FOUR Bournemouth University graduates have received awards in Hollywood for their work in visual effects.

The Visual Effects Society (VES) awards, held in Beverly Hills, celebrate the best visual effects from artists working on some of Hollywood’s most successful blockbuster films and commercials.

National Centre for Computer Animation alumni (NCCA) Chris McLaughlin, Andrew Lockley, Amir Bazazi and Robert Stipp were awarded for their work on Blade Runner 2049, Dunkirk, Samsung’s Ostrich, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.

Andrew Lockley, who was the winner of the Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature for Dunkirk, said: “It’s really hard to say what my career highlight would be; there are so many amazing things that have happened, particularly since winning the BAFTA and Oscar for Inception.

“Standing at the bar at the Vanity Fair party with Tim Burton standing on my right and Quentin Tarantino on my left and them congratulating me is definitely up there in my top five!”

Amir Bazazi, who was awarded Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial for his work on Samsung’s ostrich advert, now works for Moving Picture Company (MPC), one of the biggest and most successful VFX companies in the world.

Chris McLaughlin won Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature for Blade Runner 2049, while Robert Stipp picked up the award for Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project for his work on Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2.

Chris Williams, head of the computer animation department at BU, said: “Awards season is always an exciting time for staff at the National Centre for Computer Animation, particularly when we hear about BU graduates who have been recognised by the industry on a global platform.”