MAM
DNEG wins its fifth VFX Oscar – second consecutive win
MUMBAI: DNEG, Prime Focus’ creative services arm, was recognized at the Oscar’s in Los Angeles for the work on First Man with a 5th Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
This is DNEG’s second consecutive VFX Oscar, with Paul Lambert winning the award last year as VFX Supervisor on director Dennis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, and it means DNEG has now received the Best VFX OSCAR for four out of the last five years. DNEG’s Academy Award-winning VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert and DNEG DFX Supervisor Tristan Myles accepted the award for ‘Best Visual Effects’ for their outstanding in-camera FX work on First Man, alongside Miniature Effects Supervisor Ian Hunter, and Special Effects Supervisor J.D. Schwalm.
DNEG won its first VFX OSCAR in 2011 for work on director Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending thriller Inception. This was followed by another collaboration with Nolan on the sci-fi blockbuster Interstellar, which won in 2015. In 2016, DNEG accepted the VFX OSCAR for work on Alex Garland’s directorial debut Ex Machina, followed by Blade Runner 2049 last year.
Speaking about the award, VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert said: “It’s such a great honour to have won this wonderful award. We did things a little bit differently in terms of the visual effects for First Man so being recognised by the Academy is all the more special. It goes without saying that none of this would have been possible without our amazing cast and crew throughout the project – pre-production, the shoot and everybody in post — All of us led by the truly inspirational Damien Chazelle.”
“Huge thanks to the producers of the movie: Marty Bowen; Wyck Godfrey; Isaac Klausner and Adam Merims; Universal VFX Heads Jennifer Bell and Bill Tlusty; my VFX Producer Kevin Elam; and a big shout out to Michelle Eisenreich and all my people at DNEG Vancouver. We seem to have done it for the second year running!”
Meanwhile, DFX Supervisor Tristan Myles, said: “Wow! What an achievement to have won this prestigious award! Special ‘Thank You’ to the talented VFX team back home in Vancouver, without whose fantastic work this would not have been possible.”
DNEG CEO, Namit Malhotra, said: “It’s a huge honour for the team’s work on First Man to be recognised with an OSCAR. While our primary focus is always on supporting the amazing storytellers we work with through the creation of state-of-the-art effects, it’s fantastic for our global teams to be recognised by the industry for their hard work and dedication.
“We are massively grateful to the director, Damien Chazelle, for having the confidence in our teams and technology to push the boundaries of visual effects.”
Brands
Oyo parent Prism appoints former Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi to Board
Former market regulator joins Prism to strengthen governance for IPO
NEW DELHI: Prism, the parent entity of Oyo, has appointed former Sebi chairman Ajay Tyagi as an independent director, as the hospitality firm gears up for its planned Rs 6,650 crore initial public offering (IPO).
Tyagi, a 1984-batch IAS officer, served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from 2017 to 2022. His appointment is aimed at strengthening the company’s governance framework and providing strategic oversight as it moves closer to a public listing.
He joins a high-profile board that already includes several prominent names from global business and policy circles. These include Troy Matthew Alstead, former CFO and group president of Starbucks; Aditya Ghosh, co-founder of Akasa Air; Deepa Malik, paralympic athlete and Padma Shri awardee; William Steve Albrecht, professor of accountancy at Utah State University; and Bejul Somaia, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Prism founder Ritesh Agarwal, said Tyagi’s experience in capital markets regulation and public-institution stewardship will be critical as the company scales operations and enhances long-term accountability.
The company recently filed preliminary papers with Sebi to raise Rs 6,650 crore through a confidential route. Market sources estimate its valuation will be in the range of $7 billion to $8 billion.
Over the course of his career, Tyagi has held senior roles in the ministry of finance, where he oversaw investment policy and financial-sector reforms. His induction to the Prism board signals a renewed focus on aligning the company’s internal standards with the stringent requirements of public markets as it advances toward its IPO.
