The Visual Effects Society is celebrating the awards season with an evening that features an unprecedented number of nominations for one film, a significant new awards category and a changing of the guard at the top of the organization.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” (pictured) received a whopping 14 nominations, breaking the record of 13 noms for “The Mandalorian” in 2021. The film was nommed for a diverse array of work, including outstanding animated character in a photoreal feature and outstanding created environment in a photoreal feature. The first “Avatar” earned 11 nominations in 2010.
“The thing about ‘Avatar 2’ that strikes a chord is that Jim [Cameron, the director] knows how to tell a story; the technology he uses to tell that story is beside the point,” says Jeffrey A. Okun, VES fellow and VFX supervisor. “So, when visual effects people are looking at the work, the first thing that comes to them is whether it is elevating the story in an invisible way. [Jim] doesn’t settle for less than what he has in his mind.”
This year, VES also introduces a new category – emerging technology – which aims to spotlight technological leaps that help artists realize the overall vision of a project. “Avatar 2” made a predictably strong showing here, taking three of the five nominations, as Cameron is known for aggressively developing cutting-edge film tools. The movie’s water toolset, facial systems and depth compositing all received nods.
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” also caught the attention of VES, earning six noms and making it the most nominated contender among animated films. The stop-motion project used advanced 3D printing techniques, and two characters from the movie were singled out for noms for outstanding animated character in an animated feature : Pinocchio and Geppetto.
“I think that it shows that even the oldest techniques can be modernized,” says Sebastian Sylvan, a VES fellow and chair of the VES Technology Committee, which was instrumental in introducing the new award. “You can add creativity and technological advancements to all of the techniques that are used every day for making these fantastic movies and these images. You can even advance areas that haven’t been touched in a very long time.”
At this year’s ceremony, VES welcomes new executive director Nancy Ward. She succeeds Eric Roth, who served almost 19 years at the post before retiring in September, 2022. Ward is the first woman to hold that position since the VES was started in 1997.
“I see my role as a collaborative leader to serve the board of directors in all their initiatives in growing the society and we’re looking forward to elevating our standing in the entertainment industry, providing continuing education for our members,” says Ward. “We’d like to mentor the next generation of leadership within our organization, and to mentor the next generation of practitioners, while expanding our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
During the pandemic, even as the need for content reached higher levels, there was a shortage of VFX workers. Ward aims to help attract new pros to the field and boost diversity. “One of our key initiatives is to elevate and uplift the women who are currently in the industry as well as to attract people of color and those with varying abilities,’ says Ward. “There are a million career avenues within visual effects that would be wonderful to explore.”
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