The Visual Effects Society, 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, has announced the nominees for its 1st Annual VES Awards. In addition to expected categories like "Best Special Effects in a Motion Picture" and "Best Character Animation," VES will present awards such as "Best Effects Art Direction," "Best Compositing" and "Best Actor in an Effects Film." LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS dominated most of the film categories, scooping up nine nominations, followed by STAR WARS EPISODE II with 6 nominations. Other films that garnered multiple noms were HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, MINORITY REPORT, DIE ANOTHER DAY, GANGS OF NEW YORK, STUART LITTLE 2 and MEN IN BLACK II. In television and music video, the newly formed Zoic Studios picked up four nominations, two for their work on the now defunct FOX series FIREFLY and two for the Linkin Park music video "Points of Authority." Another big television nominee was DINOTOPIA. Both the miniseries and the subsequent TV series received 6 nominations total. The VES Awards cover categories for motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos. The nominees will appear at the VES member viewing and voting screenings on February 8 and 9, 2003 at the L.A. Film School. Members will have the opportunity to see the nominated work through a variety of presentations, including Q & A and "Before & After" shot discussion, thereby further informing VES voting members about the nominated works. "The Visual Effects Society was started a number of years ago, and since its inception, one of our key objectives has been to create a forum to recognize the work of our colleagues and peers. All of us in the VES are very gratified that the Awards Program has come to fruition, especially in a year when such a great wealth of superb effects work has been produced," stated Jim Morris, VES chair and president of Lucas Digital. The awards will be presented at a black tie dinner event at the Ahmanson Ballroom in the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on February 19, 2003. A full list of nominees can be found here.
