'Gravity' Lands Leading 8 Nominations For 2014 Visual Effects Society Awards

http://www.goldderby.com/news/5428/visual-effects-society-awards-ves-gravity-film-entertainment-news-24680975.html

No surprise that "Gravity" reaped a leading eight bids for the 12th annual Visual Effects Society awards. "Pacific Rim" picked up six nods and both "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" and "Iron Man 3" earned five apiece.

These four films contend in the VES equivalent of the Best Picture race -- visual effects in a visual effects-driven feature motion picture -- along with "#Star Trek: Into Darkness#."

All five are among the 10 films still vying for the five Visual Effects slots at the Oscars.

Three of the other Oscar semi-finalists -- "Oblivion," "Thor: The Dark World" and "World War Z" -- were shut out of these kudos while "Elysium" and "The Lone Ranger" earned two nominations each.

"The Lone Ranger" vies for the supporting visual effects award against "The Great Gatsby," "Rush," "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," "White House Down" and "The Wolf of Wall Street."

And “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2,” “Despicable Me 2,” “Frozen,” “Monsters University” and “The Croods” contend in the animated feature race.

Last year, "Life of Pi" won four of its six VES bids, including taking the top prize where it edged out Oscar rivals "The Avengers," "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and "Prometheus" as well as "Battleship." It went on to win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

In 2011, two of the Oscar nominees -- "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and "Hugo" -- each won two VES awards. "Hugo," which won the supporting visual effects award, went on to claim the Oscar over, among others, "Apes," which took the top prize at the VES.

In 2010, "Inception" won all four of its bids including the top prize. It took home the Oscar too. In 2009, "Avatar" won six of the seven VES races in which it contended and also prevailed at the Academy Awards. At the VES, "Avatar" is tied with "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" for second place while "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" reigns supreme with seven awards.

In 2008, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" won the top prize with both the VES and the Oscars. However, in 2007, the top VES winner "Transformers" lost the Visual Effects Oscar to "The Golden Compass."

Over the first five years of the VES kudos, the winners matched four times --- in 2006 ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"), 2005 ("King Kong"), 2003 ("The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King") and 2002 ("The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"). In 2004, the VES chose "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" while the Oscar went to "Spider-Man 2."

The nominees in 24 categories of film, animation, television, commercials, special venues and video games were chosen by VES members who viewed submissions at the FotoKem screening facilities in Burbank and New York, FotoKem’s Spy in San Francisco, and facilities in London, Sydney, Vancouver and Wellington. Winners will be announced Feb. 12 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. John Dykstra is to receive the lifetime achievement award while "Gravity" helmer Alfonso Cuaron is to be feted with the Visionary Award.

Can any film beat "Gravity" for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars?

I am not sure if any of them can.

I think Gravity has most of these technical categories locked down come Oscar night.

Everyone who has seen this movie (despite their love or hate for the actual plot/acting) states the visuals are breathtaking and I totally agree.

I could see it sweeping these guild awards or at least winning 6 or 7 awards.

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