4 films win big at visual effects awards

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Transformers,” “Ratatouille” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” were the big winners Sunday night at the Visual Effects Society’s sixth annual VES Awards.

The fifth entry in the “Potter” series won outstanding special effects in a motion picture.

“Transformers,” the blockbuster action thriller based on the Hasbro toy line figures, won VES awards for outstanding visual effects in a visual effects-driven motion picture; best single visual effect of the year for the desert highway sequence, outstanding models or miniatures in a motion picture; and outstanding compositing in a motion picture.

The awards, which were presented at the Kodak Theatre Grand Ballroom, honored Disney/Pixar’s “Ratatouille” for outstanding supporting visual effects in a motion picture; outstanding animated character in an animated motion picture for the character of Colette; and outstanding effects in an animated motion picture.

And the third installment in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy won for outstanding created environment in a live action motion picture for the maelstrom and outstanding animated character in a live action motion picture for the character Davy Jones.

Other winners included:

Outstanding created environment in a live action broadcast program or commercial: “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”

Outstanding animated character in a live action broadcast program or commercial: “Chemical Brothers -- Salmon Dance -- Fatlip shots”

Outstanding pre-rendered visuals in a video game: “World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade -- Cinematic Intro”

Outstanding real-time visuals in a video game: “Halo 3 -- Halo 3 Footage”

Outstanding visual effects in a broadcast miniseries, movie or special: “Battlestar Galactica -- Razor”

Outstanding compositing in a broadcast program or commercial: “Nike -- Leave Nothing”

For a full list of winners, go to TheEnvelope.com