Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis Win Ringling’s 8th Student Academy Award

    Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis Win Ringling’s 8th Student Academy Award
    June 13, 2011 - Ringling College alumni Avner Geller ('11, Computer Animation) and Stevie Lewis (’11 Computer Animation) were awarded a Student Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their senior thesis animation, Defective Detective.

    Student nominees were hosted in Los Angeles for a week of industry-related activities and social events that concluded with the awards ceremony on Saturday, June 11, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

    Click here to watch Defective Detective

    Ringling Student Academy Award winners include:

    2011 – Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis – Defective Detective

    Avner Geller – employed at Pixar

    Stevie Lewis – employed at DreamWorks

    2010 – Jennifer Bors – Departure of Love

    Employed at Sony Imageworks

    Film credits: Arthur Christmas (in production)

    2008 - Evan Mayfield - The Visionary

    Employed at Walt Disney Animation

    Film credits: Planes (in production), The Great Fairy Rescue; G-Force

    2007 - Bevin Carnes - A Leg Up

    Employed at Blur Studio. Formerly employed at Walt Disney Animation and Blue Sky.

    Film credits: Bolt; Ice Age 3

    2006 - Meng Vue - The Dancing Thief

    Employed at Sony Computer Entertainment America. Formerly employed at EA.

    Game credits: “Gods of War III”; “Marvel Fighting Game”

    2005 - Josh Beveridge - Things That Go Bump in the Night

    Employed at Sony Imageworks.

    Film credits: Alice in Wonderland; Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs; Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Surf’s Up; I Am Legend

    2002 - Don Phillips, Jr. - Passing Moments

    Owner, Don Phillips Jr. Animation and Illustration

    Clients include LucasArts, EA, NCsoft, Pottery Barn, History Channel.

    1998 – Peter Choe, Jeff Baker, Neal Nellans, Dominick Cecere and James Hill -  Jataka

    Peter Choe – Employed at Trilogy Studios; formerly employed at EA.

    Game credits: “Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II”; “Medal of Honor: Rising Sun”, Medal of Honor: Spearhead”, “Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault”, “Day Breaker”

    Jeff Baker – Employed at Weta Digital (New Zealand)

     Film credits: Avatar; Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (in production); Planet of the Apes: Rise of the Apes (in production), The Hobbit (in production).

    Neal Nellans – Founder and CEO, Tiny Utopia Interactive Studios (Paris); formerly employed at EA, DreamWorks, Rhythm & Hues.

    Dominick Cecere – Employed at Microsoft Game Studios; formerly employed at Sony Imageworks, Digital Domain.

    Film credits: G-Force, Spider-Man 3, G.I. Joe, Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Open Season

    James Hill – freelance artist/muralist (Charleston, S.C.)