Rodeo FX was recognized with a win last night at the Visual Effects Society’s (VES) 16th annual VES Awards, the preeminent industry celebration, hosted at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Rodeo FX received 4 nominations, for which 22 members of the Rodeo FX team attended the ceremony, and won in the following category:
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Category
Game of Thrones; The Dragon and the Wolf; Wall Destruction
The award was accepted by four FX artists from Rodeo FX: Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, Sylvain Nouveau, and Nathan Arbuckle.
Game of Thrones was the biggest winner of the night with 5 awards. Rodeo FX’s winning work appeared on the season finale of the seventh season and featured the destruction of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
For the wall’s dramatic collapse Rodeo FX scored the wall to break it apart in multiple shots to cover its extensive size. The team separated the wall in three parts: the closest area, which was destroyed in hi-res, the middle section, that remained standing in hi-res, and the farthest section in low-res as a base for digital matte paintings.
The Rodeo FX team received a previs referencing the timing and size of the collapse, and the studio layered effects on top of that. Rodeo FX artists added secondary debris, smoke and interactive fire when the fire hits the wall. For the actual collapse of the wall, Rodeo FX created debris, powdered snow and water splashes as the ice falls into the sea. Real fire elements were provided and color graded to become the ice dragon’s destructive blue breath.
The team at Rodeo FX extends its congratulations to HBO and to the studios and artists who contributed their magic to this spectacular show.
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 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, as well as a Hollywood Professional Association Award for Black Sails. For more information, visit rodeofx.com.
