Award Central News

"Pirates" took noms for visual effects in an f/x-driven motion picture and single visual effect of the year (the only pic to grab noms in both of those categories), as well as animated character in a live-action motion picture, created environment in a live-action motion picture, miniatures and models in a motion picture and compositing.

Continuing the VES' history of disagreeing with the Academy's visual effects branch, the other nominees for vfx in an effects-driven motion picture were Warner Bros.' "The Fountain" and Paramount's "Charlotte's Web." Neither made the Academy's list of seven semifinalists that will compete in the annual "bakeoff."

"Casino Royale" and "Superman Returns," both in the Acad bakeoff, were nominated for special effects, which hails work in in-camera practical effects, where visual effects noms usually salute effects created in post.

"Blood Diamond," "Children of Men," "Flags of Our Fathers" and "The Da Vinci Code" will compete in the supporting visual effects category.

"Children of Men," "Poseidon" and "X-Men: The Last Stand" were nommed along with "Pirates" for single visual effect.

"Charlotte's Web" took two noms for top animated character in a live-action film for its eponymous talking spider and for the talking rat Templeton.

"X-Men" and "Superman Returns" did not fare well at the VES. "Superman" drew only the special effects nom and "X-Men" only the nom for single effect.

By contrast, Warner box office bomb "Poseidon" took three noms.

In television, "Battlestar Galactica," "Prehistoric Park" and "Smallville" took noms for visual effects in a series, while "Alias," "Commander-in-Chief" and "ER" took nominations for supporting effects.

Nominees in all categories will present their work Saturday at the Skirball Cultural Center at the Show & Tell, which is free to VES members and $20 for the general public. Voting will take place online between Jan. 22 and Feb. 6.

Winners of the VES Awards will be announced Feb. 11 at the Kodak Grand Ballroom. Also, visual effects pioneer Dennis Muren will receive the VES lifetime achievement award that night.

And the nominees are...

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture
"Charlotte's Web" - Karin Joy, John Berton, Blair Clark, John Dietz
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" - John Knoll, Jill Brooks, Hal Hickel, Charlie Gibson
"The Fountain" - Jeremy Dawson, Dan Schrecker, Mark Soper, Peter Parks

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture
"Blood Diamond" - Jeffrey Okun, Thomas Boland, Tim Crosbie, Neil Greenberg
"Children of Men" - Lucy Killick, Frazer Churchill, Timothy Webber, Paul Corbould
"Flags of Our Fathers" - Michael Owens, Matthew Butler, Bryan Grill, Julian Levi
"The Da Vinci Code" - Barrie Hemsley, Angus Bickerton, Gary Brozenich, Paul Riddle

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special
"Fight Science" - Mat Beck, Kymber Lim, Manny Wong, Jack Matsumomto
"Nightmares and Dreamscapes - Battlegound" - Eric Grenaudier, Sam Nicholson, Mark Spatny, Adalberto Lopez
"The Hogfather - Episode 1" - Oliver Money, Simon Thomas, Kim Stevenson, Stephen Jolley

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series
"Battlestar Galactica" - Episode 303b "Exodus" - Gary Hutzel, Michael Gibson, Alec McClymont, Brenda Campbell
"Prehistoric Park" - Episode 4 - George Roper, Matt Fox, Laurent Hugueniot, Kevin Spruce
"Smallville" - Season 6, Episode 1 "Zod" - Mat Beck, Brian Harding, Trent Smith, John Wash

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
"Alias - Reprisal/All the Time in the World" - Kevin Blank, Jay Worth, Steve Fong, Kevin Kutchaver
"Commander In Chief - EP 112 "The Wind Beneath Her Wings" - Mark Kolpack, Adam Ealovega, Mark Spatny, Mike Enriquez
"ER - Scoop and Run" - Sam Nicholson, Scott Ramsey, Adam Ealovega, Anthony Ocampo

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
"Rexona - Go Wild" - Andy Boyd, Stephane Allender, Dan Seddon, Abby Orchard
"Sears Tools - Arboretum" - Rich Rama, Cedric Nicolas, Laurent Ledru
"Travelers - Snowball" - Dan Lemmon, Eileen Moran, R. Christopher White, Paul Story

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Music Video
Killers - "Bones" - Chas Jarrett, Dave Child, Paul O'Shea, Andrew Bell
U2 and Green Day - "The Saints are Coming" - Matt Winkel, Mark Glaser, Wayne England, Graham Fyffe

Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
"Children of Men" - Birth Sequence - Tim Webber, Lucy Killick, Andy Kind, Craig Bardsley
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" - John Knoll, Ned Gorman, Jakub Pistecky, Tom Fejes
"Poseidon" - Boyd Shermis, Rhonda Gunner, Kim Libreri, Philippe Rebours
"X-Men: The Last Stand" - Eric Saindon, Cyndi Ochs, GG Heitmann, Roger Shortt

Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game
"Assassin’s Creed X06 Trailer" - Jade Raymond, Nicolas Cantin, Raphael Lacoste, Christophe Martin
"Fight Night Round 3 for PS3" - Sjoholm Christopher, Kat Kelly Hayduk, Hilson Rob, Jepson Celia

Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals in a Video Game
"Assassin’s Creed E3 Trailer" - Jade Raymond, Thomas Giroux, Raphael Lacoste, Anne Mai Le Bouyonnec
"Hellgate: London 2006 - E3 Trailer" - Tim Miller, Jerome Denjean
"Warhammer Fantasy" - Tim Miller, Jerome Denjean

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
"Fields of Freedom" - Sam Nicholson, Scott Ramsey, Adam Ealovega, Jon Craig
"Greece, Secrets of the Past" - Craig Barron, Ken Rogerson, Glenn Cotter, Chri Evans
"Roving Mars" - Alan Markowitz, Dan Maas, Jeremy Nicolaides, Johnathan Banta

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture
"Charlotte’s Web" - Templeton - Todd Labonte, Jason Armstrong, Sven Jensen, David Richard Nelson
"Charlotte's Web" - Wilbur - Grant Adam, Daniel Fotheringham, Avi Goodman, Paul Buckley
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" - Davy Jones - Steve Walton, Jung-Seung Hong, Marc Chu, James Tooley

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture
"Cars" - Mater - Larry The Cable Guy, Mike Krummhoefener, Tom Sanocki, Nancy Kato
"Monster House" - House - Umberto Lazzari, Mike Kimmel, Kui Han Lee, Owen Demers
"Happy Feet" - Mumble’s Banishment - Damien Grey, Tim Gibson, Carl Prud’Homme

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial or Music Video
"Battlestar Galactica" - Episode 217 "Downloaded" - Ryan Cronin, Louie Hinayo, Andy Asperin, Trevor Adams
"Dr. Who" - Episode 2, Series 2 - Nocolas Hernandez, Jean Claude Deguara, Neil Roche, Jean Yves Adouard
"Geico - Chat" - David Hulin, Seth Gollub, Andy Walker, Jenny Bichsel

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture
"Mission: Impossible III" - Russell Earl, Richard Bluff, Giles Hancock, Dennis Martin
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" - Chris Stoski, Susumu Yukuhiro, Jack Mongovan, Greg Salter
"Poseidon" - Mohen Leo, Daniel Pearson, Willi Geiger, Matt Brumit

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial or Music Video
"Coke - The Greatest Gift" - David Hulin, Nathan Hughes, Jenny Bichsel, Andy Walker
"Elisabeth - Episode 1" - Dave Bowman, Jimmy Kiddell, Russell Horth, Gurel Mehmet
"ESPN - Monday Night Football Remote Open" - Luke McDonald, Danny Braet, Minory Sasaki, Josh McGuire

Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" - Bruce Holcomb, Ron Woodall, Charlie Bailey, Carl Miller
"The Good Shepherd" - Matthew Gratzner, Forest Fischer, Enrico Altmann, Leigh-Alexandra Jacob
"V For Vendetta" - Jose Granell, Nigel Stone

Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Broadcast Program
"Battlestar Galactica" - Season 2, Episode 218 "Resurrection Ship, Part 2" - Steve Graves, Jose Perez, Mark Shimer, Chris Zapara
"Commander In Chief" - EP 112 See Nominees

"Air Force One" - Mike Enriquez
"Dodge - Fairy" - Matthew Gratzner, Forest Fischer, Jon Warren, Scott Schneider

Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" - Eddie Pasquarello, Francois Lambert, Jeff Sutherland, Tory Mercer
"Poseidon" - Pat Brennan, Mark Hopkins, Nelson Sepulveda, Mark Nettleton
"The DaVinci Code" - Saint Sulpice Sequence - Mathew Krentz, Jordan Benwick, Enrico Perei, Rafal Kaniewski

Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program, Commercial or Music Video
"Battlestar Galactica" - Season 2, Episode 218 "Resurrection Ship, Part 2" --Lane Jolly, Don Kim, Matt Smith, Chris Zapara
"Coke - The Greatest Gift" - Murray Butler, MaryAnne Lauric, Nathan Hughes, Pedro Sabrosa
"Sports Heaven" - Geoff McAuliffe, Yafei Wu, Robert Sethi, Jimi Simmons
"Travelers - Snowball" - Laure Lacroix, Lyse Beck, Steve McGillen, Matt Holland

Outstanding Special Effects in a Motion Picture
"Casino Royale" - Chris Corbould, Peter Notley, Ian Lowe, Roy Quinn
"Superman Returns" - Neil Corbould, David Brighton, David Young, Robert Higgie