'The Duchess' was enhanced by the talent of guild artists.
Every awards season, in the period bracketed by the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards (this year extending from Jan. 11 to Feb. 22), members of the jeans, T-shirt and ballcap crowd don tuxes and evening gowns and head for swank hotels and other upscale venues to watch their peers get their due honors.
And the ones who are deserving and lucky may receive an award or two themselves.
For this is the time of year when the industry's sundry guilds and professional societies recognize their hard-working members.
Between now and Oscar night, no less than seven such orgs will mount their annual gala extravaganzas (see the tip sheets on these pages). And in each case, in addition to announcements of the winners, awaited with some suspense, those guilds will bestow pre-announced kudos sporting such names as lifetime achievement, outstanding contribution, president's award -- all accolades that fit the accomplishments of the honorees.
A noteworthy side benefit is a happy mixing of the above-the-line and below-the-line communities. For example, at the Art Directors Guild kudofest, George Lucas will rub shoulders with production designers, art directors and set decorators. Other above-the-liners being honored at this season's guild shows include Paul Mazursky, Christopher Nolan, Michael Douglas and James Burrows.
All of which makes for fertile ground for networking with peers and potential employers alike -- which is, after all, what motivates some people to attend these kudofests. In the peripatetic showbiz community, your next job is often determined by who you know, by who you spoke with recently, and by generally being in the loop. That's why going to the awards shows means a lot more than putting on fancy duds and feasting on hotel food.
For many, especially in this economy, it can make the difference between work and unemployment.
Art Directors Guild
Tip Sheet
What: 13th Art Directors Guild (ADG) Awards
When: Saturday
Where: Beverly Hilton, BevHills
Website: artdirectors.org
Honorees
Lifetime Achievement: Paul Sylbert
Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery: George Lucas
Cinema Audio Society
Tip Sheet
What: 45th Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Awards
When: Saturday
Where: Millennium Biltmore, Los Angeles
Website: cinemaaudiosociety.org
Honorees
Career Achievement: Dennis Maitland
Filmmaker award: Paul Mazursky
Visual Effects Society
Tip Sheet
What: 7th Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards
When: Feb. 21
Where: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles
Website: visualeffectssociety.com
Honorees
George Melies Award for Artistic Excellence: Phil Tippett
Lifetime Achievement: Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall
Society of Camera Operators
Tip Sheet
What: Society of Camera Operators (SOC) Awards
When: Feb. 21
Where: Goldenson Theater, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Los Angeles
Website: soc.org
Honorees
Lifetime Achievement: Michael Scott, Bob Hall, Al Cerullo, Ralph Nelson, Nelson Tyler
President's Award: Larry Mole Parker
Technical Achievement: George Paddock, Douglas Trumbull
Contact Peter Caranicas at
peter.caranicas@variety.com