We at AnimationXpress have been covering the wonders of virtual production powered by Game-tech like Unreal Engine extensively. All along we had an inkling that such innovative style of filmmaking will see its space in the sun at award shows. Lo and Behold! Here it is! The internet has been awash with the talks about the application of Unreal Engine in its full element illustrated by the movie by none other than Lion King and Mandolorian fame Jon Favreau himself. Mandalorian has emerged as the superstar of visual effects on the Emmys stage.
Speaking of space in the sun, At CII Summit FX, Epic Games GM of India and SEA operations Quentin Staes-Polet had recounted how Mandalorian director Jon Favreau encapsulated the essence of virtual production by saying that he now doesn’t have to worry about the sun setting as he can shoot any number of hours in the sun as he pleases.
Such is the potential of Unreal Engine that Baby Yoda aka The Child is now a major awards winner: “The Mandalorian,” which has singlehandedly placed its brand-new streamer Disney Plus on the Emmys’ map this year with 15 overall nominations, picking up its first statues at the Creative Arts ceremony on Wednesday night.
“The Mandalorian” picked up special visual effects, sound editing, sound mixing, production design and cinematography awards during the third of five nights designed to hand out the 72nd Annual artisans’ awards (also the first night in which scripted categories made an appearance). These five awards see the “Star Wars” universe-set drama leading the pack for the most awards from voters for the year.
The Creative Arts ceremonies are produced by Bob Bain Prods. and consist of 100 awards being handed out over the five nights. The final night of Emmys events for the year is Sunday, Sept. 20, when the above-the-line Primetime Awards are handed out live at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel will host and executive produce that live broadcast from the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles, while winners will be at home and on location around the world, ready to deliver acceptance speeches live. In contrast, the Creative Arts’ winners self-taped and pre-recorded acceptance speeches, with the Television Academy promising not to release any videos other than the ones from the winners.
Most of those pre-recorded speeches Wednesday were pretty straight-forward, thanking the Academy, family and colleagues. But the makeup team from “Star Trek: Picard” used their time, in part, to mention that new Academy rules meant 10 important female members were left off the ballot, and they wanted to call out that they “stand with women.”
Here are Wednesday’s nominees and winners:
Outstanding Special Visual Effects
“Lost In Space”
Episode: “Ninety-Seven”
(Netflix)
Jabbar Raisani, senior visual effects supervisor
Terron Pratt, visual effects producer
Marion Spates, visual effects supervisor
Niklas Jacobson, visual effects supervisor
Andrew Walker, visual effects supervisor
Juri Stanossek, visual effects supervisor
Dirk Valk, Previs supervisor
Blaine Lougheed, on-set visual effects supervisor
Paul Benjamin, special effects coordinator
*WINNER* “The Mandalorian”
Episode: “Chapter 2: The Child”
(Disney Plus)
Richard Bluff, VFX supervisor
Jason Porter, VFX supervisor
Abbigail Keller, VFX producer
Hayden Jones, VFX supervisor
Hal Hickel, animation supervisor
Roy Cancino, special effects supervisor
John Rosengrant, supervisor
Enrico Damm, environment supervisor
Landis Fields, virtual production visualization supervisor
“Stranger Things”
Episode: “Chapter Eight: The Battle Of Starcourt”
(Netflix)
Paul Graff, senior visual effects supervisor
Gayle Busby, visual effects producer
Tom Ford, visual effects producer
Michael Maher Jr., senior concept illustrator
Martin Pelletier, visual effects supervisor
Berter Orpak, visual effects supervisor
Yvon Jardel, animation supervisor
