The Visual Effects Society has chosen Douglas Trumbull – filmmaker, innovator and entrepreneur – as the recipient of the 2012 Georges Méliès Award. The Georges Méliès Award honors individuals who have “pioneered a significant and lasting contribution to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry by a way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.”
One of Trumbull’s earliest achievements was his pioneering work in 1968 as one of four effects supervisors in 2001: A Space Odyssey. He went on to amaze audiences further with visual effects in films including The Andromeda Strain, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Blade Runner. In addition, Trumbull directed the feature films Silent Running and Brainstorm, along with numerous special venue films, videos and attractions, such as Back To The Future – The Ride.
“It is truly an honor to receive the Georges Méliès Award from the Visual Effects Society,” said Trumbull (pictured). “My philosophy is that everything in a movie is an illusion of some kind, and I am very excited that the industry today is now embracing 3D, higher frame rates, and other opportunities that can expand the movie-going experience, and deliver to audiences the kind of immersive and other-worldly images that we in the VES can provide.
Among his other honors, Trumbull received the 1993 Scientific and Engineering Academy Award three additional Academy Award nominations He has an American Society of Cinematographer’s Lifetime Achievement Award and recently became the third person to be selected by his peers as a VES Fellow of the Visual Effects Society.
He founded Trumbull Ventures LLC, a privately-owned film studio founded as a leading-edge film production company specializing in the development of advanced integrated systems for high-resolution digital production utilizing virtual sets and locations, high frame rates, 3D, and advanced previsualization.
“Doug Trumbull is a leading light in the field of visual effects and technology,” said VES Chair Jeffrey A. Okun. “He is an innovator in all things entertainment and equally important is his genius for re-imagining the impossible into a compelling visual that not only has never been seen before but also goes to the heart of the storytelling. We are seriously honored to know and work with him.”
The Georges Méliès Award will be presented at the 10th Annual VES Awards, which will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on February 7, 2011. Previous recipients of the award are Robert Abel (Tron, 2001: A Space Odyssey), John Lasseter (the Toy Story movies, Monsters, Inc.), Phil Tippett (Jurassic Park, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ) and Ed Catmull (five Academy Awards: two Scientific and Engineering Awards, Award of Merit, Technical Achievement Award, Gordon E. Sawyer Award).
VES represents the extended community of visual effects practitioners including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers, educators and studio executives. Its 2,300 global members contribute to all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos, games and new media.
