While people around the world are busy weighing up the relative merits of Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood as awards season heats up, spare a thought for the underappreciated and underexposed Visual Effects Society Awards, who today announced their nominees.
Foremost among them is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which picked up nominations in both the “Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture” category and the “Best Single Visual Effect of the Year”, the only film nominated in both. It’s also up for Outstanding Animated Character in a Live-Action Motion Picture, Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture, Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture. Hmm, snappy titles, those categories.
Also nominated in the Visual Effects Driven category are The Fountain and Charlotte’s Web, both sadly ignored by the Academy’s long list. Charlotte also picked up two nominations in Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture category, but The Fountain only received one nod.
As for the rest, Best Single Visual Effect of the Year also saw nominations for Children of Men (the birth sequence), Poseidon and X-Men: The Last Stand. **Superman Returns **was largely overlooked, except for a nod for Outstanding Special Effects, along with Casino Royale.
The full list of film nominations is below, but you’ll have to wait until February 11 for the results.
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture
Charlotte's Web
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Fountain
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture
Blood Diamond
Children of Men
Flags of Our Fathers
The Da Vinci Code
Best Single Visual Effect of the Year**
**Children of Men - Birth Sequence
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
X-Men: The Last Stand
Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture**
**Charlotte’s Web - Templeton
Charlotte's Web - Wilbur
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Davy Jones****
Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture**
**Cars - Mater
Monster House - House
Happy Feet - Mumble’s Banishment
Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture**
**Mission: Impossible III
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture**
**Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Good Shepherd
V For Vendetta
Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture**
**Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
The DaVinci Code - Saint Sulpice Sequence
Outstanding Special Effects in a Motion Picture**
**Casino Royale
Superman Returns****