Congrats to all the Winners of the 2007 VES awards. We choose to profile the work of just one of the many winners, to show the detailed work that goes into winning a VES award. Zoic won for their work on the series Battlestar Galactica. Article Contains complete list of winners

Since breaking onto the scene with the influential mini-series, Battlestar Galactica has become one of the most respected drama programs on television. In many respects the show has reinvented Sci-Fi on television.

Battlestar Galactica has been wining huge amounts of praise for its work, but it has not been fully recognized for its artistry in some areas, in part due to being a 'spaceship show'. Ironically this has meant the artists in the visual effects crew have had to work harder, since feature film work in flms such as Star Wars have elevated space battles to incredible heights. Praised for its mock doumentary camera style and realisitic approach to the issues facing the crew of Galactica, the programs visual effects have been universally stunning and well executed.

Zoic was nominated for two awards at this year's VES awards last night at the Kodak Grand Ballroom in Los Angeles. Zoic Studios team members Steve Graves, Jose Perez, Mark Shimer and Chris Zapara were nominated for Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Broadcast Program for Battlestar Galactica Ep 218 "Resurrection Ship, Part 2". Lane Jolly, Don Kim, Matt Smith, and Chris Zapara were nominated for Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program, Commercial or Music Video for the same episode.

The team won for their modelling work.

Here is some of Zoic work and the stages the team worked through to arrive at the stunning images.

Modelling

Basic Texturing

From Basic Comp to Final

Images from the final Episode

Last Night's Other Winners

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
John Knoll, Jill Brooks, Hal Hickel, Charlie Gibson
(ILM)

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture
Flags of Our Fathers
Michael Owens, Matthew Butler, Bryan Grill, Julian Levi
(Digital Domain)

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special
Nightmares and Dreamscapes - Battleground
Eric Grenaudier, Sam Nicholson, Mark Spatny, Adalberto Lopez

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series
Battlestar Galactica - Episode 303b “Exodus”
Gary Hutzel, Michael Gibson, Alec McClymont, Brenda Campbell

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
ER - Scoop and Run
Sam Nicholson, Scott Ramsey, Adam Ealovega, Anthony Ocampo

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
Travelers - Snowball
Dan Lemmon, Eileen Moran, R. Christopher White, Paul Story
(Weta Digital)

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Music Video
U2 and Green Day - The Saints are Coming
Matt Winkel, Ben Looram, Wayne England, Graham Fyffe

Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest – Flying Dutchman Sequence
John Knoll, Ned Gorman, Jakub Pistecky, Tom Fejes
(ILM)

Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game
Fight Night Round 3 for PS3
Christopher Sjoholm, Kat Kelly Hayduk, Rob Hilson, Celia Jepson

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
Roving Mars
Alan Markowitz, Dan Maas, Jeremy Nicolaides, Johnathan Banta

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest – Davy Jones
Steve Walton, Jung-Seung Hong, Marc Chu, James Tooley

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture
Cars - Mater
Larry The Cable Guy, Mike Krummhoefener, Tom Sanocki, Nancy Kato
(PIXAR)

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial or Music Video
Geico - Chat
David Hulin, Seth Gollub, Andy Walker, Jenny Bichsel

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Chris Stoski, Susumu Yukuhiro, Jack Mongovan, Greg Salter
(ILM)

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial or Music Video
Elisabeth- Episode 1
Dave Bowman, Jimmy Kidell, Russell Horth, Gurel Mehmet

Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Bruce Holcomb, Ron Woodall, Charlie Bailey, Carl Miller
(ILM)

Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Broadcast Program
Battlestar Galactica - Season 2, Episode 218 "Resurrection Ship, Part 2"
Steve Graves, Jose Perez, Mark Shimer, Chris Zapara
(Zoic Studios)

Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Eddie Pasquarello, Francois Lambert, Jeff Sutherland, Tory Mercer

Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program, Commercial or Music Video
Travelers - Snowball
Laure Lacroix, Lyse Beck, Steve McGillen, Matt Holland
(Weta Digital NZ)

Outstanding Special Effects in a Motion Picture
Casino Royale
Chris Corbould, Peter Notley, Ian Lowe, Roy Quinn