The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

given for the best achievement in

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...

History of the award

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1929, presenting a plaque for "Best Engineering Effects" to the first Best Picture Oscar winner, the World War I flying drama '' Wings''. Producer

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. ...

, then production head at

RKO Studios RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

, petitioned the Academy Board of Governors to recognize the work of animator Willis O'Brien for his groundbreaking work on 1933's '' King Kong''. It was not until 1938 when a film was actually recognized for its effects work, when a "Special Achievement Award for Special Effects" was given to the Paramount film '' Spawn of the North''. The following year, "Best Special Effects" became a recognized category, although on occasion the Academy has chosen to honor a single film outright rather than nominate two or more films. From 1939 to 1963, it was an award for a film's visual effects as well as audio effects, so it was often given to two persons, although some years only one or the other type of effect was recognized. In 1964, it was given only for visual effects, and the following year the name of the category was changed to "Best Special Visual Effects". Honorees for this award have been bestowed several times as a Special Achievement Academy Award. In 1977, the category was given its current name "Best Visual Effects." For decades, shortlisted finalists were selected by a steering committee. They are presently chosen by the visual effects branch executive committee. 1990 was the last year there were no official nominees. ''

Back to the Future Part III ''Back to the Future Part III'' is a 1990 American science fiction Western film and the final installment of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Ste ...

'', '' Dick Tracy'', ''

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'' and '' Total Recall'' advanced to a second stage of voting, but only ''Total Recall'' received a requisite average and it was given a special achievement Oscar. To date, there have been three wholly animated films nominated in this category: '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' in 1993, '' Kubo and the Two Strings'' in 2016, and '' The Lion King'' in 2019. There has been one semi-animated film nominated, which also won: '' Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' in 1988.

Rules

Usually, there are three nominated films. In 1979, there were five films nominated. Sometimes, no award is given. Other times, a single film is given the award outright. In 2007, it was decided that a list of no more than 15 eligible films would be chosen, from which a maximum of seven would be shortlisted for further consideration. A vote would then proceed, with a maximum of three nominees. Since 2010, there are ten shortlisted finalists which, using a form of range voting, produce five nominees. No more than four people may be nominated for a single film. According to the official Academy Awar
rules
the criteria are:

(a) consideration of the contribution the visual effects make to the overall production and
(b) the artistry, skill and fidelity with which the visual illusions are achieved.

Filmmakers

A number of filmmakers have had their movies honored for their achievements in visual effects; i.e., five films produced by

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

, five by director/producer George Lucas, five by director James Cameron (who began his career in Hollywood as an effects technician), four by directors

Richard Fleischer Richard O. Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director whose career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave. Though h ...

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

and Peter Jackson, three by directors Robert Zemeckis and Christopher Nolan, and two by directors Ridley Scott and Denis Villeneuve.

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

's only Oscar win was in this category, for 1968's '' 2001: A Space Odyssey''. The film's credits list four effects contributors, including Douglas Trumbull. However, according to the rules of the Academy in effect at the time, only three persons could be nominated for their work on a single film, which would have resulted in the omission of either Trumbull, Tom Howard, Con Pederson or Wally Veevers. Ultimately, it was Kubrick's name that was submitted as a nominee in this category, resulting in his winning the award, which many consider a slight to the four men whose work contributed to the film's success.

Engineering Effects Award

The table below display the Oscar nominees for Best Engineering Effects.

1920s

Special Effects Awards

The tables below display the Oscar nominees for Best Special Effects including the recipients of the Special Achievement Awards.

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

Visual Effects Awards

The tables below display the Oscar nominees for Best Visual Effects including the recipients of the Special Achievement Awards.

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Shortlisted finalists

Finalists for Best Visual Effects are selected by the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee. Beginning with a long list of up to 20 titles, the committee then advances ten films to the shortlist. Prior to the

83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles b ...

, only fifteen films were long-listed, and only seven films were shortlisted. The full membership of the Visual Effects Branch is invited to view excerpts and is provided with supporting information at a "bake-off" where balloting determines the five nominees. These are the additional films that presented at the bake-off.

Multiple awards

;8 awards * Dennis Muren ;5 awards * Gordon Jennings * Ken Ralston ;4 awards *

L. B. Abbott Lenwood Ballard "Bill" Abbott, A.S.C. (June 13, 1908 – September 28, 1985) was an American special effects expert, cinematographer and cameraman. He became the head of the Special Effects Department at 20th Century Fox in 1957, a post he held u ...

