11th Annual VES Awards

Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Beverly Hilton Hotel
Beverly Hills, CA

11th annual awards thumbnail

The VES Awards recognizes outstanding visual effects in twenty-four categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games.

Filmmakers, celebrities, producers and guests joined more than a thousand attendees from the visual effects industry for the sold-out gala – which honored director Ang Lee with the VES Visionary Award, presented by Dennis Muren, and Richard Edlund with the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Harrison Ford.

Life of Pi and Brave were the evening’s most honored feature films, with four awards each.

Honorees

JJ Abrams
Visionary Award

Ang Lee

Awarded for uniquely and consistently employing the art and science of visual effects to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.

JJ Abrams
Lifetime Achievement Award

Richard Edlund

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

Highlights

JJ Abrams Speech
11th Annual VES Awards Highlight Reel

Featuring Harrison Ford, Naomi Watts, Ang Lee, Jeffrey A. Okun, Richard Edlund and more.

Zoe Saldana Speech
11th Annual VES Awards Behind the Scenes

Featuring Interviews, Red carpet interviews, behind the scenes footage, and more.

Winners & Nominees

Below is the complete list of Winners and Nominees for the 11th 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 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.

Battleship

Grady Cofer
Pablo Helman
Kevin Elam
Glen McIntosh


Life of Pi (Winner)

Donald R. Elliott
Susan MacLeod
Guillaume Rocheron
Bill Westenhofer


Prometheus

Paul Butterworth
Charley Henley
Allen Maris
Richard Stammers


The Avengers

Susan Pickett
Janek Sirrs
Jeff White
Guy Williams


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Joe Letteri
Eileen Moran
Eric Saindon
Kevin L. Sherwood


Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a 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 play a supporting, minor or background role in the telling of the story. Supporting visual effects, when taken as a whole, may help create the setting, environment, or mood of an entire film, but are generally intended to be subtle or 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 effects-driven or “tent pole” film.

Effects-driven films may not enter their “invisible” effects in this category, and animated films are not eligible.

Argo

Matt Dessero
Gregory McMurry
Tom Smith
Michele Vallillo


Flight

Kevin Baillie
Michael Lantieri
Chris Stoski
Ryan Tudhope


Rust and Bone

Béatrice Bauwens
Cédric Fayolle
Nicolas Rey
Stéphane Thibert


The Impossible (Winner)

Felix Bergés
Sandra Hermida
Pau Costa Moeller


Zero Dark Thirty

Geoff Anderson
Chris Harvey
Jeremy Hattingh
Richard Stutsman


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program

Curiosity: Battlefield Cell

Nathan Larouche
Lon Molnar
Geoff Scott
Bojan Zoric


Falling Skies: Worlds Apart

James Hattin
Suzanne MacLennan
Curt Miller
Andrew Orloff


Game of Thrones: Volar Morghulis (Winner)

Rainer Gombos
Steve Kullback
Sven Martin
Juri Stanossek


Munsters: Mockingbird Lane

Leslie Ekk
Jonah Hall
Livia Hanich
Jason Zimmerman


Once Upon A Time: The Stranger

Dale Fay
Laura Jones
Nathan Matsuda
Andrew Orloff


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 effects driven broadcast program.

Boardwalk Empire: Episode 308 (Winner)

John Bair
Parker Chehak
Paul Graff
Lesley Robson-Foster


Hawaii Five-O: La O Na Makuahine

Gevork Babityan
Jon Howard
Armen Kevorkian
Ricardo Ramirez


Hell On Wheels: Blood Moon

Matt Von Brock
Jason Fotter
Tim Jacobsen
Bill Kent


Hemingway & Gellhorn

Nathan Abbot
Kip Larsen
Chris Morley
Christopher Paizis

Men Who Built America: Episode 2

Glenn Allen
Matthew Conner
Eran Dinur
David Reynolds


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial

Call of Duty: Surprise

Steve Beck
Chris Knight
Robert Sethi
Christina Thompson


Lady Gaga: Fame

Kait Boehm
Juan Gomez
Kurt Lawson
Greg Teegarden


Nike: Biomorph (Winner)

Rafael Colon
Aladino Debert
David Liu
Nicola Wiseman


Norfolk Southern: City of Possibilities

Chris Bernier
Kyle Cody
Jeff Lopez
Boo Wong


Pepsi: Crowd Surfing

Martin Aufinger
Russell Dodgson
Abby Orchard
Chris Redding


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.

Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem (Winner)

Heather Drummons
Joel Friesch
Brooke Breton
Chris Bailey


Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet

Matthew Blackwell
Tom Kennedy
Jeroen Lapré
Mike Schmitt


SeaWorld: Turtle Trek 3D/ 360

Timur “Taron” Baysal
Jae Cheol Hong
Cecil Magpuri
Michael Roderick


The Ball Unleashed

Gianni Aliotti
Lisa Zusmer DelPrete
Marc Dominic Rienzo
Eric Sanford


Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the animation within an entire animated motion picture. The animation may be created by traditional cel animation, computer animation, and/or stop motion, as long as it meets the definitions of Animation and Animated Project as stated in the Appendix of this Rules & Procedures. The vocal performance of characters may be taken into consideration along with the visual qualities in evaluating the overall effectiveness of the animation.Title sequences are not eligible in this category.

Brave (Winner)

Mark Andrews
Steve May
Katherine Sarafian
Bill Wise


Hotel Transylvania

Lydia Bottegoni
James Crossley
Mike Ford
Daniel Kramer


ParaNorman

Chris Butler
Sam Fell
Travis Knight
Brad Schiff


Rise of the Guardians

Nancy Bernstein
David Prescott
Peter Ramsey
Christina Steinberg


Wreck-It Ralph

Sean Jenkins
Scott Kersavage
Rich Moore
Clark Spencer


Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

This award is to honor the overall achievement in a single animated character in a live action motion picture. The character may have been created by any technique or combination of techniques, including animatronics, as long as it meets the definition of Animation as stated in the Glossary of these Rules & Procedures.

Title sequences are not eligible in this category.

Life of Pi: Richard Parker (Winner)

Erik De Boer
Sean Comer
Betsy Asher Hall
Kai-Hua Lan


The Avengers: The Hulk

Marc Chu
John Doublestein
Cyrus Jam
Jason Smith


The Hobbit: Goblin King

Jung Min Chang
James Jacobs
David Clayton
Guillaume Francois


The Hobbit: Gollum

Gino Acevedo
Alessandro Bonora
Jeff Capogreco
Kevin Estey


Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game

Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Winner)

Jason Blundell
Barry Whitney
Colin Whitney


Dirt Showdown

Peter Asberg
Peter Clark
Nathan Fisher
Julie McGurren


Dishonored

Viktor Antonov
Sebastien Mitton
Jean-Luc Monnet
Julien Roby


Forza Horizon

Michel Bastien
Terrance Newell
Gareth Richards
Andrew Sagea


Halo 4

Mike Cronin
Brien Goodrich
Kenneth Scott


Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

This award is to honor the overall achievement in a single animated character in an animated motion picture. The character may have been created by any technique or combination of techniques, including animatronics, as long as it meets the definition of Animation as stated in the Glossary.

Title sequences are not eligible in this category.

Brave: Merida (Winner)

Travis Hathaway
Olivier Soares
Peter Sumanaseni
Brian Tindall


Hotel Transylvania: Dracula

Bill Haller
Tim Pixton
Jorge Vigara


The Pirates: Band of Misfits

Will Becher
Jay Grace
Loyd Price


Wreck-It Ralph: Vanellope

John Kahwaty
Suzan Kim
Michelle Robinson
Tony Smeed


Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program or Commercial

This award is to honor the overall achievement in a single animated character in a broadcast program or commercial. The character may have been created by any technique or combination of techniques, including animatronics, as long as it meets the definition of Animation as stated in the Glossary. The character may or may not be photorealistic.

Title sequences are not eligible in this category.

Game of Thrones: Training the Dragons (Winner)

Irfan Celik
Florian Friedman
Ingo Schachner
Chris Stenner


Hallmark: Motherbird

Vince Baertsoen
Kevin Ives
Laurent Makowski
Joshua Merck


Sinbad: Episode 1

Andy Guest
James Moxon
James Reid
Greg Spencer


Ted: Jimmy Kimmel Live!

James W. Brown
Brad Fox
Ross Nakamura
Jeffrey Woo


Stephen King’s ‘Rose Red’

Michael Joyce


Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in a live action motion picture that best creates an illusion of setting for the story being told. Created environments are defined as either completely artificial environments, or the enhancement of an existing practical set or location through the addition of elements not present during photography. The environment may occur more than once in the project and under different conditions, but must be the same environment, created by the exact same team.

This category judges not only the techniques for creating the environment, but also their integration with any practical plate photography. Before & Afters must show the integration of the multiple elements used to create the environment.

Stereo extractions of environments that do not contain any other significant enhancements or fully animated productions are not eligible in this category. For practical purposes, the environment should be a single setting within the story, and not, for example, all locations within an entire city.

Life of Pi: Open Ocean

Jason Bayever
Sho Hasegawa
Jimmy Jewell
Walt Jones


Prometheus: LV-233

Julien Bolbach
Marco Genovesi
Martin Riedel
Marco Rolandi


The Avengers: Midtown Manhattan (Winner)

Richard Bluff
Barry Williams
David Meny
Andy Proctor


The Hobbit: Goblin Caverns

Ryan Arcus
Simon Jung
Alastair Maher
Anthony M. Patti


Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in an animated motion picture that best creates an illusion of setting for the story being told. The environment may occur more than once in the project and under different conditions, but must be the same environment, created by the exact same team.

