LOS ANGELES — Visualization studio The Third Floor (www.thethirdfloorinc.com) received a Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Photoreal Episode as part of the Game of Thrones team. Previsualization supervisor Eric Carney joined visual effects supervisor Joe Bauer, visual effects producer Steve Kullbeck, CG lead supervisor Derek Spears and special effects supervisor Stuart Brisdon in taking home the organization’s top television award for Episode 9 “The Dance of Dragons” from Season 5.
Highlights of the work, for which the team won an Emmy Award for Special Visual Effects in September, include the “fighting pit” sequence, which used breakthrough previs and on-set visualization techniques to help coordinate real actors and pyrotechnics seamlessly with the performance of a CG dragon during the live location shoot.
“It’s hugely rewarding to be a part of an incredible show like Game of Thrones,” Carney said. “We were continually challenged to visualize dramatic scenes and to help technically plan the execution of those scenes. It’s gratifying to work so closely with all the other departments to create something that has never previously been seen on television.”
In addition to its nomination and win on the Game of Thrones team, The Third Floor received three of the four nominations in the category of Outstanding Virtual Cinematography, where the contributions of previs, digital camera work and lighting in photoreal scenes are specifically recognized. Nominees James Baker, Vincent Aupetit, Margaux Durand-Rival, Shawn Hull and Suzanne Cipolletti represented The Third Floor’s digital cinematography work on scenes from Ant-Man, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and The Walk, respectively. Last year the company won the Virtual Cinematography award for the Quicksilver “Kitchen Sequence” from X-Men: Days of Future Past.
“We’re extremely privileged to have contributed to so many innovative projects,” said Chris Edwards, CEO, The Third Floor. “Audience expectations for visual storytelling grow year after year. Our studio exists to help creators bring even their most complex visions to life efficiently and without compromise.”
Award-nominated productions The Third Floor worked on this year also include Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron, San Andreas, Black Sails and Fast and Furious: Supercharged. The 14th Annual VES Awards were presented Tuesday, February 2, in Los Angeles.