolume
Shadi Almassizadeh, CG supervisor; Jessica Cowley, sr. texture painter; Dan Cox, CG supervisor; Ula Rademeyer, lead texture painter; Eric Saindon, VFX supervisor
Avatar-Willow Glade
Thelvin Cabezas, lighting TD; Miae Kang, lead lighting TD; Daniel Macarin, lighting TD; Guy Williams, VFX supervisor
Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
AMC Theaters/Coke–“Magic Chairs”
Dariush Derakhshani, CG supervisor; Steve Cummings, CG artist; Harry Michalakeas, TD; Rob Nederhorst, VFX supervisor
Assassins Creed: Lineage-Ep. 1 “Duke of Milan Assassination”
Nadine Homier, compositor; Joseph Kasparlan, lead textures and lighting; Mathieu Lalonde, CG modeler; Christian Morin, compositor
Flash Forward–Pilot “Freeway Overpass”
Colin Feist, compositor; Paul Ghezzo, CG supervisor; Roger Kupelian, matte painter; Steve Meyer, compositor
V– Pilot “Atrium and Ship Interiors”
Trevor Adams, CG artist; Chris Irving, lead compositor; David Morton, matte painter; Chris Zapara, VFX supervisor
Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
AvatarErich Eder, compositor; Robin Hollander, compositor; Giuseppe Tagliavini, compositor; Erik Winquist, compositing supervisor
Avatar-End Battle
Jay Cooper, TD; Beth D’Amato, digital paint; Eddie Pasquarello, compositing supervisor; Todd Vaziri, compositor
District 9Janeen Elliott, sr. compositor; Simon Hughes, sr. compositor; Hamish Schumacher, lead compositor; Shervin Shogian, compositing supervisor
Sherlock Holmes-Wharf Explosion Sequence
Jan Adamczyk, mid compositor; Alex Cumming, jr. compositor; Sam Osborne, compositor; Kate Windibank, sr. compositor
Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
CSI Crime Scene Investigation-Ep 1001 Opening Sequence
Steve Meyer, VFX supervisor; Derek Smith, compositor; Christina Spring, compositor; Zach Zaubi, compositor
Kerry LowLow “Mouse”-Overall
Kelly Bruce, compositor; Greg Howe-Davies, compositor; Jake Mengers, VFX supervisor; Stephen Newbold, VFX supervisor
Pepsi-“The Flight of the Penguin”
Murray Butler, VFX supervisor/lead Flame; Ben Cronin, sr. Flame operator; Andy Rowan-Robinson, TD; Miyuki Shimamoto, Flame Ooperator
Porsche-“Family Tree”
Tim Davies, VFX supervisor/lead compositor; Jeff Willette, lead technical designer
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project
The Full Moon Mystery-The Discovery
Flip Buttinger, VFX supervisor & producer; Jeffrey De Vore, director; David Goubitz, VFX supervisor & producer
Motherland
Hannes Appell
They Will Come To Town
Thilo Ewers
URS-Cliff
Moritz Mayerhofer, graduate
