Matrix Revolves on VES Nom List

Last month, The Matrix Revolutions failed to appear on the Academy Awards Visual Effects branch shortlist, but the movie’s impressive visual effects have not gone unnoticed by the Visual Effects Society, which announced its 2004 VES Awards nomination list today. Revolutions will be duking it out with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl in the Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture category.

Following The Two Towers’ virtual sweep of last year’s first annual VES Awards, it’s no surprise that New Line’s Return of the King is in the lead for nominations again this year, though it shares that lead with Disney’s Pirates. Each of the blockbusters garnered a total of eight nods.

VES membership viewing of the nominees and voting will take place on Saturday, February 7. Winners will be announced at the second annual VES Awards event on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Hollywood Palladium. The evening will be highlighted by the presentation of the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society to filmmaker George Lucas. Making the presentation will be once-and-future “king-of-the-world,” Oscar-winning director James Cameron (Titanic, The Terminator 1 and 2, Aliens).

For a complete list of noms, go to visualeffectssociety.com. Highlights of the nominated categories include:

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Jim Rygiel, Dean Wright, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook

The Matrix Revolutions: John Gaeta, Kim Libreri, George Murphy, Craig Hayes

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: John Knoll, Patrick Myers, Hal Hickel, Jill Brooks

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture

Bad Boys 2: Carey Villegas. Rob Legato, David Taritero, Layne Friedman

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: Stefen Fangmeier, Robert Stromberg, Nathan McGuinness, Brooke Breton

The Last Samurai: Jeffrey A. Okun, Thomas Boland, Bill Mesa, Ray McIntyre, Jr.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Television Series

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 7, Episode #22: Loni Peristere, Patti Gannon, Ronald Thornton, Chris Zapara

Carnivale, Episode #1.01: David T. Altenau, Ariel V. Shaw, Thomas L. Bellissimo, Barbara J. Marshall

ER #176008: Sam Nicholson, Kyle J. Healey, Eric Grenaudier, Anthony Ocampo

Sea Monsters: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special: Max Tyrie, Tim Greenwood, Darren Byford, Mike Milne

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial

Johnnie Walker “Fish”: Murray Butler, William Bartlett, Jake Mengers, Helen Mackenzie

Nike “Gamebreaker”:Eric Barba, Richard Morton, Walt Hyneman, Dave Stern

Nike “Speed Chain”: Eric Barba, Greg Teegarden, Dave Stern, Jay Barton