PDI co-founder and chair of the VES Board of Directors, Carl Rosendahl and his son Kevin celebrate the year’s vfx achievements in high style.

Then they were off and running. Andrew Gordon, accepting for Finding Nemo, “Speaking Whale,” said,” I want to thank my lovely fiancée. I also want to get laid.”

Presenter Rob Legato quipped,” It’s refreshing to know that at least one of us in the visual effects world is getting laid.”

Rygiel, when accepting the final award of the evening, said he wanted to thank the 23,000 people he worked with on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. “Now who’s getting laid tonight!”

The winners were:

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Motion Picture
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Jim Rygiel, Dean Wright, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture
The Last Samurai
Jeffrey A. Okun, Thomas Boland, Bill Mesa, Ray McIntyre Jr.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Television Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Battlestar Galactica
Gary Hutzel, Kristen L. Branan, Emile E. Smith, Lee Stringer

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Television Series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7, Episode #22
Loni Peristere, Patti Gannon, Ronald Thornton, Chris Zapara

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
Johnnie Walker Fish
Murray Butler, William Bartlett, Jake Mengers, Helen Mackenzie

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Music Video
Missy Elliott Pass That Dutch
Jonathan Keeton, Aladino Debert, Andy McKenna, Scott Rader

Best Single Visual Effect of the Year in any Medium
The Matrix Revolutions “Trailer Top Crash”
John Gaeta, Dan Glass, Adrian de Wett, Greg Juby

Outstanding Character Animation in a Live Action Motion Picture
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Steven Hornby, Andy Serkis, Matthias Menz, Greg Butler