21st Annual VES Awards

Below is the complete list of Winners and Nominees for the 21st Annual VES Awards. A sortable list for ALL years of VES Award winners / nominees can be found on the Previous VES Awards page.

View the category of the nominees and winners below.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a photoreal 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 extensive digital effects, Special Effects, effects-enhanced stunts, practical effects, or nonhuman CG characters. On the whole, effects-driven films may be “tent-pole” or “independent”, but they are not possible to make without effects and the general public would easily identify the VFX.

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the invisible or near-invisible visual effects within a photoreal (i.e., live action) feature motion picture wherein the visual effects, when taken as a whole, are not essential to the story. Supporting visual effects are generally used to help create the setting, environment, or mood of the film and may include extensive recreations of realistic historical settings. They may include set or lighting changes, CG or practical real vehicles, real-world alterations to actors, and limited surrealistic or expressionistic effects. Action sequences and destruction are allowed only if they are real-world and not critical to the story. Supporting visual effects do not consist of any non-human CG characters, science fiction or fantasy elements, extensive stunts and Special Effects, or other highly visible effects that one would expect to see in a visual-effects-driven or “tentpole” film. Supporting visual effects are generally the type of work that, when viewed by the general public, are not recognized by the untrained eye.

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature

This award considers all animation techniques to be a part of visual effects, and honors the overall technical achievement of the animation within an entire Animated Feature. This award recognizes the craftsmanship of the animation which best conveys the entirety of the setting, mood, and action, thereby defining the film’s overall visual and emotive effectiveness.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode

This award is to honor the achievement of the visual effects within a single episode of a photoreal episodic broadcast series, a mini-series or Special 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 extensive digital effects, Special Effects, effects-enhanced stunts, practical effects, or nonhuman CG characters. The general public would easily identify the VFX in effects-driven series, whether they are made for pay cable, standard cable, broadcast, or streaming.

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the invisible, or near-invisible visual effects within a single episode of a photoreal episodic series, mini-series, movie or special where the visual effects, when taken as a whole, are not necessarily essential to the story. Supporting visual effects are generally used to help create the setting, environment, or mood of the series and may include extensive recreations of realistic historical settings. They may include set or lighting changes, CG or practical vehicles, real-world alterations to actors, and limited surrealistic or expressionistic effects. Action sequences and destruction are allowed only if they are real-world and not critical to the story. Supporting visual effects do not consist of any non-human CG characters, science fiction or fantasy elements, extensive stunts and Special Effects, or other highly visible effects that one would expect to see in a visual-effects-driven series. Supporting visual effects are generally the type of work that, when viewed by the general public, are not recognized by the untrained eye.

Effects-driven series may not enter their “invisible” effects in this category.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project

This award is to honor the technical and artistic achievement of the animation and visual effects in a non-demonstration project rendered largely with a real-time engine. Only content that has been rendered in real time at a minimum of 24fps will be considered, and if requested the Submitter must be able to demonstrate the real-time rendering to the Committee; however, animation within the project may be captured, keyframed, interactive, or any combination thereof. Real-time visual effects and animation are defined as including, but not limited to, characters, effects, animation, environments, and lighting as long as they meet the criteria stated in the Glossary of these Rules & Procedures. All projects should reference the systems in the Before & Afters that generated the real-time renders shown in the Work To Be Considered.

Pre-rendered “cinematics” or other elements that are rendered outside a game engine are not eligible for this category, nor are real-time projects created for education or demonstration purposes. Stage productions should show the audience’s POV of the project in the Before & Afters.

Regardless of source, all submissions for the VES Awards must be in the appropriate specifications laid out below. No special facilities will be made available to nomination judges and members for interactivity, VR, 3D, or other setups.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a Photoreal (i.e., live action) or Animated Commercial. Any commercial that is originated for broadcast, theater, or the Internet may be considered, including paid commercials and PSAs. Limited distribution promos and branding materials, such as trade show content, presentations, trailers, specs, and logos, are ineligible. Entries must be principally original content; promotional pieces largely recut from other sources are not allowed. Repurposed material, such as gameplay at the end of an otherwise original video game trailer, is allowed only as contextual video and should be minimized.

Commercials as aired have no running time limit but they must clearly be demonstrated solely as an advertisement and should clearly appear to be one to the general public. The Work To Be Considered must be no more than two minutes, regardless of source length.

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.

Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall performance and technical execution of a single animated character in a Photoreal Feature. All entrants must have contributed directly to the performance of the character itself (e.g. voicing, animating, rigging, texturing, or lighting, but not environment, compositing or layout). The character may not include live action elements unless they do not significantly affect the performance.

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature

This award is to honor the overall performance and technical execution of a single animated character in an Animated Feature. All entrants must have contributed directly to the performance of the character itself (e.g. voicing, animating, rigging, texturing, or lighting, but not environment, compositing or layout). The character may not include live action elements unless they do not significantly affect the performance.

Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project

This award is to honor the overall performance and technical execution of a single animated character in a Photoreal (i.e., live action) or Animated Commercial. All entrants must have contributed directly to the performance of the character itself (e.g. voicing, animating, rigging, texturing, or lighting, but not environment, compositing or layout). The character may not include live action elements unless they do not significantly affect the performance.

Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in a photoreal 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 significant 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.

All entries must focus on one contiguous environment and be consistent in scope by featuring either breadth or detail, but not both. For example, an entire city or large environment should be shown largely in flyovers and wide shots. Smaller, more intimate environments, such as a forest environment or building interior should be confined to a single setting of the immediate surroundings.

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in an Animated Feature 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.

Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in a photoreal (i.e., live action) or animated Program, Commercial, or Real-Time Project that best creates an illusion of setting for the story being told. Created environments are defined as either completely artificial environments, or the significant 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. If the project is animated, then the environment should clearly match the style and complexity of the rest of the elements.

All entries must focus on one contiguous environment and be consistent in scope by featuring either breadth or detail, but not both. For example, an entire city or large environment should be shown largely in flyovers and wide shots. Smaller, more intimate environments, such as a forest environment or building interior should be confined to a single setting of the immediate surroundings.

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project

This award is to honor the outstanding use of motion picture camera and lighting techniques in a CG project and recognizes the collaboration among traditional cinematographers and visual effects artists. The project itself may be entirely computer-generated (ie. animated/real-time) or photographed, but the shots being submitted must be mostly or fully CG. The Before & Afters must focus on the cinematography and also include the contributions of previs, mocap, layout and lighting.

Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project

This award honors an outstanding single physical or digital model in any photoreal or animated motion media project. Features, Programs, Commercials, Special Venue Projects, and Real-Time Projects are all eligible in this category. A model may be of a living thing, inanimate object, or animated vehicle, but may not also be entered in any Created Environment or Animated Character Category.

The model may have been created virtually, physically, or any combination thereof, and may use any scale. Large environments such as cities may not be entered in this Category even if rendered as a single model. The model’s artistry, detail, textures, animation and lighting are to be considered. An entry may include multiples of the same model with minor variations, such as scale and features, but must have been created by the same team.

Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the achievement of visual effects created through simulation in a photoreal feature motion picture. The award is for a body of work, and all simulated effects in the project will be considered. Simulated effects are dynamic effects that generally include particle, dynamic, fluid, cloth, hair, and crowd simulations. The effects may interact with, or be elements that make up, the characters, set elements and environments with which they coexist. The Before & Afters must demonstrate the simulation processes used to create the effects presented for consideration.

Multiple entries from the same project are eligible provided the artistic teams are 100% different and the shots being submitted are completely different.

Title sequences are eligible as long as they are submitted in textless form so as 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.

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature

This award is to honor the achievement of visual effects created through simulation in an Animated Feature. The award is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and all simulated effects in the project will be considered. Simulated effects are dynamic effects that generally include particle, dynamic, fluid, cloth, hair, and crowd simulations. The effects may interact with, or be elements that make up, the characters, set elements and environments with which they coexist.

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project

This award is to honor the achievement of visual effects created through simulation in a photoreal or animated commercial, broadcast program, or video game. The award is for a body of work, and all simulated effects in the project will be considered. Simulated effects are dynamic effects that generally include particle, dynamic, fluid, cloth, hair, and crowd simulations. The effects may interact with, or be elements that make up, the characters, set elements and environments with which they coexist. The Before & Afters must demonstrate the simulation processes used to create the effects presented for consideration.

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Feature

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a Photoreal (i.e., live action) or Animated Feature. This category is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and entrants are limited to disciplines which contribute significantly to the entry, such as compositors, lighters, trackers, and rotoscopers. The Before & Afters should demonstrate the rendered elements which show the breadth of the composite.

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in an Episode

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a single Episode of a Photoreal or Animated Series, Mini-Series, or Special. This category is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and entrants are limited to disciplines which contribute significantly to the entry, such as compositors, lighters, trackers, and rotoscopers. The Before & Afters should demonstrate the rendered elements which show the breadth of the composite.

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Commercial

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a Photoreal (i.e., live action) or Animated Commercial. This category is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and entrants are limited to disciplines which contribute significantly to the entry, such as compositors, lighters, trackers, and rotoscopers. The Before & Afters should demonstrate the rendered elements which show the breadth of the composite.

Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal Project

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the special, practical effects within a photoreal motion medium project. Special effects are defined as practical or floor effects that are photographed “live” as opposed to having been created by optical or digital means. This may include practical effects executed on or with models, but not the construction of the models. Design and construction of models are eligible in category 17, Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project. The effects may either stand alone or may subsequently be composited with other visual effects elements to make up a complete visual effects shot. The entrants in this category must be able to demonstrate the development of the effects using ‘Before and Afters.’ To be award-worthy, these effects must demonstrate skill, artistry and ingenuity and add to the storytelling of the project in a significant manner.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in visual effects in a Student Project. A Student Project is defined as any project that was created by a student or team of students while attending a recognized school and that was completed during the calendar year of 2019. It may be Animated or Photoreal; linear or interactive; 2D, or 3D; but it must be submitted according to the specifications below. Submissions may not contain crew credits or school logos or names, though acting credits are acceptable.

Emerging Technology Award

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in visual effects through the creation or adaption of new technologies.