It was an eye-popping year for visual effects, a fact well reflected in multiple nominations for 3-D films in this year’s Visual Effects Society Awards.
Leading the nominations for the 8th annual awards event is Avatar with 11, followed by the stop-motion animated feature Coraline with four. Weta Digital was the top visual effects facility with nine nominations.
The awards honor both collective and individual achievements in visual effects and animation work in movies, television, video games, commercials and special venues. The winners will be announced at a ceremony set for Feb. 28 at the Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
The nominees are:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
2012
Volker Engel, Visual Effects Supervisor
Josh Jaggars, Visual Effects Producer
Marc Weigert, Visual Effects Supervisor
Avatar
Richard Baneham, Animation Supervisor
Joyce Cox, VFX Producer
Joe Letteri, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor
Eileen Moran, Overall VFX Producer
District 9
Stefanie Boose, VFX Producer
Dan Kaufman, VFX Supervisor
Peter Muyzers, On-set VFX Plate Supervisor
James Stewart, Creature Supervisor
Star Trek
Burt Dalton, Special Effects Supervisor
Russell Earl, Visual Effects Supervisor
Roger Guyett, Visual Effects Supervisor
Shari Hanson, Visual Effects Producer
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Scott Benza, Animation Director
Wayne Billheimer, Visual Effects Producer
Scott Farrar, Visual Effects Supervisor
John Frazier, Special Effects Supervisor
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Angels & Demons
Angus Bickerton, VFX Supervisor
Mark Breakspear, VFX Supervisor
Ryan Cook, VFX Supervisor
Barrie Hemsley, VFX Producer
The Box
Peter Cvijanovic, Compositing Supervisor
Mark Kolpak, VFX Producer
Olcun Tan, Digital Effects Supervisor
Thomas Tannenberger, VFX Supervisor
Invictus
Geoff Hancock, VFX Supervisor
Dennis Hoffman, Head of Production
Cyndi Ochs, VFX Producer
Michael Owens, VFX Supervisor
The Road
Mark O. Forker, VFX Supervisor
Paul Graff, VFX Supervisor – Crazy Horse Effects
Ed Mendez, Compositing Supervisor
Phillip Moses, VFX Producer
Sherlock Holmes
Dan Barrow, VFX Producer
Jonathan Fawkner, VFX Supervisor
Chas Jarrett, VFX Supervisor
David Vickery, VFX Supervisor
Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
9
Ken Duncan, Animation Supervisor
Jinko Gotoh, Co-Producer
Daryl Graham, Supervising Animator
Joe Ksander, Animation Director
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Mike Ford, CG Supervisor
Chris Juen, Co-Producer
Alan Hawkins, Supervising Animator
Pete Nash, Animation Director
Coraline
Claire Jennings, Animation Producer
Henry Selick, Animation Director
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Galen Chu, Supervising Animator
Jeff Gabor, Senior Animator
Anthony Nisi, Animation Production Supervisor
Melvin Tan, Senior Animator
Up
Gary Bruins, Effects Supervisor
Pete Docter, Director
Steve May, Supervising Technical Director
Jonas Rivera, Producer
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Alice – Night 2
Sebastien Bergeron, DFX Supervisor
Les Quinn, CG Supervisor
Lisa Sepp-Wilson, VFX Producer
Lee Wilson, VFX Supervisor
Ben 10: Alien Swarm – Montage
Evan Jacobs, VFX Supervisor
Sean McPherson, VFX Supervisor
Andrew Orloff, VFX Supervisor
Disney’s Prep And Landing – Gadgets, Globes, and other Garish Gizmos
David Hutchins, EFX Animator
Scott Kersavage, VFX Supervisor
Dorothy McKim, VFX Producer
Kee Suong, EFX Animator
Infestation
Dan DeEntremont, Animator
PJ Foley, VFX Producer
James May, Technical Director
Efram Potelle, VFX Supervisor
Skellig
Sara Bennett, Compositing Supervisor
Jean-Claude Deguara, Senior Animation Supervisor
David Houghton, VFX Supervisor
Jenna Powell, VFX Producer
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series
Battlestar Galactica Season 4 – Ep. 421 ‘Daybreak’
Michael Gibson, VFX Producer
Gary Hutzel, VFX Supervisor
