Montreal-based visual effects studio Rodeo FX was named winner of this year’s Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Award in the Outstanding Visual Effects – Television category for its work on the fourth and final season of the Black Sails TV series. The HPA recognized Rodeo FX for its work on the season 4 premiere, episode XXIX. The work delivered by Rodeo FX includes the creation of a breathtaking full CG environment of 18th-century Nassau, ocean and water effects, ships, cannons and bullets blasting.

“The final season started with a bang, literally. Our team had an amazing challenge with the epic battle shots, and as dramatic as it is to watch on screen, it was just as exciting to work on behind the scenes,” said Martin Lipmann, VFX supervisor at Rodeo FX and award recipient. “Production for television moves at a very fast pace, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved. Receiving the HPA Award for this work is an honor for our entire team.” Martin Lipmann was nominated alongside Visual Effects Supervisor Erik Henry.

The Starz network’s Black Sails, an Emmy® Award-winning historical adventure television series and prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island, debuted January 25, 2014 and aired its final episode April 2, 2017.

Rodeo FX Los Angeles Studio Director Deak Ferrand, who worked on Black Sails season 4 as artistic director and senior matte painter, and Executive Producer Cheryl Bainum were present at the Skirball Cultural Center to receive the HPA Award on behalf of Martin Lipmann and the team.

Rodeo FX was previously nominated for a 2016 Emmy® and three Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards for its work on season 3 of Black Sails.

A VFX reel and before & after images of Black Sails season 4 are available on Rodeo FX’s website.

About Rodeo FX
Founded in 2006, Rodeo FX has grown to more than 400 accomplished artists and professionals with studios in Montreal, Los Angeles, Quebec City and now Munich. The company has delivered award-winning visual effects for over 100 feature films, including Blade Runner 2049, IT, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, The Fate of the Furious, Kong: Skull Island, Arrival, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and the Academy Award®-winning Birdman. In 2017, Rodeo FX won three VES Awards for episode 9 of Game of Thrones Season 6. VES Awards recognized the studio’s VFX work on Game of Thrones (2016) and Birdman (2015). Emmy® honors include three awards for Game of Thrones (2014, 2015, 2016). More recently, Rodeo FX has won an Animago Award in Munich for Best Visual Effects for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. For more information, visit www.RodeoFX.com.

About the Hollywood Professional Association Awards
The Hollywood Professional Association Awards honor excellence in post-production while bringing recognition to the creative achievements of individuals and companies, as well as creative excellence and groundbreaking technologies within the postproduction industry. All 2017 HPA Award Winners can be found on the HPA’s website.