Previous VES Awards

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within
a live action 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 the VFX (including Special Effects).
On the whole, the VFX in an effects-driven film would be easily identifiable
by the viewing public and professionals working in the VFX field.

Fully animated films are not eligible in this category.

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a live action motion picture where the visual effects play a supporting, minor or background role in the telling of the story. Supporting visual effects, when taken as a whole, may help create the setting, environment, or mood of an entire film, but are generally intended to be subtle or invisible to the lay viewer. They do not consist of a significant number of CG characters, science fiction or fantasy elements, and other highly visible effects that one would expect to see in a visual effects-driven or “tent pole” film.

Effects-driven films may not enter their “invisible” effects in this category, and animated films are not eligible.

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a single episode of an effects-driven miniseries, made-for-television movie or special that was broadcast and delivered via over-the-air, pay/basic cable, or satellite transmissions to homes. A rule of thumb for defining whether a program would be considered effects-driven would be to ask if the story could be told without the active participation of the VFX (including Special Effects).

This award is to honor the achievement of the visual effects within a single episode of a series 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 the VFX (including Special Effects)

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects that play a supporting or background role within a single episode of a broadcast series, miniseries, made-for-television movie, or special wherein the visual effects are not necessarily essential to the telling of the story in the way that the effects of an effects-driven broadcast program are. Supporting visual effects, when taken as a whole, may help create the setting, environment, or mood of an entire program, and are generally intended to be invisible to the lay viewer. They do not consist of a significant number of CG characters, science fiction or fantasy elements, and other highly visible effects that one would expect to see in a visual effectsdriven broadcast program.

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a live action commercial. Any commercial that is originated for Broadcast or specifically for advertising over the Internet may be considered, including paid commercials, PSAs and promos. Maximum length of commercials that will be considered is 120 seconds.

Infomercials, corporate IDs or marks and company logos are not eligible in this or any category.

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the animation within an entire animated motion picture. The animation may be created by traditional cel animation, computer animation, and/or stop motion, as long as it meets the definitions of Animation and Animated Project as stated in the Appendix of this Rules & Procedures. The vocal performance of characters may be taken into consideration along with the visual qualities in evaluating the overall effectiveness of the animation.Title sequences are not eligible in this category

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.

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the animation within an entire animated motion picture. The animation may be created by traditional cel animation, computer animation, and/or stop motion, as long as it meets the definitions of Animation and Animated Project as stated in the Appendix of this Rules & Procedures. The vocal performance of characters may be taken into consideration along with the visual qualities in evaluating the overall effectiveness of the animation.Title sequences are not eligible in this category

This award is to honor the best animated commercial. At least 75% of the content of the commercial must be animated to be eligible as per the definitions of Animation and Animated Project in the Appendix. Content to be judged is limited to the body of the commercial. Any commercial that originated for Broadcast including paid commercials, PSAs and promos are eligible. Maximum length of commercials is 60 seconds.

Commercials that premiere at trade shows or over the Internet are not eligible for this category. Infomercials, corporate IDs or marks and company logos are not eligible in this or any category. Live action or non-animated corporate or brand tags will not be considered or counted towards the 25% limit.

This award is to honor the overall achievement in a single animated character in a live action motion picture. The character may have been created by any technique or combination of techniques, including animatronics, as long as it meets the definition of Animation as stated in the Glossary of these Rules & Procedures.

Title sequences are not eligible in this category.

Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game

This award is to honor the overall achievement in a single animated character in an animated motion picture. The character may have been created by any technique or combination of techniques, including animatronics, as long as it meets the definition of Animation as stated in the Glossary.

Title sequences are not eligible in this category.

This award is to honor the overall achievement in a single animated character in a broadcast program or commercial. The character may have been created by any technique or combination of techniques, including animatronics, as long as it meets the definition of Animation as stated in the Glossary. The character may or may not be photorealistic.

Title sequences are not eligible in this category.