Dave Morton, CGI Artist
Jesse Toves, CGI Artist
Defying Gravity – Pilot
Dale Fay, VFX Supervisor
Jared Jones, Lead Compositor
Sam Nicholson, VFX Producer
Mike Yip, 3D Lead Artist
Fringe ‘ Ep. 206 ‘Earthling’
Robert Habros, VFX Supervisor
Eric Hance, VFX Artist
Andrew Orlaff, VFX Supervisor
Jay Worth, VFX Supervisor/Producer
Stargate Universe – Air
Shannon Gurney, VFX Producer
Andrew Karr, CGI Supervisor
Mark Savela, VFX Supervisor
Craig Vandenbiggelaar, Digital Effects Supervisor
V- Pilot
Johnathan R. Banta, Lead Compositor
Karen Czukerberg, VFX Producer
Andrew Orloff, VFX Supervisor
Chris Zapara, VFX Supervisor
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ‘ Ep. 1001 ‘Opening Sequence’
Sabrina Arnold, VFX Producer
Steve Meyer, Compositor
Rik Shorten, VFX Supervisor
Derek Smith, Compositor
Flash Forward – No More Good Days
Kevin Blank, Visual Effects Supervisor
Andrew Orloff, VFX Producer
Steve Meyer, 2D Supervisor
Jonathan Spencer Levy, Facility VFX Supervisor
Kings – Ep. 001 ‘Goliath’
Ron Moore, VFX Producer
Brian Vogt, Lead Lighting TD
Craig Weiss, VFX Supervisor
Niel Wray, CG Supervisor
Krupp-Eine Deutsche Familie – Krupp
Thomas Tannenberger, VFX Supervisor
Olcun Tan, Digital Effects Supervisor
Mark Kolpak, VFX Producer
Shane Cook, Compositing Supervisor
Lost – The Incident Part 1 & 2
Eric Hance, Supervising Artist
Samantha Mabie-Tuinstra, VFX Producer
Sean Scott, Character Animator
Mitch Suskin, VFX Supervisor
Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
2012 – Escape from L.A.
Volker Engel, VFX Supervisor
Josh R. Jaggars, VFX Producer
Mohen Leo, VFX Supervisor
Marc Weigert, VFX Supervisor
Avatar – Quarich’s Escape
Jill Brooks, VFX Producer
John Knoll, VFX Supervisor
Frank Losasso Petterson, Simulation Technical Director
Tory Mercer, Compositor
Avatar
Thelvin Cabezas, Lighting Technical Director
Joyce Cox, VFX Producer
Joe Letteri, Senior VFX Supervisor
Eileen Moran, Overall VFX Producer
Knowing – Plane Crash
Dan Breckwoldt, Lead Compositor
Camille Cellucci, VFX Producer
Andrew Jackson, VFX Supervisor
Angelo Sahin, Special Effects Supervisor
Terminator Salvation – VLA Escape
Chantal Feghali, Studio Producer
Charles Gibson, Studio VFX Supervisor
Susan Greenhow, VFX Producer
Ben Snow, VFX Supervisor
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
AMF – The Caterpillar
Asher Edwards, VFX Producer
Jamie O’Hara, Lead Character Modeller
Becky Porter, Lead Compositor
Robert Sethi, VFX Supervisor
AUDI – Intelligently Combined
Jay Barton, VFX Supervisor
Rafael F. Colon, Sr. Compositor
Chris Fieldhouse, VFX Producer
Ronald Herbst, CG Supervisor
KERRY LOWLOW – Mouse
Ashley Bernes, Effects TD
Louisa Cartwright Tucker, VFX Producer
Jake Mengers, VFX Supervisor
Stephen Newbold, VFX Supervisor
PEPSI – The Flight of the Penguin
Murray Butler, VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame
Jenn Dewey, Senior VFX Producer
Seth Gollub, Animation Lead
Andy Walker, VFX Supervisor, Technical Lead
PLANE STUPID – Polar Bears
Scott Griffin, VFX Producer
Suzanne Jandu, Compositor
Jake Mengers, VFX Supervisor
Vicky Osborn, CG Artist
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
Beyond All Boundaries ‘ Multi-plane Visual Effects
Susan Beth Smith, VFX Producer
Cedar Conner, Lead Compositor
Daren Ulmer, VFX Supervisor
Dance Of The Dragons – Eastern
Derry Frost, VFX Supervisor
Michael Morreale, VFX Producer
Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Gulag Extraction
Robert Gaines, Lead Visual Effects Artist
David Johnson, VFX Artist
Richard Kriegler, Art Director
Mark Rubin, Producer
Fight Night Round 4 – Gameplay
Jeff Atienza, Producer
Jenny Freeman, Art Director
Ben Ross, Lead Character Artist
Frank Vitz, CG Supervisor
Need For Speed Shift – World Sequence
Robert Dibley, Lead Rendering Software Engineer
Dave Flynn, Development Director – World
Andreas Moll, Art Director
Sven Moll, Art Director
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Christophe Balestra, Technical Lead
