As emcee of the 12th annual Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards last night at the Beverly Hilton, comedian/actor Patton Oswalt perhaps said it best in his introductory remarks by quipping, “Welcome to the first annual Gravity Awards.” Indeed Gravity was the dominant force at the awards ceremony, earning VES Awards in all categories but one in which it was nominated, including taking the marquee honor of Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature. Gravity also won for Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature (for its exterior work), Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live-Action Feature, Outstanding Models in a Feature, Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Live-Action Feature, and Outstanding Compositing in a Feature. The VFX for Gravity were created at London-based Framestore with Tim Webber serving as VFX supervisor.
Furthermore the special VES Visionary Award was bestowed upon Alfonso Cuarón, director/producer/co-writer/editor of Gravity. Presenting him with that honor was actress Sandra Bullock who portrayed Ryan Stone in Gravity. The animated version of that character, though, didn’t win its VES category; instead The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’s dragon, Smaug–created by New Zealand’s Weta studio–earned distinction as Outstanding Animated Character in a Live-Action Feature.
Disney’s Frozen won all the categories in which it was nominated: Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature; Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature (for bringing the Snow Queen to life); Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature (for Elsa’s Ice Palace); and Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature (for Elsa’s Blizzard).
The Lone Ranger won the VES Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature.
TV
PETA’s commercial “98% Human” also won every category in which it was nominated. Produced by The Mill and Mill+ for BBDO New York, “98% Human” was lauded as much for what’s in the spot as what isn’t. We see an ape about to commit suicide after enduring abuse while being forced to perform in a film. What’s amazing is an ending line which informs us that “no real apes were used in this commercial.” BBDO’s script called for a CG chimpanzee to be created that would appear completely authentic. BBDO and PETA wanted a key part of that message to be that CG animals could be created, precluding the need to use real animals in moving imagery. PETA’s “98% Human” won three VES Awards: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial; Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program; and Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Commercial or Broadcast Program.
Game of Thrones (HBO) also won three VES Awards, taking all but one category in which it was nominated (losing out to “98% Human” in the Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program). Game of Thrones topped the following categories: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program (for the “Valar Dohaeris” episode; Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program (in “The Climb” episode); and Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program (also for “The Climb”).
Special honors
John Dykstra, ASC, won the VES Lifetime Achievement Award. Among his accomplishments is assembling the creative group that designed and built the miniatures and camera systems which were used to create the film sequences that won for Star Wars and him a Best Visual Effects Oscar.
There was also a brief segment honoring visual effects guru Ray Harryhausen who passed away last year. VES chair Jeffrey A. Okun asked those who were influenced and inspired by Harryhausen to stand. Virtually everyone in the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom stood. Harryhausen won the VES Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. The pioneering visual effects creator, stop-motion model animator and producer turned out such films as The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, Mysterious Island, Jason and the Argonauts, and Clash of the Titans.
Rundown
Here’s a category-by-category rundown of 2014 VES Award winners:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
Gravity
Tim Webber, Nikki Penny, Chris Lawrence,Richard Mcbride
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
The Lone Ranger
Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich., Shari Hanson, Kevin Martel
Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Frozen
Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho, Lino Di Salvo
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
Game of Thrones: Valar Dohaeris
Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Jörn Großhans, Sven Martin
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
Banshee: Pilot
Armen Kevorkian, Mark Skowronski, Jeremy Jozwik, Ricardo Ramirez
Outstanding Real-Time Visuals in a Video Game
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Mark Rubin, Richard Kriegler, David Johnson, Alessandro Nardini
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
PETA's "98% Human"
Angus Kneale, Vince Baertsoen, Colin Blaney, Kyle Cody
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
Space Shuttle Atlantis
Daren Ulmer, John Gross, Cedar Connor, Christian Bloch
Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Smaug
Eric Reynolds, David Clayton, Myriam Catrin,, Guillaume Francois
Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Frozen: Bringing the Snow Queen to Life
Alexander Alvarado, Joy Johnson, Chad Stubblefield, Wayne Unten
Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
PETA's "98% Human"
Vince Baertsoen, Alex Allain, Henning Koczy
Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Gravity: Exterior
Paul Beilby, Kyle Mcculloch, Stuart Penn, Ian Comley
Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Frozen: Elsa’s Ice Palace
Virgilio John Aquino, Alessandro Jacomini, Lance Summers, David Womersley
Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
Game of Thrones: The Climb
Patrick Zentis, Mayur Patel, Nitin Singh, Tim Alexander
Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Gravity
Tim Webber, Emmanuel Lubezki, Richard Mcbride, Dale Newton
Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Commercial or Broadcast Program
The Crew
Dominique Boidin, Rémi Kozyra, Léon Bérelle, Maxime Luère
Outstanding Models in a Feature Motion Picture
Gravity: ISS Exterior
Ben Lambert, Paul Beilby, Chris Lawrence, Andy Nicholson
Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Gravity: Parachute and ISS Destruction
Alexis Wajsbrot, Sylvain Degrotte, Horacio Mendoza, Juan-Luis Sanchez
Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Frozen: Elsa’s Blizzard
Eric W. Araujo, Marc Bryant, Dong Joo Byun, Tim Molinder
Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
PETA's "98% Human"
Vince Baertsoen, Jimmy Gass, Dave Barosin
Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
Gravity
Mark Bakowski, Anthony Smith, Theodor Groeneboom, Adrian Metzelaar
Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program
Game of Thrones: The Climb
Kirk Brillon, Steve Gordon, Geoff Sayer, Winston Lee
Outstanding Compositing in a Commercial
Call of Duty's "Epic Night Out"
Chris Knight, Daniel Thuresson, Nick Tayler, Dag Ivarsory
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project
Rugbybugs
Alexandra Stautmeister
