The Visual Effects category at the Oscars will expand to 5 nominees!

Here's the story from Variety:

Setting aside a swirling controversy in the visual effects community, the executive committee of the Motion Picture Academy's vfx branch has voted to expand the number of vfx Oscar nominees from three to five.
The move was the subject of heated debate at last Thursday's branch meeting, according to insiders, even though the Visual Effects Society and several of the bigger vfx studios have pressed for the change.
The change must be now approved by the Acad's Awards Rules Committee and then by the Board of Governors. Both bodies usually defer to the branches on such matters, but changes of this scale are unusual, and approval is not automatic.
If approved, there would be five vfx nominees for the next Oscar ceremony.
Move would help the Oscars' efforts to bring popular pics into the show, as the tentpoles that dominate the box office charts, like this year's "Alice in Wonderland" and "Iron Man 2," typically are vfx-heavy.
Oscarcast producers, though, would have to build in time for the reading of eight more names -- four names on each nominated film -- and probably two more clips in the show's already full-to-bursting timeline.
Vfx studios reached by Daily Variety reacted favorably to the move. Christian Roberton of Moving Picture Co.. called the movie "really exciting," adding, "It shows a renewed understanding of the art of vfx and the key role it plays in the filmmaking process today."
Miles Perkins, director of marketing & communications for Industrial Light & Magic, said, "It actually has a real impact on us, in being able to have the work recognized for the quality that's out there."
Several concerns fueled the debate within the vfx community over the move.
Some vfx pros have argued that with five pics eligible, the Oscar won't necessarily go to the most cutting-edge work. Perkins, however, said, "I think at times you can see that happen in any category. But I think that's a separate issue. That's an issue of making sure the voters are educated as to where the contribution is."
Under existing rules, the Academy doesn't allow befores-and-afters to be shown at the annual bakeoff or making-of information on Acad screeners. Perkins and ILM favor loosening those strictures to educate Oscar voters on how the process works.
Another objection is that with four names on each nomination, that would mean 20 individuals nominated for a single category, which arguably dilutes the value of the nom.
Those favoring the change note that even though the vfx teams on a major tentpole can outnumber the cast and crew on the set, there is only one vfx category. At the same time, there are two sound categories, two screenplay categories and four for acting, so the number of names up for vfx honors isn't out of line with other disciplines.
The fate of the visual effects bakeoff, now used to trim the contenders from seven to the final three, is unclear. Given the popularity of the event with members and the public, it's more likely to be expanded to eight or nine pics than eliminated.
The visual effects Oscar in its current form was created in 1984, at a time when vfx-heavy films were rare and generally genre pics. Over the last decade, however, digital visual effects have become common in all genres, and 20 or more pics a year have arguably had vfx of sufficient quality and quantity to lay claim an Oscar nomination.
Digital Domain topper Cliff Plumer said, "The numbers are important because I see digital production changing the way we make movies. The lines are getting grayer and grayer between the crafts."
Noting that each year's top grossers are almost all vfx-driven, Visual Effects Society exec director Eric Roth said, "To say there hasn't been enough room to shine the Oscar spotlight on a fourth and fifth movie is almost laughable in this day and age. So we say thanks to the Academy for allowing visual effects to take its rightful place at the Academy grownups table!"

-Thoughts?

The Visual Effects Society had their awards last night...

...and here are the winners:

Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
“2012”
“Avatar”
“District 9”
“Star Trek”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
“Angels & Demons”
“The Box”
“Invictus”
“The Road”
“Sherlock Holmes”

Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“9”
“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
“Up”

Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
“2012” (“Escape From L.A.”)
“Avatar” (“Quarich’s Escape”)
“Avatar” (“Neytiri Drinking”)
“Knowing” (“Plane Crash”)
“Terminator Salvation” (“VLA Escape”)

Animated Character in a Live-Action Feature Motion Picture
“Avatar” (Neytiri)
“District 9” (Christopher Johnson)
“G-Force” (Bucky)
“Watchmen” (Doctor Manhattan)

Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“Coraline” (Coraline)
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (Buck)
“Monsters vs. Aliens” (B.O.B.)
“Up” (Carl, “No Dad Scene”)

Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Monsters vs. Aliens”
“Up”

Matte Paintings in a Feature Motion Picture
“Avatar” (“Pandora”)
“Franklyn” (“Meanwhile City Scapes”)
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
“Star Trek”

Models and Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture
“Avatar” (”Samson” / “Home Tree” / “Floating Mountains” / “Ampsuit”)
“Coraline”
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” (”National Air and Space Museum Escape”)
“Terminator Salvation”

Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture
“2012” (“Los Angeles Destruction”)
“Avatar” (“Floating Mountains”)
“Avatar” (“Jungle” / “Biolume”)
“Avatar” (“Willow Glade”)

Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
“Avatar”
“Avatar” (“End Battle”)
“District 9”
“Sherlock Holmes” (“Wharf Explosion Sequence”)

-Thoughts?

Behold the Visual Effects Society nominations!

Sorry for the delay in getting these up. Here they are, no doubt shockingly favoring Avatar:

Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
“2012”
“Avatar”
“District 9”
“Star Trek”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
“Angels & Demons”
“The Box”
“Invictus”
“The Road”
“Sherlock Holmes”

Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“9”
“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
“Up”

Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
“2012” (“Escape From L.A.”)
“Avatar” (“Quarich’s Escape”)
“Avatar”
“Knowing” (“Plane Crash”)
“Terminator Salvation” (“VLA Escape”)

Animated Character in a Live-Action Feature Motion Picture
“Avatar” (Neytiri)
“District 9” (Christopher Johnson)
“G-Force” (Bucky)
“Watchmen” (Doctor Manhattan)

Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“Coraline” (Coraline)
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (Buck)
“Monsters vs. Aliens” (B.O.B.)
“Up” (Carl, “No Dad Scene”)

Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Monsters vs. Aliens”
“Up”

Matte Paintings in a Feature Motion Picture
“Avatar” (“Pandora”)
“Franklyn” (“Meanwhile City Scapes”)
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
“Star Trek”

Models and Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture
“Avatar” (”Samson” / “Home Tree” / “Floating Mountains” / “Ampsuit”)
“Coraline”
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” (”National Air and Space Museum Escape”)
“Terminator Salvation”

Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture
“2012” (“Los Angeles Destruction”)
“Avatar” (“Floating Mountains”)
“Avatar” (“Jungle” / “Biolume”)
“Avatar” (“Willow Glade”)

Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
“Avatar”
“Avatar” (“End Battle”)
“District 9”
“Sherlock Holmes” (“Wharf Explosion Sequence”)

-Thoughts?

7 Features Continue in VFX Oscar® Race

The Academy press release. Please share your thoughts on the likely nominees, winners, and what you think of the shortlist overall.

7 Features Continue in VFX Oscar^® Race

Beverly Hills, CA (January 6, 2010) — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that seven films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 82nd Academy Awards^®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

• “Avatar”
• “District 9”
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
• “Star Trek”
• “Terminator Salvation”
• “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
• “2012”

On Thursday, January 21, all members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 15-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center^®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Curious who the contenders are for the Visual Effects Oscar?

Wonder no more:

“Angels & Demons”
“Avatar”
“Coraline”
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
“District 9”
“G-Force”
“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“Star Trek”
“Terminator Salvation”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
“2012”
“Watchmen”
“Where the Wild Things Are”

-Which do you think will end up with the nominations?

The Seven Visual Effects Finalists!

Here they are:

“Australia”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“The Dark Knight”

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”

“Iron Man”

“Journey to the Center of the Earth”

“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”

-So much for an Oscar nom for Cloverfield...

Visual Effects Contenders Announced

Who will the three be?

“Australia”
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
“Cloverfield”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Day the Earth Stood Still”
“Hancock”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
“The Incredible Hulk”
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
“Iron Man”
“Journey to the Center of the Earth”
“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”
“Quantum of Solace”
“The Spiderwick Chronicles”