Evan Wells, Game Producer
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Video Game Trailer
DJ Hero
Diarmid Harrison-Murray, VFX Supervisor
Sarah Hiddlestone, Senior CG Producer
Jamie Jackson, Game Producer
Marco Puig, Art Director
Halo 3: ODST – The Life
Ryan Meredith, VFX Producer
Robert Moggach, VFX Supervisor
Michael Pardee, Executive Producer
Jens Zalzala, CG Supervisor
Mass Effect 2
Tim Miller, VFX Producer
Brandon Riza, VFX Supervisor
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Tim Miller, VFX Producer
Brandon Riza, VFX Supervisor
Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Avatar – Neytiri
Andrew R. Jones, Animation Director
Joe Letteri, Senior VFX Supervisor
Zoe Saldana, Actress
Jeff Unay, Facial Lead
District 9 – Christopher Johnson
Brett Ineson, Motion Capture Supervisor
Jeremy Mesana, Animation Lead
Steve Nichols, Animation Supervisor
Vera Zivny, Senior VFX Coordinator
G-Force – Bucky
Benjamin Cinelli, Senior Character Animator
Peter Tieryas, Character Set-Up Technical Director
Dustin Wicke, Lead Cloth and Hair
Ryan Yee, Animator
Watchmen – Doctor Manhattan
Aaron Campbell, Character Rigger
Kevin Hudson, CG Modeling Supervisor
Victor Schutz, Lead CG Lighting and Compositing Artist
Keith Smith, Lead Animator
Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Coraline – Coraline
Travis Knight, Lead Animator
Trey Thomas, Lead Animator
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs – Buck
Simon Pegg, Buck
Peter de Seve, Characters designed by
Monsters vs. Aliens – B.O.B.
Terran Boylan, Character Technical Director
David Burgess, Head of Character Animation
Scott Cegielski, Effects Lead
David Weatherly, Animator
Up – Carl – ‘No Dad Scene’
Ed Asner, Voice of Carl
Carmen Ngai, Character Cloth Artist
Brian Tindall, Character Modeling and Articulation Artist
Ron Zorman, Animator
Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program or
Commercial
AMF – The Caterpillar
Steve Beck, Lead Character Animator
Jamie O’Hara, Lead Character Modeller
Becky Porter, Lead Compositor
Robert Sethi, Lead CG Artist
Disney’s Prep And Landing – Wayne
David Foley, Voice of Wayne
Mark Mitchell, Supervising Animator
Hidetaka Yosumi, Character Technical Director
Leo Sanchez Barbosa, Modeler
Evian – Skating Babies
Jorge Montiel Meurer, Lead Animator
Jordi Onate, Animator
Emanuele Pavarotti, Animator
Wayne Simmons, Animator
Pepsi – Penguin – ‘The Flight of the Penguin’
James Dick, Technical Director
Seth Gollub, Animation Lead
Spencer Leuders, Technical Director
Andy Walker, VFX Supervisor, Technical Lead
Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Rob Bredow, VFX Supervisor
Matt Hausman, Effects Animation Supervisor
Carl Hooper, Effects Animation Supervisor
Dan Kramer, Digital Effects Supervisor
Coraline
John Allan Armstrong, VFX Animator
Richard Kent Burton, Stop Motion Effects Animator
Craig Dowsett, CG Modeler
Monsters vs. Aliens
David Allen, Effects Animator
Amaury Aubel, Effects Lead
Scott Cegielski, Effects Lead
Alain De Hoe, Effects Lead
Up
Alexis Angelidis, Effects Artist
Eric Froemling, Effects Artist
Jason Johnston, Effects Artist
Jon Reisch, Effects Artist
Outstanding Matte Paintings in a Feature Motion Picture
Avatar – Pandora
Jean-Luc Azzis, Senior Compositor
Peter Baustaedter, Senior Matte Painter
Brenton Cottman, Lead Matte Painter
Yvonne Muinde, Lead Matte Painter
Franklyn – Meanwhile City Scapes
Tania Richard, Matte Painter
Christoph Unger, Matte Painter
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
David Bassalla, TD
Emily Cobb, 3D Artist
Tania Richard, Matte Painter
Star Trek
Brett Northcutt, Digimatte Lead
Shane Roberts, Digimatte
Masahiko Tani, Digimatte
Dan Wheaton, Digimatte
Outstanding Matte Paintings in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
Kaiser Permanente – Emerald City
Kim Taylor, Matte Painter
Ben Walker, Matte Painter
Ben Walsh, Matte Painter