Nathan Arbuckle, lead FX
Caius Man, special effects coordinator
“Watchmen”
Episode: “See How They Fly”
(HBO)
Erik Henry, VFX supervisor
Matt Robken, VFX producer
Ashley J. Ward, VFX production
David Fletcher, SPFX soordinator
Mathieu Raynault, VFX supervisor, Raynault FX
Bobo Skipper, VFX supervisor, ILP – Important Looking Pirates
Ahmed Gharraph, VFX supervisor, Framestore London
Emanuel Fuchs, VFX supervisor, Mackevision
Francois Lambert, VFX supervisor, Hybride
“Westworld”
Episode: “Crisis Theory”
(HBO)
Jay Worth, VFX supervisor
Martin Hernblad, VFX supervisor
Jeremy Fernsler, VFX supervisor
Nhat Phong Tran, VFX supervisor
Joe Wehmeyer, on-set VFX supervisor
Mark Byers, SPFX supervisor
Bruce Branit, on-set VFX supervisor
Octevia Robertson, VFX coordinator
Jacqueline VandenBussche, VFX production manager
Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role
“Devs”
Episode 8
(FX on Hulu)
Andrew Whitehurst, VFX supervisor
Sarah Tulloch, VFX producer
Anne Akande, VFX producer [DNEG]
Samantha Townend, VFX co-producer
Giacomo Mineo, on-set VFX supervisor [DNEG]
Tom Hales, CG supervisor [DNEG]
George Kyparissous, FX supervisor [DNEG]
Stafford Lawrence, animation supervisor [DNEG]
Jon Uriarte, lead compositor [DNEG]
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
Episode: “Household”
(Hulu)
Stephen Lebed, VFX producer
Brendan Taylor, VFX supervisor
Leo Bovell, VFX supervisor
Rob Greb, compositing supervisor
Gwen Zhang, senior compositor
Marlis Coto, compositor
Stephen Wagner, lead FX artist
Josh Clark, CG supervisor
James Minett, CG lead artist
“Tales From The Loop”
Episode: “Loop”
(Amazon Prime Video)
Andrea Knoll, visual effects producer
Ashley Bernes, visual effects supervisor
Eduardo Anton, compositing supervisor
Julien Hery, visual effects supervisor, Rodeo FX
Laurent Pancaccini, CG supervisor, Rodeo FX
Andrew Kowbell, lead compositor, Rodeo FX
Alan Scott, special effects supervisor, Legacy Effects
David Piombino, compositing supervisor, Moving Picture Company
Rajesh Kaushik, lead compositor, Moving Picture Company
“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”
Episode: “Strongman”
(Amazon Prime Video)
Erik Henry, senior visual effects supervisor
Juliette Yager, visual effects producer
Peter Crosman, on-set visual effects supervisor
Pau Costa Moeller, special effects supervisor
Paige Prokop, visual effects coordinator
Deak Ferrand, visual effects art director, Rodeo FX
Francois Lambert, visual effects supervisor, Hybride Inc.
Jesper Kjolsrud, visual effects supervisor, Goodbye Kansas
Richard Vosper-Carey, 3D artist
*WINNER* “Vikings”
Episode: “The Best Laid Plans”
(History)
Dominic Remane, visual effects supervisor
Bill Halliday, visual effects producer
Becca Donohue, visual effects producer
Leann Harvey, on-set visual effects supervisor
Tom Morrison, CG supervisor
Ovidiu Cinazan, lead compositor
Jim Maxwell, lead matte painter
Ezra Waddell, lead massive crowd artist
Warren Lawtey, FX lead
Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie
“Defending Jacob”
Episode: “After”
(Apple TV Plus)
Jonathan Freeman, ASC, director of photography
“Devs”
Episode 7
(FX on Hulu)
Rob Hardy, BSC, director of photography
“The Plot Against America”
Episode: “Part 1”
(HBO)
Martin Ahlgren, director of photography
“Watchmen”
Episode: “Little Fear of Lighting”
(HBO)
Xavier Grobet, ASC, AMC, director of photography
*WINNER* “Watchmen”
Episode: “This Extraordinary Being”
(HBO)
Gregory Middleton, ASC, CSC, director of photography
Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-camera Series
“Bob Hearts Abishola”
Episode: “Ice Cream For Breakfast”
(CBS)
Patti Lee, ASC, director of photography
“Family Reunion”
Episode: “Remember Black Elvis?”
(Netflix)
John Simmons, ASC, director of photography
It is clear that Virtual Production is indeed the sleeping giant on the horizon whose roar is going to engulf the filmmaking space soon.
