Upping the recognition and honors for visual effects professionals, the Visual Effects Society kicked off its first annual awards ceremony Wednesday, February 19, 2003 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS led the night with eight film awards while DINOTOPIA garnered four for television. Character animation was highlighted with awards given in television, animated and live-action features. The more than 350 attendees from visual effects and post-production houses looked to the astral stars with a special presentation by astronaut Colonel Rick Searfoss, who flew three space shuttle missions and helped train the Columbia crew. The influence of space travel movies was reflected in the design of the trophy, a gold moon with a telescopic eye. The VES (www.visualeffects society.com) is an organization comprised of visual effects professionals who desire to honor, advance and promote visual effects for its membership and the industry as a whole. Following a black-tie dinner in the Ahmanson Ballroom, awards were given out in 20 categories covering television, commercials, music videos and feature films. Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc., was the exclusive technology sponsor of the VES Awards. Will these be a precursor to the Academy Awards for visual effects coming soon in March? The winners, in the order in which they were presented, are:



Best Visual Effects in a Commercial

XBOX "Mosquito" - William Bartlett, Andrew Daffy, Jake Mengers, Helen Mackenzie



Best Character Animation in a Live Action Televised Program, Music Video, or Commercial

DINOTOPIA - Michael Eames, Quentin Miles, Dadi Einarsson, Ben White



Best Matte Painting in a Motion Picture

STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES - Paul Huston, Yusei Uesugi, Jonathan Harb



Best Matte Painting in a Televised Program, Music Video, or Commercial

DINOTOPIA - Daren Horley, Jason Horley, Craig Lyn, Martin McRae



Best Special Effects in a Motion Picture

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Steve Ingram, Blair Foord, Rich Cordobes, Scott Harens



Best Visual Effects in a Music Video

"So to Speak" - Andrew Honacker, Steven Wagner, Sean Capone, Talon Nightshade



Best Effects Art Direction in a Televised Program, Music Video, or Commercial

Adidas "Mechanical Legs" - Eric Barba, Bernd Angerer, Jeff Julian, Feli di Giorgio



Best Effects Art Direction in a Motion Picture

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Alan Lee, Jeremy Bennett, Christian Rivers, Gino Acevedo



BEST VISUAL EFFECTS PHOTOGRAPHY IN A MOTION PICTURE

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Alex Funke, Bran Van’t Hul, Richard Bluck



Best Visual Effects in a Television Series

FIREFLY "Serenity" pilot - Emile Smith, Rocco Passionino, Loni Peristere, Kristen Branan



Best Models and Miniatures in a Televised Program, Music Video, or Commercial

Enterprise "Dead Stop" - John Teska, Koji Kuramura, Pierre Drolet, Sean Scott



Best Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Richard Taylor, Paul Van Ommen, Matt Aitken



Best Visual Effects in a Television Miniseries, Movie, or a Special

DINOTOPIA - Mike McGee, Time Webber, Alec Knox, Ben Morris



Best Performance by an Actor in an Effects Film

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin



Best Character Animation in an Animated Motion Picture

STUART LITTLE 2 - Tony Bancroft, David Schaub, Eric Armstrong, Sean Mullen



Best Character Animation in a Live Action Motion Picture

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Ken McGaugh, Bay Raitt



Best Compositing in a Televised Program, Music Video, or Commercial

DINOTOPIA - Christian Manz, Pedro Sabrosa, Nicolas Cotta, Tor Bjorn