Epic Games is honored to announce that its experimental collaboration with Weta Digital, Thief in the Shadows, has been nominated in the “Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project” category for the 14th Annual VES Awards. Set in the universe of The Lord of the Rings, VR viewers play the role of a Hobbit thief, trapped in the treasure chamber of Smaug, the enormous dragon who has no intention of giving up his hoard.
“We needed Smaug to deliver the same level of wonder and menace as he does in the films,” said Alasdair Coull, Head of R&D at Weta Digital. “Adjusting our film pipeline to bring Smaug to life in Unreal Engine 4 and the Oculus Rift was a huge technical challenge but one that builds on our experience with real-time technology. The reaction has been overwhelming, and we’re proud to be nominated among some of the best examples of real-time visual effects.”
Thief in Shadows is nominated alongside Halo 5: Guardians, Destiny: The Taken King, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and The Order: 1886. The winner will be announced on February 2.
Visual Effects Society Awards
When: Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Where: Beverly Hills, California
What: The VES Awards recognizes and honors the most outstanding visual effects work of the year and honors the artists who created them. VES is a global professional honorary society and the entertainment industry's only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, technologists, educators, studio executives, producers and more. Tickets to the ceremony can be purchased here.