Weta Digital produced 73 minutes of cutting edge visual effects over 799 shots, including an epic battle scene and the full introduction of Gollum. Weta Digital made significant advances in character animation and the use of motion capture to create Gollum— one of cinema’s most infamous digital characters.
To bring Gollum to life, a ‘sub-surface scattering’ lighting software for the animation of realistically translucent human skin was developed. This work earned Joe Letteri, the visual effects team and the researchers a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Like its predecessor, their work on The Two Towers won Weta Digital an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Best Visual Effects
Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, Alex Funke
Best Visual Effects in an Effects Driven Motion Picture
Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, Alex Funke
Best Character Animation in a Live Action Motion Picture
Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Ken McGaugh, Bay Raitt
Best Special Effects in a Motion Picture
Steve Ingram, Blair Foord, Rich Cordobes, Scott Harens
Best Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture
Richard Taylor, Paul Van Ommen, Matt Aitken
Best Visual Effects Photography in a Motion Picture
Alex Funke, Brian Van't Hul, Richard Bluck
Best Effects Art Direction in a Motion Picture
Alan Lee, Jeremy Bennett, Christian Rivers, Gino Acevedo
Best Compositing in a Motion Picture
Mark Lewis, GG Heitmann Demers, Alex Lemke, Alfred Murrle
Best Performance by an Actor in an Effects Film
Achievement in Special Visual Effects
Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, Alex Funke