David Woodland, Matte Painter
Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture
Avatar – Samson/Home Tree / Floating Mountains / Ampsuit
Simon Cheung, Modeller
Paul Jenness, Lead Modeller
John Stevenson-Galvin, Senior Modeller
Rainer Zoettl, Senior/Lead Modeller
Coraline
Deborah Cook, Lead Costume Design Fabricator
Matthew DeLeu, Miniature Lighting Technician
Paul Mack, Model Maker
Martin Meunier, Facial Animation Design
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – National Air and Space Museum Escape
Robert Chapin, Digital FX Supervisor
Tony Chen, Model Maker
Forest Fischer, Model Crew Chief
Ian Hunter, VFX Supervisor
Terminator Salvation
Nick d’Abo, Model Shop Supervisor
Brian Gernand, Creative Director, Model Shops
Geoff Heron, Special FX Supervisor
Patrick Sweeney, Director of Photography
Outstanding Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture
2012 – Los Angeles Destruction
Haarm-Pieter Duiker, CG Supervisor
Marten Larsson, CG Effects Animation Lead
Ryo Sakaguchi, CG Effects Animation Lead
Hanzhi Tang, CG Lighting Supervisor
Avatar – Floating Mountains
Dan Lemmon, Visual Effects Supervisor
Keith F. Miller, CG Supervisor
Cameron Smith, Lead Compositor
Avatar – Jungle / Biolume
Shadi Almassizadeh, CG Supervisor
Jessica Cowley, Senior Texture Painter
Dan Cox, CG Supervisor
Ula Rademeyer, Lead Texture Painter
Eric Saindon, Visual Effects Supervisor
Avatar – Willow Glade
Thelvin Cabezas, Lighting Technical Director
Miae Kang, Lead Lighting Technical Director
Daniel Macarin, Lighting Technical Director
Guy Williams, Visual Effects Supervisor
Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
AMC Theaters / Coke – Magic Chairs
Dariush Derakhshani, CG Supervisor
Steve Cummings, CG Artist
Harry Michalakeas, Technical Director
Rob Nederhorst, VFX Supervisor
Assassin’s Creed: Lineage – Ep. 1 ‘Duke of Milan Assassination’
Nadine Homier, Compositor
Joseph Kasparlan, Lead Textures and Lighting
Mathieu Lalonde, CG Modeler
Christian Morin, Compositor
Flash Forward – Pilot ‘Freeway Overpass’
Colin Feist, Compositor
Paul Ghezzo, CG Supervisor
Roger Kupelian, Matte Painter
Steve Meyer, Compositor
V – Pilot ‘Atrium and Ship Interiors’
Trevor Adams, CG Artist
Chris Irving, Lead Compositor
David Morton, Matte Painter
Chris Zapara, VFX Supervisor
Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
Avatar
Erich Eder, Compositor
Robin Hollander, Compositor
Giuseppe Tagliavini, Compositor
Erik Winquist, Compositing Supervisor
Avatar – End Battle
Jay Cooper, Technical Director
Beth D’Amato, Digital Paint
Eddie Pasquarello, Compositing Supervisor
Todd Vaziri, Compositor
District 9
Janeen Elliott, Senior Compositor
Simon Hughes, Senior Compositor
Hamish Schumacher, Lead Compositor
Shervin Shogian, Compositing Supervisor
Sherlock Holmes – Wharf Explosion Sequence
Jan Adamczyk, Mid Compositor
Alex Cumming, Junior Compositor
Sam Osborne, Compositor
Kate Windibank, Senior Compositor
Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Ep 1001 Opening Sequence
Steve Meyer, VFX Supervisor
Derek Smith, Compositor
Christina Spring, Compositor
Zach Zaubi, Compositor
Kerry Lowlow ‘Mouse’ – Overall
Kelly Bruce, Compositor
Greg Howe-Davies, Compositor
Jake Mengers, VFX Supervisor
Stephen Newbold, VFX Supervisor
Pepsi – The Flight of the Penguin
Murray Butler, VFX Supervior/Lead Flame
Ben Cronin, Senior Flame Operator
Andy Rowan-Robinson, Technical Director
Miyuki Shimamoto, Flame Operator
Porsche – Family Tree
Tim Davies, VFX Supervisor/Lead Compositor
Jeff Willette, Lead Technical Designer
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project
The Full Moon Mystery – The Discovery
Flip Buttinger, VFX Supervisor & Producer
Jeffrey De Vore, Director
David Goubitz, VFX Supervisor & Producer
Motherland
Hannes Appell
They Will Come To Town
Thilo Ewers
Urs – Cliff
Moritz Mayerhofer, Graduate
VES Lifetime Achievement Award
James Cameron
Georges Melies Award for Pioneering
Ed Catmull
