4th Annual VES Awards

Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA

4th annual awards thumbnail

The extraordinary breadth and diversity of the awards were matched only by the extraordinary talent displayed at the 4th Annual VES Awards. It was an eye-popping, visual effects treat equivalent to a triple ice cream sundae with a dozen exotic toppings capped off with the biggest cherry ever.

Showcasing the best work in visual effects for this past year, and honoring John Lasseter with the George Melies Award for Pioneering & Artistic Excellence and Jim Morrison with the VES Board of Directors Award.

Honorees

JJ Abrams
Georges Méliès Award

John Lasseter

Awarded for pioneering significant and lasting contributions to the art and science of the visual effects industry by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.

JJ Abrams
BOD Award

Jim Morris

Presented with deepest gratitude and appreciation by the members of the VES and its Board of Directors.

Highlights

JJ Abrams Speech
John Lasseter- The Georges Méliès Award Presentation

John Lasseter receives The Georges Méliès Award at the 4th Annual VES Awards. Presented by Bonnie Hunt.

Winners & Nominees

Below is the complete list of Winners and Nominees for the 4th Annual VES Awards. A sortable list for ALL years of VES Award winners / nominees can be found on the Previous VES Awards page. All archival viewing materials are cleared for viewing by logged-in VES members behind the VES website firewall. For more information, please review the VES Awards Rules & Procedures, Section 14: Ownership & Clearances here.

View the category of the nominees and winners below.

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture

Batman Begins – Gotham City Monorail Chase

Alex Wuttke
Pete Bebb
Dayne Cowan
Imery Watson


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Black Lake Environment

Andy Kind
Ivan Moran
Rob Allman
Justin Martin


King Kong – New York Dawn Attack (Winner)

Dan Lemmon
R. Christopher White
Matt Aitken
Charles Tait


Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Jonathan Harb
Hilmar Koch
Yanick Dusseault
Brett Northcutt


Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Broadcast Program, Commercial, or Music Video

Ford – World Traveler

Matthew Gratzner
Greg Boettcher
Enrico Altmann
Matt Burlingame


Las Vegas Series – Episode 308 – Bold Beautiful and Blue (Winner)

Michael Cook
Anthony Ocampo
Eugene Kim
Renaud Talon


Walgreens Giving Tree / Last Minute – Winter Neighborhood

Ian Hunter
Forest Fischer
Seth Curlin
Joachim (Joe) Duppel


Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire – Hogwarts School

Jose Granell
Nigel Stone


Star Wars: Episode III -Revenge of the Sith

Brian Gernand
Pamela Choy
Ron Woodall
Kevin Reuter


War of the Worlds (Winner)

Ed Hirsh
Steve Gawley
Joshua Ong
Russell Paul


Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Voldemort’s Nose

Ben Shepherd
Uel Horman
Charley Henley
Nicolas Aithadi


King Kong – T-Rex Fight

Erik Winquist
Michaell Pangrazio
Steve Cronin
Suzanne Jandu


War of the Worlds (Winner)

Marshall Krasser
Michael Jamieson
Jeff Saltzman
Regan McGee


Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture

Jarhead

Pablo Helman
Jeanie King
Grady Cofer
Brett Northcutt


Kingdom of Heaven (Winner)

Wes Sewell
Victoria Alonso
Tom Wood
Gary Brozenich


Memoirs Of A Geisha

Robert Stromberg
Julia Frey
Paul Graff
Adam Watkins


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a live action motion picture where the visual effects are a visible, essential, and integral part of the story and play a principal and active role in the motion picture. A rule of thumb for defining whether a motion picture would be considered effects-driven would be to ask if the story could be
told without the active participation of the VFX (including Special Effects). On the whole, the VFX in an effects-driven film would be easily identifiable by the viewing public and professionals working in the VFX field.