Before & Afters must show the integration of the multiple elements used to create the environment.

Stereo extractions of environments that do not contain any other significant enhancements are not eligible in this category. For practical purposes, the environment should be a single setting within the story, and not, for example, all locations within an entire city.

Brave: The Forest (Winner)

Tim Best
Steve Pilcher
Inigo Quilez
Andrew Whittock


ParaNorman: Graveyard

Phil Brotherton
Robert Desue
Oliver Jones
Nick Mariana


ParaNorman: Main Street

Alice Bird
Matt DeLeu
Caitlin Pashalek


Rise of the Guardians: The North Pole

Eric Bouffard
Sonja Burchard
Andy Harbeck
Peter Maynez


Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program or Commercial

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in a live action broadcast program that best creates an illusion of setting for the story being told. Created environments are defined as either completely artificial environments, or the enhancement of an existing practical set location through the addition of elements not present during photography. The environment may occur more than once in the project and under different conditions, but must be the same environment, created by the exact same team.

This category judges not only the techniques for creating the environment, but also their integration with any practical plate photography. Before & Afters must show the integration of the multiple elements used to create the environment.

Stereo extractions of environments that do not contain any other significant enhancements, or fully animated productions, are not eligible in this category. For practical purposes, the environment should be a single setting within the story, and not, for example, all locations within an entire city.

5 Gum RPM: Choose Your Energy

Kaan Atilla
Kevin Gillen
Isaac Irvin
Brandon Lester


Call of Duty: Eclipse – Surprise

Chris Bayol
Steve Beck
Gawain Liddiard
Robert Sethi


Game of Thrones: Pyke (Winner)

Rene Borst
Thilo Ewers
Adam Figielski
Jonas Stuckenbrock


Sinbad

James Moxon
Lyndall Spagnoletti
Greg Spencer


Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

This award honors the art of cinematography within the digital realm of a live action feature motion picture. Digital Cinematography is defined as the outstanding use of traditional cinematography techniques to communicate story and mood in a live action feature film, such as light direction, color, camera framing or movement, and depth of field within a primarily CG scene. It recognizes the combined collaborative work of pre-vis and layout artists, the lighting/CG supervisor, shot lighters, animators, and similar artists within this creative and interpretive process. Judges are to consider the use of light and camera in the scene, but are NOT judging the details of the models or environments that are being lit (these should compete in the Created Environment category). In the case of a live action movie, the film’s Director of Photography may be included among the entrants if, and ONLY if, he/she had a significant hands-on role in the final look of the CG elements.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Rob Engle
David Schaub
Cosku Turhan
Max Tyrie


The Avengers: Downtown Manhattan

Colin Benoit
Jeremy Goldman
Tory Mercer
Roger Liu


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Winner)

Matt Aitken
Victor Huang
Christian Rivers
R. Christopher White


Total Recall: Hover Car Chase

Daniel Baldwin
Mattias Forsstrom
Sam Schwier
Joshua Wassung


Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Broadcast Program or Commercial

This award honors the art of cinematography within the digital realm of a live action broadcast program or commercial. Digital Cinematography is defined as the outstanding use of traditional cinematography techniques to communicate story and mood in a broadcast program or commercial (live action or animated), such as light direction, color, camera framing or movement, and depth of field within a primarily CG scene. It recognizes the combined collaborative work of pre-vis and layout artists, the lighting/CG supervisor, shot lighters, animators, and similar artists within this creative and interpretive process. Judges are to consider the use of light and camera in the scene, but are NOT judging the details of the models or environments that are being lit (these should compete in the Created Environment category). In the case of a live action program, the program’s Director of Photography may be included among the entrants if, and ONLY if, he/she had a significant hands-on role in the final look of the CG elements.

Call of Duty: Eclipse – Surprise

Chris Bayol
Steve Beck
Chris Knight
Robert Sethi


Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn

Steven Chen
Phil Dakin
Paul Stodolny


Toyota: Real Deal

Adam Berg
Niles Heckman
Ronald Herbst
Vernon Wilbert


ZombiU

Dominique Boidin
Léon Bérelle
Rémi Kozyra
Maxime Luère


Outstanding Models in a Feature Motion Picture

This award honors the art of cinematography within the digital realm of a live action broadcast program or commercial. Digital Cinematography is defined as the outstanding use of traditional cinematography techniques to communicate story and mood in a broadcast program or commercial (live action or animated), such as light direction, color, camera framing or movement, and depth of field within a primarily CG scene. It recognizes the combined collaborative work of pre-vis and layout artists, the lighting/CG supervisor, shot lighters, animators, and similar artists within this creative and interpretive process. Judges are to consider the use of light and camera in the scene, but are NOT judging the details of the models or environments that are being lit (these should compete in the Created Environment category). In the case of a live action program, the program’s Director of Photography may be included among the entrants if, and ONLY if, he/she had a significant hands-on role in the final look of the CG elements.

