The relationship between art and technology was a theme at the 4th annual Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards, held Feb. 15 at the Hollywood Palladium (SHOOT, 2/17, p. 1).
With this in mind, it is fitting that Mark Cuban’s pioneering HD outlet HDNET recorded the VES Awards, and intends to broadcast a program about the event.
“Having HD, we get the best quality on a show that represents billions of dollars worth of effects. Image quality is important to the organization,” related VES executive director Eric Roth. “They [HDNET] gets technology and are future oriented. It was a nice marriage.”
“We are a general entertainment network,” said HDNET co-founder and general manager Philip Garvin. “We did [a first-time VES broadcast] last year and it resulted it good programming. This is an important awards show that deserves recognition and the effects look great in high definition.”
There was much packed into last week’s ceremony, including two special awards presentations to industry leaders from Pixar. VES founding chairman Jim Morris received the Board of Directors Award and industry pioneer John Lasseter–the director of the first computer animated feature-length film Toy Story–received the George Melies Award.
The morning of the awards event, HDNET’s OB van rolled into the parking lot for setup. The program was recorded using the HDCAM format and Sony’s F900 and F950 Cine Alta digital cameras.
Roth explained that the material will be delivered to the VES, which will edit the event down to a one-hour special that will have a “how did they do that?” emphasis, as well as focus on Lasseter and Morris. The final program will include the addition of interviews and visual effects clips, including some material shot during the VES Show and Tell, an event highlighting the VES nominees held last month in Los Angeles. Roth estimated it would be roughly a month before the program would be ready for broadcast.
Among the stories at the VES Awards were Oscar-nominees in the visual effects category, King Kong and War of the Worlds, which each earned three VES wins. King Kong earned accolades in the categories of outstanding visual effects in a visual effects-driven motion picture, outstanding animated character in a live action motion picture, and outstanding created environment in a live action motion picture. War of the Worlds collected awards for best single visual effect of the year, outstanding compositing in a motion picture, and outstanding models and miniatures in a motion picture.
Talent from London and New York-based Framestore-CFC won the VES Award for outstanding visual effects in a commercial, for Guinness “noitulovE” from London-based agency AMV BBDO, directed by Daniel Kleinman of London-based Kleinman Productions. Recognized for the visual effects work were Framestore’s visual effects supervisor William Bartlett, visual effects producer Scott Griffin, CG supervisor Andrew Boyd and CG artist Dan Seddon.
And Venice-based Digital Domain’s visual effects supervisor Eric Barba, producer Lisa Beroud, CG supervisor Jay Barton, and technical director Jim Gaczkowski were honored with the VES Award for outstanding visual effects in a music video. The award was presented for Nine Inch Nails’ “Only,” a photoreal CG clip directed by David Fincher of bicoastal Anonymous Content directed the clip.
HDNET holds the North American HD rights to the VES Awards. In the coming years, Roth said he anticipates syndicating the show domestically as well as internationally.
SHOOT’s senior editor, technology and postproduction Carolyn Giardina can be reached at (310) 822-0211 or at cgiardina@shootonline.com.
