Archive notice: This article was originally published on November 9, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
At the Karlsruhe Concert Hall, the best productions from the Film, Still and Interactive categories were honored with the animago trophies. As the most important performance comparison within these areas, the animago AWARD is the benchmark of the German-speaking computer graphics industry. This year’s awards ceremony took place as part of the digital creation days, the new platform for the industry’s decision-makers, developers and young talent. The two-day networking event (November 8 to 9, 2007) with an accompanying trade exhibition is devoted above all to developments in digital media productions in the German-speaking region.
This year, the animago AWARD was organized for the eleventh time by the trade magazine DIGITAL PRODUCTION – with the kind support of main sponsor Autodesk –organized. Already in 1997, DIGITAL PRODUCTION, together with Autodesk, has launched the animago AWARD has. The submissions for the animago AWARD 2007 included both national and international entries. In total, entries were received from 35 different countries worldwide. The German DCC community is represented with more than 470 entries. From all the entries, the winning entries were selected by a jury of specialists from the DCC industry. In the “Best International Feature Film” category, the AUDIENCE AWARD was presented. Voting was possible via the website (www.animago.com) and at the digital creation days until 18.00 hours on the day of the presentation.
The prizewinners were announced at the evening event and were able to receive the coveted animago trophies there. During the two-hour awards ceremony, the leading competition entries from all categories were presented to visitors in an impressive large-screen video presentation.
The animago AWARD “Honorary Award” went to Bully Herbig for his services to the German animation and visual-effects industry. Through the consistent use of digital effects and CG animation technology produced in Germany in cinema productions from “Manitou’s Shoe” through “(T)Raumschiff Surprise” to “Lissi and the Wild Emperor,” he not only enhanced his films visually and narratively, but also demonstrated the creativity and international competitiveness of artists working in this country. Bully thanked the viewers by video message; the award was handed over in trust to Thomas Zauner, Managing Director of CA Scanline.
animago AWARD 2007 – the main prizewinners
animago AWARD – Best Production:
Production: “Codehunters”
Category: Short film
Artists: Axis Animation, Scotland
Client: MTV Asia
Primary 3D software: Lightwave, Maya, Modo
Codehunters tells the story of four heroes: Shen, Lawan, Zom and Nhi, who have joined forces to face corrupt gangs, bought cops, destructive monsters and the tyrannical Khann in the port city of Lhek. Codehunters is set in the near future and is a mixture of Eastern anime and Western animation technology.
animago AWARD – Best University Production:
Production: “Making of”
Category: Short film
Artists: premium films, France
Primary 3D software: 3ds Max
Making of is a humorous foray through the world of a film production. The French team shows the rise and fall of a likeable dragon that gets caught in the mills of the film dream factory.
animago AWARD – Best Technical Realization:
Production: “Audi Vorsprungsgen”
Category: Image & industrial film
Artists: LIGA_01 COMPUTER FILM GmbH, Germany
Primary 3D software: Softimage|XSI
In 48 shots and five minutes of HD production, the widest variety of tasks had to be fulfilled. In addition to classic compositing, various cars were rebuilt, different transitions between the worlds created, a microscopic gene world created and in some cases entire shots solved in 3D.
animago AWARD – Best Idea:
Production: “Moe & Les”
Category: Short film
Artists: Ringling School of Art and Design, USA
Primary 3D software: Maya
The conjoined twin monsters Moe and Les receive an invitation to a party. However, it applies only to Les. They slip into different and crazy disguises in order to be admitted together.
animago AWARD – Best Character:
Production: “Silhouettes”
Category: Short film
Artists: premium films, France
Primary 3D software: 3ds Max
Silhouettes tells the breathtaking story of a love between two circus artists. The animation is so fine and lifelike that the boundary between reality and fiction becomes increasingly blurred.
animago AWARD – Best Visualization:
Production: “Building Europe”
Category: Image & industrial film
Artists: Optix Digital Pictures GmbH, Germany
Client: STRABAG
Primary 3D software: Maya, Softimage|XSI
This image and industrial film impressively demonstrates the complexity of modern 3D animation software. Entire buildings and stadiums through to complete cities emerge from nothing and allow a view of the scenery even before the first ground has been broken.
animago AWARD – Best Commercial:
Production: “Snickers Race & Robots”
Category: Film/Advertising
Artists: Unexpected Postproduction GmbH, Germany
Client: BBDO Moscow, Masterfood Russia
Primary 3D software: 3ds Max
Young people who regard the big city as their playground and have a REAL play-scrap-yard for their football game are the basic idea behind the gliders and robots of the Snickers campaign for Russia.
animago AWARD – Best Interactive Production:
Production: “Adidas Originals”
Category: Interactive/Visualization
Artists: Effekt-Etage, Germany
Client: Neue Digitale
Primary 3D software: CINEMA 4D
Origami (Japanese, ori = fold and kami = paper) is an ancient Japanese art of paper folding. For the new Adidas Originals Online Special, Effekt-Etage transported the traditional art into the modern age and practiced 3D origami. The result is folding and transforming rooms that present the new fashion in a beautiful way.
animago AWARD – Best Still:
Production: “Here’s Johnny!”
Category: Still/Life & Environment
Artists: Daniel Karner, Germany
Primary 3D software: 3ds Max
A homage to Stanley Kubrick’s “Shining.” However, the image is not a plagiarism of an original scene or an original set from the film, but an independent scene.
animago AWARD – Jury Prize:
Production: “My Happy End”
Category: Short film (Alternative Techniques)
Artists: Milen Vitanov, Germany
Primary 3D software: Maya
The technique used in the film is a mix of hand-painted animation on paper, stop motion and 3D computer animation. It is a homage to traditional stop-motion animation.
animago AUDIENCE AWARD 2007 – the audience award of the animago AWARD
The animago AUDIENCE AWARD created particular suspense this year. Visitors to the digital creation days and users of the DIGITAL PRODUCTION website were called upon to determine the best international cinema production from five nominated productions.
animago AUDIENCE AWARD 2007 – the winner
Production: “Ratatouille”
Category: Film
Artists: Pixar Animation Studio
Primary 3D software: Marionette
Pixar is setting new standards in the 3D field. In particular, the fur of the animal main characters puts everything seen before in the shade.