Men in Black 3: Cape Canaveral/ Apollo Launch

Craig Feifarek
Hee-Chel Nam
Eric Neill
Taehyun Park


The Avengers: Helicarrier (Winner)

Rene Garcia
Bruce Holcomb
Polly Ing
Aaron Wilson


The Dark Knight Rises: Airplane Heist

Scott Beverly
Alan Faucher
Ian Hunter
Steve Newburn


The Impossible: Orchid Hotel

Markus Donhauser
Patrick Lehn
Angel Martinez
Juergen Pirman


Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Battleship

Florent Andorra
Willi Geiger
Rick Hankins
Florian Witzel


Life of Pi: Ocean

Jason Bayever
David Horsley
Scott Townsend
Miles Vignol


Life of Pi: Storm of God (Winner)

Harry Mukhopadhyay
David Stopford
Mark Williams
Derek Wolfe


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Areito Echevarria
Chet Leavai
Garry Runke
Francois Sugny


Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Brave (Winner)

Chris Chapman
Dave Hale
Michael K. O’Brien
Bill Watral


ParaNorman: Angry Aggie Ink-Blot Electricity

Michael Cordova
Grant Laker
Susanna Luck
Peter Vickery


ParaNorman: Practical Volumetrics

Aidan Fraser
Joe Gorski
Eric Kuehne
Andrew Nawrot


Rise of the Guardians: Last Stand

Andy Hayes
Carl Hooper
Andrew Wheeler
Stephen Wood


Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Commercial or Broadcast Program

Guinness: Cloud (Winner)

Tom Bussell
Neil Davies


Last Resort: Captain

Matt Von Brock
Bruce Coy
Junaid Farooq
Aldo Ruggiero


Nike: Biomorph

Aladino Debert
Eric Ebling
Ken Mitchel Jones


Nissan Altima: Wouldn’t it be Cool

Tim Borgmann
Forcada
Aron Hjartarson
Shayne Ryan


Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a live action feature motion picture. This category is for a body of work created for a single motion picture by an individual artist or team of artists.

Multiple entries from the same project are eligible provided the compositing teams are 100% different and the shots being submitted are completelydifferent. Title sequences are eligible as long as:

  • They are submitted in textless form in order not to conflict with any other awards rule; and
  • They are part of the storytelling and are not a specially designed separate animated title sequence in a live action project.

Animated films are not eligible in this category.

Life of Pi: Storm of God (Winner)

Ryan Clarke
Jose Fernandez
Sean Oharas
Hamish Schumacher


Prometheus: Engineers & the Orrery

Xavier Bourque
Sam Cole
Simone Riginelli

The Avengers: Hulk Punch

Chris Balog
Peter Demarest
Nelson Sepulveda
Alan Travis


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Jean-Luc Azzis
Steven McGillen
Christoph Salzmann
Charles Tait


Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program

Game of Thrones: White Walker Army (Winner)

Falk Boje
Esther Engel
Alexey Kuchinsky
Klaus Wuchta


Hell On Wheels: Blood Moon

Antonio Chang
Jason Fotter
Eric Hayden
Josh Miyaji


Hemingway & Gellhorn

Nathan Abbot
Shelley Campbell
Chris Morley
Christopher Paizis

Last Resort: Captain

Matt Von Brock
Jason Fotter
Aldo Ruggiero
Brian Williams


Outstanding Compositing in a Commercial

Call of Duty: Eclipse – Surprise

Chris Knight
Becky Porter
Jake Maymudes
Tayler Smith


Chevy 2012 Silverado (Winner)

Dominik Bauch
Nicholas Kim
Benjamin Walsh


Nike: Game On, World

Daniel Marsh
Paul O’Shea


Norfolk Southern: City of Possibilities

Tom Bardwell
Chris Bernier
Kyle Cody
Erin Nash


Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project

Globosome

Sascha Geddert
Johannes Peter
Patrick Schuler
Philipp Wolf


Natalis (Winner)

Daniel Brkovic
David Kirchner
Jan-Marcel Kuehn
Tom Ferstl


Rollin’ Safari

Kyra Buschor
Anna Habermehl
Constantin Päplow
Thomas Hartmann


Voile Noir

Michael Balthazart
Raphaël Gaudin
Clément Granjon De Lepiney
Quentin Sauvinet