Christopher Nolan keeps racking up the kudos along the circuit. Here’s the latest, from the press release, in part:
The Visual Effects Society will honor Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Christopher Nolan with the inaugural VES Visionary Award at the 9th Annual VES Awards on Friday, January 28, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles , CA . The award is designed to honor an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of visual effects to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.
“Christopher Nolan has been at the forefront in using vfx to help tell complex and astonishing stories that change the way we think about the world around us,” said Jeffrey A. Okun, Chair of the Visual Effects Awards Committee. “His body of work inspires and he continues to push the envelope both technically and in storytelling. Given the amazing work he’s already created in such a short span of time, he is absolutely the best person to receive our inaugural Visionary Award.”
[Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures]
Comments
14 responses to “Nolan to be honored by Visual Effects Society”
I think Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich deserve this award more since they have done more to further the art of visual effects in their movies. Oh well. But I imagine all the visual effects directors will get this award sometime or the other just like Nolan.
Yeah, but Nolan uses FX to enhance his stories, whereas for Bay and Emmerich the FX usually ARE the story. I can see them wanting to honor someone like Nolan first, though I’m sure Bay will be given the award at some point down the line.
I know it’s a fool’s hope but I really want Inception to win BP this year. I’m not sure the critic’s are going to award it, same with HFPA. Winning the PGA would be a great move (probably Inception’s only move).
kris- im still surprised you still don’t see nolan as a best director contender, with all these awards so far it obvious that the industry does respect nolan and his direction for inception.
I didn’t even realize until now that Nolan wasn’t listed in the Best Director Top 5 for this particular website’s predictions. I would definitely say he’s among the top 5 candidates, especially with The Way Back still treading water.
“The industry” does not equal a 400 member directors’ branch. I’ll remain skeptical for now, but you’re of course free to predict what you want.
red,
No, the difference is that Nolan got this award way too soon (like seriously). Emmerich and the like don’t deserve it at all. Especially not the visionary portion of it.
The only directors trully worthy of what this award stands for are Spielberg, Zemeckis, Jackson and Cameron.
I also think that Wachowskis should win this point someday too.
Yes, what you are seeing is smart publicity on behalf of Warners. It’s best not to think many of these kinds of honors are given from a position of honesty.
What do you have against the man? Of course he is a respected man in the industry. I see his name and films mentioned in every other interview with other actors and directors as what they want to make..
It would be INSANITY not nominating Nolan for best director.
That would be a great question for Oscar Talk, I know I too have been wondering what’s the reasoning behind not predicting Nolan.
I have absolutely nothing against Nolan. I never once said he’s not a respected man in the industry. You’re painting with a broad brush.
I just have a certain amount of skepticism about how well the film will do in the major Oscar categories. Hardly a crime. I’ve been over it again and again. And at the end of the day, he may well end up back in my predictions.
I simply conveyed a true if harsh reality. Fetes such as this are largely the doing of studio and personal publicity this time of year.
@Keil Shults
” Yeah, but Nolan uses FX to enhance his stories ”
That is debatable IMO.
@Maxim
The award is for services to visual effects, not services to film-making (I wouldn’t even give Nolan that award). Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich certainly fit the bill as perfectly as Nolan does going by the way they have described the award.
Personally I think think this is just a throwaway award (like most during awards season). There are some trophies that people keep in their living room, some in the loo, but this will probably end up in the attic.
About predictions, I am also of the belief (or hope) that Inception might not do very well. It was a poor movie with a truly horrible screenplay. I’ll wait for the guild nominations before accepting the inevitable.
I’m really happy Nolan got this award seeing as how he has different visual tricks up his sleeve in every movie, he doesn’t seem to reuse them.
However as much as I consider Michael Bay films to be guilty pleasures more than great works, I did find the work in the first Transformers film to be an amazing leap forward in visual effects.