RTS Craft and Design Awards winners revealed

Costume Design – Drama

Amy Roberts

Cilla (ITV Studios/GroupM Entertainment for ITV)

“In the jury’s view, rather than just create a narrow representation of a particular year, the imaginative approach to the costumes created a vibrant and engaging portrayal of an entire post war period and very effectively supported the growth and development of the central character.”

Nominees:

• Daiva Petrulytė, The Eichmann Show (Feelgood Fiction for BBC2)
• Marianne Agertoft, Poldark (Mammoth Screen for BBC1)

Costume Design – Entertainment & Non Drama Productions

Vicky Gill

Strictly Come Dancing (BBC Productions for BBC1)

“Crucial in helping the various celebrities develop as both dancers and performers, the jury recognised the enormous difficulties and technical achievement of the costume design and its role in creating the essence of the show itself.”

Nominees:

• Heather MacVean, The Keith Lemon Sketch Show (Talkback for ITV2)
• Sarah Ryan, Raised By Wolves - Series 1 (Big Talk Productions for Channel 4)

Production Design – Drama

David Roger

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Cuba Pictures/Feel Films for BBC1)

“One of the most extraordinary design achievements in recent years, literally creating doorways and portals into a parallel world of strange and terrible beauty.”

Nominees:

• Lisa Hall, Cilla (ITV Studios/GroupM Entertainment for ITV)
• Helen Scott, The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies (Carnival Film & Television for ITV)

Production Design – Entertainment & Non Drama Productions

Lucy Fyfe

The Keith Lemon Sketch Show (Talkback, part of FremantleMediaUK for ITV2)

“The design triumphantly achieved a very large number of varied and often uncannily accurate looks that helped the comedy create its sparky and off-beat parodies.”

Nominees:

• Dom Clasby & Stephen Bryce, Back in Time for Dinner (Wall to Wall for BBC2)
• Brian Sykes, Nurse (BBC Comedy/Down The Line Productions for BBC2)

Effects – Special

Pauline Fowler, Nik Williams, Samantha Ives & Mary Hanrahan (Animated Extras International)

Fortitude (Fifty Fathoms/Tiger Aspect Productions for Sky Atlantic)

“The jury loved this show, not only for the quality of its special effects, but also for their execution, skill and variety. The show relied, at key moments, on its technicians to deliver a believable and impactful story, which they did with great aplomb.”

Nominees:

• Millennium FX, Critical – Series 1 (Hat Trick Productions for Sky 1)
• Steve Griffin, Dave Arrowsmith & Marek Ruth, The Musketeers (Ravine Tunnel Sequence) (BBC Drama North for BBC1)

Effects – Digital

Ed Bruce, Alan Collins & Nicholas Murphy (Screen Scene VFX)

Ripper Street – Whitechapel Terminus (Tiger Aspect Films for Amazon Prime for BBC1)

“The jury commended this show for its detailed, intricate and complex digital recreation, which successfully complimented the action and drama of the sequence.”

Nominees:

• Tanvir Hanif & Paul Senior, Cilla (ITV Studios/GroupM Entertainment for ITV)
• Milk VFX, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Feel Films for BBC1)

Effects – Picture Enhancement

Dan Coles

The Eichmann Show (Feelgood Fiction for BBC2)

“The jury thought that the picture enhancement was outstanding, implemented with great skill and sensitivity complimenting the mood and atmosphere of this powerful docu-drama.”

Nominees:

• Aidan Farrell, Indian Summers (New Productions for Channel 4)
• Aidan Farrell, Remember Me (Mammoth Screen for BBC1)

Make-Up Design – Drama

Jacqueline Fowler

Poldark (Mammoth Screen for BBC1)

“Rugged, real and capturing the energy and vibrancy of the piece, the extraordinary attention to detail contributed hugely to the success of the entire production.”

Nominees:

• Natalie Pateman, Tina Brown, Jessica Wenden & Liz Philips, Critical – Series 1 (Hat Trick Productions for Sky1)
• Lesley Brennan, The C-Word (BBC Drama Production London for BBC1)

Make-Up Design – Entertainment & Non Drama Productions

Vanessa White & Neill Gorton

Nurse (BBC Comedy/Down The Line Productions for BBC2)

“Balancing the comedy elements against the poignancy of the characterisation, the jury was impressed by the high level of creativity and technical achievement.”

