The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is the true story of how Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore) raised ten children on twenty-five words or less by winning a succession of jingle-writing contests. For this film, Imageworks artists, led by visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal (Men in Black, Matchstick Men, 50 First Dates), were asked to create both invisible and visible effects that blended seamlessly with the visual style of the 1950s world brought to life by director Jane Anderson.

Visual effects you won't notice include a completely computer generated aging process that allowed Julianne Moore to appear elderly without the hindrance of prosthetic make-up; a series of animated matte paintings which take you through the change of seasons; and the subtle smudges on the glass front of the family's period television set that change from scene to scene.

Visible effects that enhance the storytelling include a 1950's stylized 3d letter ride from our heroine's home to a 2.5d version of New York City; a group of 50's back up singers dancing on a closet shelf; and a "passage of time" scene created by combining multiple layers of live action footage, animated graphics, and matte paintings combined with 2d and 3d elements.

Director: Jane Anderson
Producer: Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis
Studio: DreamWorks SKG