'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' Tops Visual Effects Society Awards

'Big Hero 6' sweeps the animated feature competition.

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes topped the live action feature competition at the 13th annual Visual Effects Awards, earned three trophies including the top award for outstanding VFX in a VFX-driven feature.

See more Hollywood's 100 Favorite FilmsWednesday at the Beverly Hilton, Oscar nominee Apes additionally won trophies for animated character (Caesar) and compositing. Also in the feature competitions, Oscar nominees X-Men: Days of Future Past won two awards, for effects simulation and virtual cinematography; and Interstellar won one, for created enviroment. 

Big Hero 6 swept the animated feature categories, winning trophies for outstanding VFX, animated character, created environment, effects simulation and models.

Since the first VES Awards were handed out in 2002, the winner of the top category has gone on to win the visual effects Oscar nine of the past 12 times.

The VFX on Apes were created by Weta Digital, led by Joe Letteri, a four-time Oscar winner and Weta's senior VFX supervisor.

Game of Thrones was the big winner in the television competition, collecting two awards including in the category for outstanding VFX in television.

During the ceremony, Zoe Saldana presented J.J. Abrams with the VES Visionary Award. Receiving a standing ovation, the director told the VFX community that working on Star Wars: The Force Awakens is “an actual childhood dream come true, and has only given me more appreciation for what you do.”

A complete list of nominees follows:

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Joe Letteri, 
Ryan Stafford
, Matt Kutcher, 
Dan Lemmon, 
Hannah Bianchini

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Ara Khanikian
 Ivy Agregan 
Sebastien Moreau
 Isabelle Langlois

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Big Hero 6

Don Hall
 Chris Williams
 Roy Conli
 Zach Parrish

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program

Game of Thrones; The Children 


Joe Bauer
, Steve Kullback
, Stuart Brisdon
, Thomas Schelesny
, Sven Martin

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program

American Horror Story; Freak Show; Edward Mordrake, Part 2

Jason Piccioni
, Jason Spratt,
 Mike Kirylo
, Justin Ball
, Eric Roberts

Outstanding Real-Time Visuals in a Video Game

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Yi-chao Sandy Lin-Chiang, 
Joseph Salud, 
Demetrius Leal
, Dave Blizard

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial

SSE; Maya                 

Neil Davies, Alex Hammond, Jorge Montiel, Beth Vander

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project

Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Torquee de Remy

Tony Apodaca, Marianne McLean, Gilles Martin, Edwin Chang, Mark Mine