* Richard Edlund *

Joe Letteri Joseph Bruce Letteri (born 1957) is a senior American visual effects artist, winner of four Academy Awards, four BAFTA awards and four VES awards. He is the current director of the Academy Award-winning Weta Digital, having joined the company ...

* Glen Robinson ;3 awards * Randall William Cook * Farciot Edouart * John P. Fulton *

Alex Funke Alex Funke (born October 12, 1944 in Santa Barbara, California) is a special effects photographer. Career He worked with Charles and Ray Eames for eleven years, a period he deemed important to his career success. His first Oscar was a shared one f ...

* A. Arnold Gillespie * Andrew Lockley * Louis Mesenkop * Carlo Rambaldi *

Jim Rygiel Jim Rygiel (born February 17, 1955) is an American visual effects supervisor. He has worked on major feature films since 1984, including '' The Lord of the Rings'' movie trilogy (for which he won three consecutive Academy Awards for Best Visua ...

Bill Westenhofer Bill Westenhofer is an American visual effects supervisor. He worked for Rhythm and Hues Studios until its closure in 2013. Early life and education His hometown is Brookfield, Connecticut, where he graduated from Brookfield High School in 1986. ...

* Stan Winston * Robert Legato *

Paul Lambert Paul Lambert (born 7 August 1969) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, who was most recently the manager of Ipswich Town. Lambert played as a midfielder and won the Scottish Cup in 1987 with St Mirren as a 17-year-ol ...

;2 awards *

Neil Corbould Neil Corbould (; born 24 December 1962) is a British special effects supervisor best known for his work on major blockbuster films such as ''Gladiator'', ''Saving Private Ryan'', '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' and '' Black Hawk Down''. He is ...

John Dykstra John Charles Dykstra, A.S.C. (; born June 3, 1947) is an American special effects artist, pioneer in the development of the use of computers in filmmaking and recipient of three Academy Awards, among many other awards and prizes. He was one o ...

Scott R. Fisher Scott Ray Fisher is an American visual effects supervisor. He won at the 87th Academy Awards for his work on the film '' Interstellar'' and at the 93rd Academy Awards for his work on '' Tenet''. These were in the category of Best Visual Effects ...

* A. D. Flowers * Paul Franklin * Charles Gibson * George Gibbs * Allen Hall * Thomas Howard * Ian Hunter * Brian Johnson * Andrew R. Jones *

Eustace Lycett Eustace Lycett (December 21, 1914 – November 16, 2006) was a British special effects artist who worked on attractions at Disneyland from the 1960s, such as Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Rocket to the Moon, as well as contributing to Disn ...

* Robert MacDonald * Tristan Myles * Gerd Nefzer * John Nelson *

Warren Newcombe Warren Newcombe (April 28, 1894 – August 3, 1960) was an American special effects artist. He won two Academy Awards for Best Special Effects and was nominated for another one in the same category. He worked on more than 200 films during h ...

Bruce Nicholson Bruce Nicholson is a special effects artist who received the Special Achievement Academy Award in 1980 for the visual effects of the film ''The Empire Strikes Back'', which he shared with Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund and Dennis Muren. He won his f ...

* Guillaume Rocheron * Stephen Rosenbaum *

Loren L. Ryder Loren L. Ryder (March 9, 1900 – May 28, 1985) was an American sound engineer. He won five Academy Awards and was nominated for twelve more in the categories Best Sound Recording and Best Effects. After serving in World War I, Ryder st ...

* Fred Sersen * Douglas Shearer * Robert Skotak * Kenneth F. Smith * John Stears * Richard Taylor * Phil Tippett *

Albert Whitlock Albert J. Whitlock (15 September 1915 – 26 October 1999) was a British-born motion picture matte artist best known for his work with Disney and Universal Studios. Life and career Whitlock began his film career as a page at Gaumont Studios in ...

Superlatives

For this Academy Award category, the following superlatives emerge:Academy Award Statistics
* Most awards: Dennis Muren 8 awards (resulting from 15 nominations) * Most nominations: Dennis Muren 15 nominations (resulting in 8 awards)

Notes

References

{{Academy Award Best Visual Effects

Visual Effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...

History of the award

Rules

Filmmakers

Engineering Effects Award

1920s

Special Effects Awards

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

Visual Effects Awards

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Shortlisted finalists

Multiple awards

Multiple awards

Superlatives

See also

Notes

References