Fully animated films are not eligible in this category.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Jim Mitchell
Theresa Corrao
Tim Alexander
Tim Webber


King Kong (Winner)

Joe Letteri
Eileen Moran
Christian Rivers
Eric Saindon


Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith

John Knoll
Roger Guyett
Rob Coleman
Denise Ream


The Chronicles of Narnia

Dean Wright
Randy Starr
Bill Westenhofer
Jim Berney


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie, or Special

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a single episode of an effects-driven miniseries, made-for-television movie or special that was broadcast and delivered via over-the-air, pay/basic cable, or satellite transmissions to homes. A rule of thumb for defining whether a program would be considered effects-driven would be to ask if the story could be told without the active participation of the VFX (including Special Effects).

Comet Collision

John Gross
Nick Black
Christian Bloch
Casey Benn


Superbowl XXXIX: Open

Benoit Girard
Jason Crosby
Jerome Morin
Chris Del Conte


Walking With Monsters (Winner)

Tim Greenwood
Jo Nodwell
Neil Glasbey
Darren Byford


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series

This award is to honor the achievement of the visual effects within a single episode of a series where the visual effects are a visible, essential, and integral part of the story and play a principal and active role in the show. A rule of thumb for defining whether a series would be considered effects-driven would be to ask if the story could be told without the active participation of the VFX (including Special Effects)

Invasion – Origin of Species

Armen Kevorkian
Matt Scharf
John Karner
Neil Sopata


Rome-Episode 1 (Winner)

Barrie Hemsley
James Madigan
Duncan Kinnaird
Joe Pavlo


Smallville – Commencement

Mat Beck
John Wash
John Han
Trent Smith


Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects that play a supporting or background role within a single episode of a broadcast series, miniseries, made-for-television movie, or special wherein the visual effects are not necessarily essential to the telling of the story in the way that the effects of an effects-driven broadcast program are. Supporting visual effects, when taken as a whole, may help create the setting, environment, or mood of an entire program, and are generally intended to be invisible to the lay viewer. They do not consist of a significant number of CG characters, science fiction or fantasy elements, and other highly visible effects that one would expect to see in a visual effectsdriven broadcast program.

Alias – The Index

Kevin Blank
Armen Kevorkian
Eric Chauvin
Jonathan Spencer Levy


Lost-Exodus Part 2 (Winner)

Kevin Blank
Mitchell Ferm
Eric Chauvin
John Teska


Best Single Visual Effect of the Year

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Nut Room

Nick Davis
Nikki Penny
Jon Thum
Ben Morris


Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith – Opening Space Battle

John Knoll
Jill Brooks
David Weitzberg
Jeff Sutherland


War of the Worlds – Fleeing the Neighborhood (Winner)

Dennis Muren
Pablo Helman
Sandra Scott
Marshall Krasser


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Music Video

Nine Inch Nails – Only (Winner)

Eric Barba
Lisa Beroud
Jay Barton
Jim Gaczkowski


Rob Thomas – Lonely No More

Bert Yukich


The Chemical Brothers – Believe

Ben Cronin
Rebecca Barbour
Andrew Boyd
Jamie Isles


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial

Esuvee – Keep it on all Fours

William Bartlett
Scott Griffin
Jake Mengers
Andrew Boyd


Guinness noitulovE (Winner)

William Bartlett
Scott Griffin
Andrew Boyd
Dan Seddon


Motorola – PEBL

Eric Barba
Lisa Beroud
Janelle Croshaw
Greg Teegarden


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project

The award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within an entire Special Venue project. Special Venues are defined as installations specifically set up to project large-format films (e.g. IMAX or OMNIMAX theaters), theme park theaters that may include a motion-based ride, museums, World Fairs, and similar venues.

To be eligible, a Special Venue project must have been exhibited publicly:

  • In a commercial venue for a paid admission, which may include the general admission to a theme park or special venue theater;
  • For a minimum period of one week on a regular daily schedule; and
  • Premiered in the current awards year in a Special Venue theater as defined above.