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the pre-rendered visual effects within a Video Game Trailer. Game Trailers are defined as unique visual material created for the purpose of promoting an upcoming game release. To be eligible, the material in the Game Trailer must be pre-rendered and created for a promotional event, conference, in-store display or web distribution. The submission for this category must consist entirely of material from the Game Trailer as it was originally released.
Multiple entries from the same game title will only be allowed if the entries are from different Game Trailers and the submitting teams are entirely different, including the overall VFX Supervisor and overall VFX Producer.

The following are not eligible for this category: • Game Trailers that share any pre-rendered material with a video game currently
released in stores or that contain re-purposed shots from previous trailers;

• Game Trailers that contain real-time material from the game itself that totals more than 25% of the total running time of the Submission Length, not including Before & Afters; and
• Animated commercials that originate as Broadcast material.

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in a live action 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 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.

Stereo extractions of environments that do not contain any other significant enhancements or fully animated productions are not eligible in this category. For practical purposes, the environment should be a single setting within the story, and not, for example, all locations within an entire city.

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in a live action broadcast program that best creates an illusion of setting for the story being told. Created environments are defined as either completely artificial environments, or the enhancement of an existing practical set 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.

Stereo extractions of environments that do not contain any other significant enhancements, or fully animated productions, are not eligible in this category. For practical purposes, the environment should be a single setting within the story, and not, for example, all locations within an entire city.

This award is to honor the overall achievement in a single animated character in a video game. The character may have been created by any technique or combination of techniques, including motion capture, performance capture, and key frame animation, as long as it meets the definition of Animation as stated in the Appendix. The animation submitted must appear in the game as it was released and can appear in the game as real-time render or a pre-rendered cinematic.

Entries may not include material created for or repurposed from game trailers or commercials

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the effects animation within an entire animated motion picture. Effects animation constitutes any dynamic elements that are not characters, set pieces, or what would be considered a matte painting or background. These effects may include water, splashes, smoke, fire, other naturally occurring elements including dust and other particulates, as well as those animated using procedural techniques or dynamic simulations. The effects may or may not be photorealistic and they may interact with, or be part of the characters, set elements and matte paintings with which they coexist

This award honors the art of cinematography within the digital realm of a live action broadcast program or commercial. Digital Cinematography is defined as the outstanding use of traditional cinematography techniques to communicate story and mood in a broadcast program or commercial (live action or animated), such as light direction, color, camera framing or movement, and depth of field within a primarily CG scene. It recognizes the combined collaborative work of pre-vis and layout artists, the lighting/CG supervisor, shot lighters, animators, and similar artists within this creative and interpretive process. Judges are to consider the use of light and camera in the scene, but are NOT judging the details of the models or environments that are being lit (these should compete in the Created Environment category). In the case of a live action program, the program’s Director of Photography may be included among the entrants if, and ONLY if, he/she had a significant hands-on role in the final look of the CG  elements.

This award honors an outstanding single model in a live-action broadcast program or commercial. The model may have been created virtually, physically, or any combination thereof, and may be of any scale. The model’s artistry and overall quality are to be considered; however, scenic lighting and compositing should be disregarded. An entry may include multiples of the same model with minor variations, such as scale and features, but they must have been created by the same team. However, character models are specifically excluded from this category, but are eligible in category 12 – Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program or Commercial. Further, the same model may not be entered in both Category 15 – Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program or Commercial and Category 20 – Outstanding Models in a Broadcast Program or Commercial.

Model supervisor and artist(s), texture artists, shader writer(s), paint artist(s), etc. are eligible in this category. Overall project supervisors and/or producers are specifically not eligible.

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a live action feature motion picture. This category is for a body of work created for a single motion picture by an individual artist or team of artists.

Multiple entries from the same project are eligible provided the compositing teams are 100% different and the shots being submitted are completelydifferent. Title sequences are eligible as long as:

• They are submitted in textless form in order 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.

Animated films are not eligible in this category.

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a single live action episode of a broadcast program or commercial. This category is for a body of work created for a single broadcast episode by an individual artist or team of artists. Multiple sequences may be entered from the same episode or series provided the compositing teams are 100% different and the shots being submitted are completely different.

Animated programs or main title sequences are not eligible in this category.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project