Oscar nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced this week, and one local visual effects company is in the running.
Vancouver-based Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) contributed to all five films nominated in the Best Visual Effects category: Jurassic World Rebirth, Sinners, The Lost Bus, F1, and Avatar: Fire and Ash.
“We want to be a creative partner to all the filmmakers out there, help them achieve their visions, help them tell their stories,” said Toban Taplan, ILM’s executive in charge.
ILM animation supervisor David Crispino shared some details about the company’s work on Avatar: Fire and Ash.
“Anything on screen that you see move has likely been animated, keyframed by artists,” Crispino said.
“The principal actors will come in on a virtual stage, and they’ll be wearing motion capture suits, which will track their physical movements and facial performance. We have to make sure that we’re translating that as accurately as possible, because so much of the facial performance is about nuance and subtlety.”
He says bringing the director’s vision to life and being recognized by the Academy is an honour.
“Getting to work with James Cameron and having him trust us for the third franchise,” he said. “It was such a good experience. Really challenging, but also really rewarding.”
ILM Vancouver started in a small space in 2012 and has now grown into a large studio with around 1,000 employees.
“We’re placed really uniquely, in the same timezone as LA, which gives a lot of connection,” Taplan said.
“We have an incredible talent pool, and the tax credits that are the big base of drawing work here contribute massively to bringing work to Vancouver and sustaining the industry.”
With a role in all five nominated films, Industrial Light and Magic is bound to take home at least one more Oscar for visual effects.
