The Visual Effects Society has named motion picture director and producer James Cameron as the recipient of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented at the eighth annual VES Awards which will be held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 28, 2010.
The VES Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded by the VES board of directors, recognizes an outstanding body of work that has significantly contributed to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry. VES will honor Cameron for his vision and dedication to the craft of storytelling while being at the creative forefront of groundbreaking visual effects. Cameron’s work is so cutting edge he had to wait years for new visual effects technologies to be created in order to move forward with his most recent film, Avatar (slated for release next month).
“James Cameron has set the gold standard for storytelling by combining true creative artistry along with the latest advances in technology to bring incredible stories to the screen,” said Eric Roth, executive director of the VES. “Over the past few decades he has been the pre-eminent director of big vision, big story extravaganzas and has redefined the movie-going experience for filmgoers worldwide.”
“Jim’s sense of how to effectively utilize what the visual effects community has to bring to the storytelling experience has changed the face of storytelling–not just in the past and the present, but in a significant way in the future,” stated Jeffrey A. Okun, chair of the VES.
Cameron commented, “I’ve loved visual effects my whole life, and it’s been an ongoing thrill to be able to practice that art and to work with the best artists and technical people in the business to realize my dream images as a director. It is an incredible honor to be receiving this award.”
Cameron’s films have received multiple Academy Award nominations, with his Titanic winning 11 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, Best Director and Best Editing. Cameron’s other groundbreaking films include Terminator, Terminator 2, True Lies and The Abyss.
Previous winners of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award include Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, and Frank Marshall & Kathleen Kennedy.
The VES organization represents the extended community of visual effects practitioners including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers, educators and studio executives. Its 2,000 global members contribute to all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos, games and new media.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More