Emmy Nomination for ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’
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Image Engine is thrilled to announce visual effects supervisor Thomas Schelesny has been nominated for an Emmy Award for exceptional visual effects in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Image Engine, a Vancouver-based visual effects studio renowned for its work on feature films and television, is thrilled to announce that Thomas Schelesny, visual effects supervisor, has been nominated for a 2024 Emmy Award in the category of ‘Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie’ for the exceptional VFX work on the Netflix live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. This prestigious nomination is a testament to the studio’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of visual effects.
In this groundbreaking series, Image Engine contributed to 309 visual effects shots, bringing to life the bending abilities of the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads—key elements of the beloved Avatar universe. The studio’s work also included the creation of jennamite crystals and detailed environments for Kyoshi Island. This significant contribution helped reimagine Aang’s epic quest to save a world at war, delivering stunning visual effects that captured the essence of the show’s legendary story.
“I’m beyond thrilled to see our hard work and dedication recognized by the Academy,” said Thomas Schelesny. “To have our work placed among the best in the industry by professionals who understand the intricacies of visual effects is a genuine endorsement. This nomination is a testament to the artistry and technical expertise that goes into creating these shots. Thank you to the entire Image Engine team for their hard work and creativity in bringing the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender to life with authenticity and innovation.”
Thomas Schelesny is a visual effects supervisor with a career spanning over three decades. His extensive career includes notable projects at Image Engine such as 3 Body Problem, Moon Knight, Swan Song, Project Power, and Game of Thrones seasons 7 & 8. Previously, he has won two Emmy Awards, two HPA Awards, and one VES Award for Game of Thrones seasons 4 and 8.
Shawn Walsh, general manager at Image Engine and Cinesite Group Chief Operating Officer VFX, expressed enthusiasm about the recognition: “This nomination highlights the incredible talent and dedication at Image Engine. Working with Jabbar and his team was a blast. It’s an honour to be acknowledged for our work on such a beloved series.”
Tyler Weiss, visual effects producer, added, “This Emmy nomination is a massive achievement. A huge thank you and congratulations to Thomas and every one of the 225 crew members involved in this project for their hard work and dedication. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immense effort from everyone involved.”
Additionally, Image Engine contributed to the visual effects for Netflix’s 3 Body Problem, which received six Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Cinematography, as well as Star Wars’ Ahsoka, which received five Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Visual Effects. The studio is honoured to have contributed to the success of both of these shows.
Across its partner studios, Cinesite received an Emmy nomination for HBO’s True Detective: Night Country and Trixter was nominated for Marvel Studios’ Loki. These nominations are a testament to the hard work, creativity, and talent across the global Cinesite Group.
Image Engine relies on strong business partners to provide the expertise and tools necessary for award-winning work, and they found an ideal partner in Clutch Media. As a division of Clutch Solutions, Clutch Media focuses on integrating and reselling IT solutions and professional services specifically for the media and entertainment industry. Committed to advancing media productions and supporting content owners with cutting-edge security and technology solutions, Clutch Media was able to recommend technology that contributed to the Emmy nomination.
The Emmy winners will be announced at the 76th Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony on September 7 and 8, 2024 in Los Angeles. Image Engine extends its congratulations to all the nominees and looks forward to celebrating the industry’s achievements.
For more information, visit the Avatar: The Last Airbender project page.
Photos from the Emmy Awards Gala 2024
About Image Engine
Image Engine is a world-class visual effects studio for feature films and television located in Vancouver, BC. Since 1995, our studio has captivated audiences with stunning photoreal visual effects of fantastical creatures and epic environments. Well-known for our groundbreaking alien animations in Neill Blomkamp’s critically-acclaimed film District 9, we have gone on to produce more award-winning work in The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, Game Of Thrones, Lost in Space, Jurassic World, Elysium, and more.
