Emmy Awards 2023: Recap
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, held this past weekend, was a star-studded event that celebrated the best in television. Among the various categories, visual effects and editing took centre stage, with several notable wins and nominations.
Visual Effects Triumphs
In the realm of visual effects, HBO's The Last of Us emerged victorious, winning the award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie. The accolade was shared by DNEG, WETA, Storm Studios, Distillery VFX, and HBO, a testament to the collaborative effort that went into bringing the post-apocalyptic drama to life.
Barnstorm VFX, meanwhile, received a nomination for their work on AppleTV+'s Ted Lasso. Their use of Mocha Pro for quick rotoscoping and tracking fixes was particularly noteworthy, although specific details about their approach for the final season remain undisclosed.
El Ranchito also made a mark with their work on AppleTV+'s Five Days at Memorial, winning the Emmy in their category.
Editing Excellence
The editing category was equally impressive, with several first-time winners and returning champions. Stephanie Filo, ACE, secured her third Emmy for A Black Lady Sketch Show, while Joanna Naugle, ACE, won for her work on FX's THE BEAR.
Adam Balentine, Nominated VFX Supervisor for Netflix's Shadow and Bone (season 2), discussed the visual effect challenges and how the team used Silhouette for rotoscoping and paint work. Liyana Mansor, a first-time nominee, shared insights into her temp VFX compositing workflow on Disney+'s Andor, using Continuum and Sapphire.
The White Lotus team also shared their experiences, highlighting the value of being on production and the magical moment when music drops perfectly into a scene. The Succession family (not like the Roys!) also opened up about editing with all those moving camera angles, each take being different.
A Recognition of Talent
The Emmy-winning duo behind The Last of Us, Timothy A. Good, ACE, and Emily Mendez, discussed the role of empathy in editing. They shared their secret ingredients that make The Last of Us a gripping watch, emphasizing the importance of understanding and connecting with the characters.
Several nominated editors also expressed their gratitude towards their assistant editors in a two-part series, recognizing the crucial role they play in the editing process.
Looking Ahead
With the Creative Arts Emmy Awards behind us, attention now turns to the main event. The 75th Primetime Emmys will take place live on FOX, Monday, January 15th, at 8 p.m. ET.
For those interested in learning more about Wylie Co.’s pipeline for The Last of Us, further investigation may be required through official interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, or studio case studies that directly discuss their use of Mocha Pro or VFX tools.
Our Art of the Cut series will continue to feature the Emmy Award-winning editors from Netflix's BEEF and other nominees, including Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Moonage Daydream, and SNL. Stay tuned for more insights into the world of television editing and visual effects.
Entertainment and movies-and-tv industries were celebrated at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. The editors of 'A Black Lady Sketch Show' and 'THE BEAR' from the entertainment category, and the visual effects teams of 'The Last of Us', 'Ted Lasso', 'Five Days at Memorial', and others from the movies-and-tv category, were among the winners and nominees.
