The Visual Effects Society (VES) offered its version of the Academy Bake-Off with SHOW AND TELL 2006, all-day Saturday at Skirball Cultural Center. Boasting the largest turnout ever, with 200 participants, more than a dozen presenters and 30 different presentations, many industry luminaries offered in-depth presentations of the nominated works, including John Knoll (STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH), Joe Letteri (KING KONG), Dennis Muren (WAR OF THE WORLDS) and Dean Wright (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE).
As one industry insider noted, It was a good opportunity to see extensive breakdowns[since] experts dont always know what theyre looking at.
Lasting nearly seven-and-a-half hours, some of the highlights included a discussion of practical vs. digital effects, with Ben Morris presentation of the Nut House scene in CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY providing laugher when a clip showed a stuntwoman getting attacked by a real squirrel; the revelation during Pablo Helmans presentation of JARHEAD that nobody knew the scorpions were 3D; Robert Strombergs discussion of digital eye replacement for actress Li Gong in MEMORIES OF A GEISHA as a result of her gray contact lenses shifting around and causing eye irritation; and Camille Celluccis discussion of the complicated CG leg removal and replacement for Kenneth Branagh as FDR in HBOs WARM SPRINGS.
Final voting for all categories will take place between Jan. 25 and Feb. 12.
Winners will be announced at the 4th Annual VES Awards gala on Feb. 15 at the Hollywood Palladium. Academy Award-winning director John Lasseter will receive the VES Georges Méliès Award for Artistic Excellence Award. Jim Morris, Pixar producer, former ILM senior exec and founding chair of the VES, will receive the Board of Directors Award.
A complete list of all the nominees for the 4th Annual Awards follows and is also available on the VES Awards website at www.vesawards.com.
Founded in 1997, the Visual Effects Society (www.visualeffectssociety.com) is a professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences and applications of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community and promoting industry recognition. The VES is the entertainment industrys only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners, including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of about 1,350 global members, the VES strives to enrich and educate its own members and members of the entertainment community at large through a multitude of domestic and international events, screenings and programs.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
