Tim McGovern won his last award in October of 2023 –– the Visual Effects Society’s Founders Award for sustained contributions to the art, science or business of visual effects and meritorious service to the Visual Effects Society.

Tim died on March 30, 2024. We will continue to bring to Whisper Pictures what Tim brought –– ferocious energy, generous mentorship and steadfast insistence on the highest creative standards. 

Tim McGovern’s groundbreaking animation and visual effects work has won every award available to imagemakers including five Clios, a Hugo, a Mobius and an Academy Award (for the Skeleton Sequence in Total Recall).

Tim was a founder of Sony Pictures Imageworks and grew the company from 8 to 250 people. He oversaw animation and visual effects work on over 50 films. Four of the artists he hired went on to win Academy Awards of their own.

Tim was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, served as Vice Chair of the board of the Visual Effects Society, was founding co-chair of the VES Awards Committee and was founder and chair of the VES Committee for Outreach to Developing Regions. He holds an honorary PhD from and was on the Advisory Board to the President of the Academy of Art University.