The following are not eligible in this category, regardless of the material’s original capture format:

  • Special purpose events such as trade shows and conventions;
  • Video material generally referred to as “pre-show” material;
  • Repurposed films, i.e. projects initially intended for the theatrical market but which have been blown up for exhibition in large-format Special Venue theaters;
  • Projects that were created as conventional 2D theatrical presentations but have been repurposed to stereographic 3D;
  • Any 2D or stereographic 3D feature motion picture that either premiered first, or simultaneously, in any regular movie theater or in any broadcast medium;
  • Any project that runs for an equal or greater amount of time in any regular movie theater or in any broadcast medium; and
  • Movies intended for simultaneous distribution in both Special Venue and normal movie theaters. The intent of this category is to honor those projects made specifically for the Special Venue market.

Curse of Darkcastle…The Ride!

Dina Benadon
Brent Young
Chuck Comisky
Mario Kamberg


Deepo´s 3-D Underwater Wondershow

Michel Heroux
Benoit Girard
Jerome Morin
Chris Del Conte


Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon (Winner)

Jack Geist
Sean Phillips
Johnathan Banta
Jerome Morin


Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game

From Russia With Love

David Carson
Darren Pattenden
Ben Wanat


Madden NFL 06 Football Video Game for Xbox 360

Mark Mongie
Jim Spoto
Tommy Cinquegrano
Dale Jackson


Need For Speed: Most Wanted (Winner)

Habib Zargarpour
Luke Wasserman
Greg D Esposito
Colin O Connor


Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals In A Video Game

Need For Speed Most Wanted

Habib Zargarpour
Michael Mann
Mataio Gardi
Jason Dowdeswell


Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones – The Battle Cinematic

Jean-Jacques Tremblay
Raphael LaCoste
Kun Chang


Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones – The Palace Balcony Cinematic (Winner)

Jean-Jacques Tremblay
Raphael Lacoste
Anne Mai Le Bouyonnec


Stranger´s Wrath – In Game Story Clips

Sherry McKenna
Lorne Lanning
Raymond Swanland
Iain Morton


Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Dragon

Steve Rawlins
Eric Wong
Robert Weaver
Steve Nichols


King Kong – Kong (Winner)

Andy Serkis
Christian Rivers
Atsushi Sato
Guy Williams


The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Aslan

Richie Baneham
Erik De Boer
Matt Logue
Joe Ksander


Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture

Madagascar – King Julian

Rex Grignon
Denis Couchon


Robots – Fender

Robin Williams
David Torres
Mark Piretti
Ben Williams


Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – Gromit (Winner)

Loyd Price

Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial, or Music Video

Battlestar Galactica – Valley of Darkness – Cylon

Dustin Adair
Mark Shimer
Lane Jolly
Steve Graves


Battlestar Galactica-Season 2, Episode 03 Fragged-Cylon Centurion (Winner)

Andrew Karr
Louie Hinayo
Gary Hughes
Allan Henderson


Surface – Episode 102 – Nimrod

Eric Hance
Robert Bonchune
John Teska
Sean Jackson


Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial, or Music Video

Into The West Mini-Series Movies I, II and III (Winner)

Cedric Tomacruz
David Bailey
Valeri Pfahning
Siddhartha Jayakar


Motorola – PEBL

Jim Gaczkowski
Daniel Thron
Janelle Croshaw
Greg Teegarden


Nine Inch Nails – Only

Janelle Croshaw
Greg Teegarden
Jim Gaczkowski
Scott Edelstein


Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program, Commercial, or Music Video

Empire (Winner)

Stefano Trivelli
Michele Moen
Kelly Bumbarger
Sean Wilson


Into The West Mini-Series Movie I – Wheel to the Stars

Jared Jones
Jason Korber
Geeta Basantani
Ryan Dutour


Mezzo Djarum

Robert Nederhorst
Marc Rienzo
Feliciano di Giorgio
Maciek Sokalski