Nominees:

• Emma Leon, Reza Karim & Rob Mayor, The Keith Lemon Sketch Show (Talkback for ITV2)
• Lisa Armstrong & Neale Pirie, Strictly Come Dancing (BBC Productions for BBC1)

Music – Original Score

Samuel Sim

Home Fires (ITV Studios/Masterpiece for ITV)

“The winning composer integrates the voices at the heart of the World War II series’ theme into an evocative and always human underscore.”

Nominees:

• Will Gregory, Pets – Wild At Heart (John Downer Productions for BBC1)
• Kevin Sargent, Mapp And Lucia (BBC Productions for BBC1)

Music – Original Title

Samuel Sim

Home Fires (ITV Studios/Masterpiece for ITV)

“The winner has found a fresh and supremely effective perspective on familiar territory by literally giving voice to the women in this World War II drama.”

Nominees:

• Vince Pope, No Offence (Abbottvision for Channel 4)
• Tim Phillips, Agatha Christie’s Partners In Crime (Endor Productions/Agatha Christie Productions for BBC1)

Sound – Drama

Sound Team

Fortitude (Fifty Fathoms/Tiger Aspect Productions for Sky Atlantic)

“The judges felt this drama quite simply achieved ‘movie sound’ on television. The soundscape created a world that the viewer utterly believed in but never felt as if it took over from the drama in any way. It was well judged to enhance the scale and impact of the drama itself.”

Nominees:

• Sound Team, Wolf Hall (Company Pictures/Playground Entertainment for BBC2)
• Jim Goddard, Stuart Hilliker, Dan Green & Alastair Widgery, Black Mirror: White Christmas (Zeppotron for Channel 4)

Sound – Entertainment & Non Drama Productions

Kate Hopkins, Tim Owens, Will Slater & Graham Wild

Shark (BBC Natural History Unit for BBC1)

“Quite simply this piece was considered stunning. With a level of detail that was awe inspiring. What was additionally brilliant was that the resulting soundscape was never relentless, even when it was slightly heightened it was perfectly judged.”

Nominees:

• Mike Hatch, Matt Skilton & Tony Burke, LA Traviata: Love, Death And Divas (Reef TV for BBC2)
• Nick Fry, David Runciman & Oscar Bloomfield-Crowe, The 7/7 Bombing Survivors’ Stories (STV Productions for ITV)

Lighting for Multicamera

Chris Rigby

Later With Jools Holland – Series 45, Episode 6 (BBC Productions for BBC2)

“Outstanding work which skilfully produced a stimulating viewer experience.”

Nominees:

• Lighting Team, Coronation Street: Victoria Court Fire (Coronation Street Productions for ITV)
• Bernie Davis, VE Day 70: The Nation Remembers (BBC Events Production for BBC1)

Multicamera Work

Tom Parr, James Abadi & Camera Team

Release The Hounds – Series 1 (Gogglebox Entertainment for ITV2)

“The mood was set skilfully to create a truly exhilarating viewer experience.”

Nominees:

• Camera Team, VJ Day 70: The Nation Remembers (BBC Events Production for BBC1)
• Chris Howe, Alan Carr Chatty Man – Series 13/14 (Open Mike Productions for Channel 4)

Multicamera Work – Sport

Simon Wheeler

Indian Premier League (IMG Productions for Sky Sports)

“Outstanding initiative in harsh conditions, produced a slick and exciting viewer experience.”

Nominee:

• Paul Davies & Matthew Griffiths, Six Nations 2015: The Final Day (BBC Sport for BBC1)

Design – Programme Content Sequences

Richard Gort, Julian Gibbs, Jon Gout & Craig Herd

Sports Personality of the Year 2014 - Lewis Hamilton Contender Film (BBC Sport/Intro/Karma Crew for BBC1)

“For sheer attention to detail and beauty this sequence stood out, jurors called it ‘amazing’.”

Nominees:

• John Durrant, Paul Greer, Steve Burrell & Hugh Cowling, War of Words (Burrell Durrant Hifle for BBC2)
• Grant Hewett, Howard Jones, Ste Dalton & Joe Thornley-Heard, Doctor Who – Series 8 ‘Flatline’ (BBC Wales for BBC1)

Design – Trails & Packaging

4Creative & ManvsMachine

Film4 Idents (4Creative/Man vs Machine for Film4)

“The jury agreed these were very creative trails which captured and provoked the imagination.”

