Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

The 14th annual Visual Effects Society Awards were held on February 2nd, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Game of Thrones the clear winners.

JJ Abrams’ revival of the franchise (which was memorably explained by host Patton Owalt here) won Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project, Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature, and Outstanding Models in a Photoreal or Animated Project for BB-8.

Game of Thrones won for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode (Dance of Dragons), Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project and Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode ( both for Hardhome), and Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project (City of Volantis).

The bear attack on Leonardo di Caprio in The Revenant won two separate awards with the film gaining a third for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects, leaving it in joint second position with Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur. Mad Max: Fury Road, which had been expected to do well, only achieved one award for Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature for the toxic storm.