The 5th Annual VES Awards, presented by the Visual Effects Society (VES), will be held for the first time at the Kodak Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland, on Feb. 11, 2007, with ILMs Dennis Muren receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. The awards ceremony has been previously held at the Hollywood Palladium.
"Last year, we weren't able to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend, so we're very excited to move up to the Grand Ballroom this time. It's a beautiful space, with gorgeous views and fantastic catering. I know it's going to be the best awards show we've ever held," said Eric Roth, exec director of the VES.
VES Awards chairman Jeff Okun, commenting on the selection of Muren for the VES Award for Lifetime Achievement, added, "We're very pleased to be giving Dennis this award. For me and so many of my colleagues, Dennis's body of work stands alone not only because of his ingenuity at solving storytelling points with the use of visual effects but for the amazing and incredible sense of art and taste with which he does it. He is most deserving of this honor."
Muren, who follows George Lucas and Bob Zemeckis as the VES' third honoree for Lifetime Achievement, began his career in 1975 on the first STAR WARS movie. He continued with Industrial Light & Magic when it moved from Los Angeles to the Bay Area and over the next 30 years, became the most honored visual effects artist in history, winning eight Academy Awards for best achievement in visual effects and a ninth Oscar for technical achievement. His Oscar-winning credits include THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RETURN OF THE JEDI, E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, INNERSPACE, THE ABYSS, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY and JURASSIC PARK.
He also earned Oscar nominations for DRAGONSLAYER, YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES, WILLOW, THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE, A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE and most recently, WAR OF THE WORLDS. EQUINOX, Muren's student film, which he directed in 1970, was recently released on DVD (the Criterion Collection) and received an enthusiastic welcome from fans of the cult film. In 1999, Muren became the first visual effects artist to be honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland is the home of the famed Governor's Ball, which follows the Academy Awards telecast each year. The ballroom catering is exclusively handled by Wolfgang Puck.
This year, the VES will give awards in 21 categories, according to Okun. Information will soon be announced regarding rules and procedures, and the timetable for this year's awards submissions.
One of Hollywood's youngest organizations, the VES (www.visualeffectssociety.com) was formed in 1997 in response to the explosive growth in the visual effects industry. It 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 industry's 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 1,400 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.