Nominees:

• 4Creative, Humans (4Creative for Channel 4)
• 4Creative, Grand National 2015 (4Creative/Nexus for Channel 4 Design)

Titles

Momoco

Humans (Kudos for Channel 4/AMC)

“The storytelling set up the proposition in a creative and compelling manner, using genuine cultural references to take us seamlessly into the near future.”

Nominees:

• Momoco, Nic Benns, Miki Kato, Andrea Braga & Peter Tomaszewicz, Fortitude (Fifty Fathoms/Tiger Aspect Productions for Sky Atlantic)
• Peter Anderson Studios, Agatha Christies Partners In Crime (Endor Productions/Agatha Christie Productions for BBC1)

Director – Fiction

Julian Farino

Marvellous (Fifty Fathoms/Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC2)

“The director brought both fictional and real versions of the same character to our screens as if it was the most natural thing in the world. A bitter sweet, but ultimately heart-warming story where the characters and overarching human positivity were the stars of the show. The piece was grounded yet inspirational, a joy to judge.”

Nominees:

• Alice Troughton, Cucumber (Red Production Company for Channel 4)
• Paul Andrew Williams, The Eichmann Show (Feelgood Fiction for BBC2)

Director – Non-Fiction

Colette Camden

What Do Artists Do All Day? Sue Webster (BBC Arts for BBC4)

“Beautifully shot and constructed as well as a great example of wonderful storytelling.”

Nominees:

• Edward Watts, Escape From Isis (ITN Productions/Ronachan Films for Channel 4)
• Dan Edge, Outbreak: The Truth About Ebola (Mongoose Pictures/Quicksilver Media for BBC2)

Photography – Documentary/Factual & Non Drama Productions

Brendan McGinty

Secret Life of Twins (Oxford Scientific Films for ITV)

“Intimate, innovative - extraordinary. The jury was impressed by the relationship throughout between the photography and the story - not the triumph of style over content, but a case of the photography enhancing the audience’s understanding.”

Nominees:

• Camera Team, Pets – Wild At Heart (John Downer Productions for BBC1)
• James Newton, The Detectives (Minnow Films for BBC2)

Photography – Drama

Mike Eley

The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies (Carnival Film & Television for ITV)

“The jury felt the photography emotionally reflected the journey of the central character. We were inside his head thanks to the outstanding camerawork, adding another engrossing layer to this moving and powerful story.”

Nominees:

• Gavin Finney, Wolf Hall (Company Pictures for BBC2)
• Simon Dennis, Peaky Blinders – Series 2 (Caryn Mandaback/Tiger Aspect for BBC2)

Editing – Documentary & Factual

Todd Downing

Welcome To Mayfair (CTVC for BBC2)

“Impressive editing and storytelling, allowed viewers to get to know the characters without being told what to think about them. A thoughtful and unrushed pace.”

Nominees:

• Stuart Napier & Imogen Pollard, Pets – Wild At Heart (John Downer Productions for BBC1)
• Rupert Houseman, The Detectives (Minnow Films for BBC2)

Editing – Drama

Paulo Pandolpho

Cucumber (Red Production Company for Channel 4)

“The editing quite clearly was one of the stars of an incredibly brave piece of television. Outstanding visceral storytelling where the skill of the editor was key.”

Nominees:

• David Blackmore, Wolf Hall (Company Pictures/Playground Entertainment for BBC2)
• Elen Pierce Lewis, Marvellous (Fifty Fathoms/Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC2)

Editing – Sport

Editing Team

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2014 (BBC Sport for BBC1)

“The levels of craft and skill on show were exceptional with perfectly judged edits and original sound design.

“The result was a set of visually stunning films with clever storytelling at their heart. Some of the ideas were brave but accomplished editing and production realised lofty ambitions.”

Nominees:

• Tim Boyd & Robin Nurse, F1 2014 End of Season Closing Montage (BBC Sport for BBC1)
• BBC Production Team & The Farm North Post Production, FA Cup Final (BBC Sport for BBC1)

Editing – Entertainment & Situation Comedy

Robin Hill

W1A (BBC Comedy Productions London for BBC2)

“The jury all agreed that this programme is very well edited. The jokes land well, and also strong emotional moments appear effortless. The editor gives us a consistent, very enjoyable tone.”

