In a resounding acknowledgment of creative brilliance, philmCGI emerged victorious at the prestigious Filmfare OTT Awards 2023, securing the Best VFX award for their remarkable work in the Amazon Original series Jubilee. As the digital entertainment landscape continues to flourish, the Filmfare OTT Awards, now in its third year, introduced technical categories for the OTT films section, acknowledging the behind-the-scenes brilliance that enhances the storytelling experience.
Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Jubilee swept nine accolades under the Series category which include Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Background Music Best Original Soundtrack, Best Sound Design, and of course, Best VFX.
About the win, an elated Arpan Gaglani, the VFX supervisor and managing director at PhilmCGI who was also the VFX supervisor of Jubilee, shared with AnimationXpress, “It feels amazing! It’s always a big moment for the team when their hard work receives so much love and accolades. Filmfare is one the oldest and most prestigious awards in the country and to win this is definitely a big moment for us the whole team.”
The series comprised around 1,200 VFX shots, employing approximately 200 artists. Reflecting on the journey while crafting the VFX for Jubilee, Gaglani shared, “Every moment working on Jubilee has been memorable, Vikram and the whole team are such a pleasure to work with. As a director, he knows exactly what he wants and this helps us make every shot easy to work on. I honestly can’t pinpoint any one favourite/memorable scene, but yes, the ship scene on the docks was a great one where a lot of in-depth analysis was done to get the perfect shot.”
When asked about the expanding role of VFX in OTT content, he commented, “VFX is definitely gaining popularity not only for OTT but for any kind of filmmaking today. It is now considered an integral part of filmmaking, and our team is involved right from the script stage with the director, art director, and DOP to plan the whole process whereby we can be of great value-add.”
Winning the Best VFX award is anticipated to have a profound impact on both philmCGI’s future ventures and the industry at large. Gaglani expressed hopes that this recognition would solidify their position as a significant player in the VFX domain, potentially opening doors for more substantial and ambitious projects that showcase their capabilities.
Looking into the future, philmCGI is currently involved in diverse projects, including the upcoming release of Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies movie on Netflix and a lineup of series for OTT platforms and mainstream feature films.
In an ever-evolving industry, where storytelling transcends boundaries and technology amplifies imagination, philmCGI’s triumph stands as a testament to the transformative power of visual effects in shaping compelling narratives, elevating the viewer experience, and charting the course for future innovations in cinematic storytelling.