Nominees:

• William Webb & Pete Drinkwater, Raised By Wolves – Series 1 (Big Talk Productions for Channel 4)
• Mark Henson & Steven Ackroyd, Cockroaches – Series 1 (Big Talk Productions for ITV2)

Design & Craft Innovation

Pets – Wild At Heart Production Team

(John Downer Productions for BBC1)

“This year the judges have awarded the RTS Design & Craft Innovation Award to a series on pets that was anything but domestic in terms of its visual flair and technical wizardry.

“We witnessed how our favourite pets stay in touch with their wild side – from talkative budgies and marathon-running hamsters to wall-climbing cats and an island where rabbits rule – this was an eye-popping series filled with innovative photography and scientific revelation.

“The animals were shot on a huge variety of different camera systems – including high speed, infrared, ultraviolet, fluoroscopy, remote and on board cameras, periscope and underwater filming and even Schlieren photography.

“For the Schlieren sequences the camera systems were built from scratch using an astronomical optical mirror and precision interrupted light sources.

“Although this technique dates back 150 years it is rarely used today because of its complexity – and as well as being able to show the air currents around a budgie’s wings it also uniquely demonstrated the complex counter flow of air as it enters a dogs nose.

“And for the hamster x-ray sequence – fluoroscopy had to be combined with conventional photography of the same scene to allow fascinating access to a hamster as it filled its cheeks with nuts.

“Despite such varied ways of gathering images, each one had to complement the other to retain consistency across the series and all the astonishing images were captured in-camera rather than created by CG.

“The exhilarating photography was complemented with editing that seamlessly integrated each engaging animal narrative with revelatory science – and the music avoided suggesting the standard cute and cuddly to both promote comedy and celebrate the geographical location of the animals involved.

“The breadth of different production techniques lent an epic lens to the ordinary and the familiar and the production team pushed boundaries to create revelatory images that have never been seen before.”

Judges’ Award

Wolf Hall Production Team

(Company Pictures/Playground Entertainment for BBC2)

“This year’s winner of the Judges Award has mesmerised viewers with a potent combination of powerful onscreen performances, masterful direction, finely rendered photography, music, digital effects, and exquisite sound, make-up, costume and production design.

“Chronicling the life of Thomas Cromwell and based on the books by Hilary Mantel, the winning drama adopted a bold production stance by filming solely in authentic period locations, using a largely handheld camera, often capturing performance in one long continuous take and famously creating shimmering and atmospheric night scenes by using natural light from beeswax candles.

“As the narrative tension took hold we witnessed a progression of contrast and more powerful camera angles as Cromwell himself becomes increasingly dangerous to those around him.

“The sophisticated soundscape moved seamlessly between objective and subjective states to enhance the sense of Cromwell’s very personal response to well documented historical events.

“Skilled editing supported the highly complex narrative timelines and the raw vibrant musical score underlined the moral ambiguity that is at the heart of the original novel.

“Subtle use of digital effects was employed in every location to seamlessly remove every vestige of modern life and finely researched make-up and costume design added authentic period detail to every frame of the series.

“Director Peter Kosminsky and DoP Gavin Finney embraced the darkness of the times and with unerring confidence slowly unfurled this captivating political intrigue in a series of beautiful and bejewelled scenes reminiscent of Vermeer and Rembrandt.

“In the true spirit of the Craft & Design Awards the attention to detail in every aspect of production was immaculate and the jury felt this drama was highly creative, distinctive and a demonstration of expert craft skills across all production disciplines.”

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dennis De Groot, production designer

“It is always a pleasure to present an award to an industry practitioner who has excelled in a particular field and this years’ winner is no exception.

“His production credits stretch back over 36 years when he started work in the model and optical effects departments on classic comedy films The Life of Brian and Time Bandits.

“He was evidently badly bitten by the comedy bug as he then proceeded to quickly establish himself as the go to production designer on many of TV’s most successful and revered sitcoms, entertainment shows and comedy dramas.

“From Alan Partridge, through French and Saunders, Black Books, Jam, Little Britain, That Mitchell and Webb Look, A Young Doctors Notebook, The IT Crowd and Bad Education – to name just a few titles in his extraordinary canon of work.

“Our winner has demonstrated his knack of complementing demanding and complex sitcoms and sketch shows with inspired and inventive sets and witty design solutions – and it is no surprise that he is sought after time and time again by the best writers, producers and performers in the comedy fraternity.

Nira Park worked with him on Black Books. She says: ‘Dennis has a profound understanding of comedy.

“He is able to get inside the heads of the writers and directors he works with and help them pull off set pieces that many others might say are not possible. His imagination and creativity are inspiring.’