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Quick bites about today's Depp news...

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Johnny Depp repsonds to third Academy Award nomination


"My sincere thanks to the Academy for this kind nomination. It is both an honor and a privilege to be aligned amongst such ability. My endless gratitude also to TIM BURTON and the entire cast and crew of 'Sweeney Todd,' without whom, I would not be here today."

Johnny Depp receives a third OSCAR nomination for SWEENEY TODD


Johnny Depp received his third OSCAR nomination today for his role as SWEENEY TODD, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street!

Nominations were announced in Beverly Hills, California this morning by Academy President Sid Ganis and actress Kathy Bates.

Final ballots are to be mailed January 30 and are to be returned by Feburary 19.

The Academy Awards will be held on February 24, at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California.

A complete list of nominees can be found here:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117979395.html

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Johnny Depp is humbled by Golden Globe win

"I would like to thank my beloved friends at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for bestowing such an honor on me," 'Sweeney Todd''s JOHNNY DEPP said of his Golden Globe win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Comedy or Musical.

"It is a humbling experience, especially in the company of such talent. For many years the HFPA has supported my work and for that I have always been truly grateful. While this is indeed a happy day for me, I am overjoyed at the recognition the film as a whole is receiving. Tim (Burton) is a dear friend and a true artist whose vision and skill inspire us all. He is a genius. Without his unwavering trust and support, I would not be anywhere near where I am today. Also, big thanks and respect to Helena (Bonham Carter), whose simply staggering performance as Mrs. Lovett is a wonder to behold. I must send a behemoth salute to the wonderful crew and cast of 'Sweeney Todd' and all at Dreamworks/Paramount and Warner Bros. Pictures. In addition, I'd also like to extend my sincere gratitude to, first and foremost, my cherished friend and agent of forever ago, Tracey Jacobs; the extraordinary man and producer, Richard Zanuck; the mastermind Stephen Sondheim; and, of course, my precious family, Vanessa, Lily-Rose and Jack, for all of their love, support and pure and absolute happiness everyday. Overall, I believe it to be a proud achievement for everyone involved and on behalf of us all, I thank you."

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Johnny Depp and SWEENEY TODD take two Golden Globe awards!

For Johnny Depp, the eighth time is the charm as he wins his first Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for his brilliant portrayal of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street in the Stephen Sondheim musical SWEENEY TODD.

SWEENEY TODD, the film, took the award for Best Comedy or Musical Film. The film was directed by Tim Burton and co-starred Helena Bonham Carter.

Johnny was previously nominated for Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Benny and Joon, and Edward Scissorhands.

Monday, January 7, 2008

DEPP'S SWEENEY TODD RECEIVES VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY NOMINATION

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY (VES) ANNOUNCES NOMINEES
FOR 6TH ANNUAL VES AWARDS
Los Angeles, January 7, 2008 - The Visual Effects Society (VES) today announced the
nominees for the 6th Annual VES Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual
effects in over a dozen categories of film, television, commercials and video games.
Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 5, 2008 by numerous panels of VES
members who viewed submissions at the FotoKem screening facilities in Burbank.
“We received hundreds of submissions from around the world and we are proud to
present nominees that push the boundaries of how visual effects can enhance the
storytelling process,” says Jeff Okun, VES Chair. “Looking at the level of complexity and
creativity of this year’s nominees, it is clear that the VES is the single most important
pool of talent, experience and knowledge in the visual effects world.”
The nominees for the 6th Annual VES Awards are the following:

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture
I Am Legend
Janek Sirrs, Mike Chambers, Jim Berney, Crys Forsyth-Smith
Transformers
Scott Farrar, Shari Hanson, Russel Earl, Scott Benza
The Golden Compass
Michael Fink, Susan MacLeod, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
John Knoll, Jill Brooks, Hal Hickel, Charlie Gibson
Spider-Man 3
Scott Stokdyk, Terry Clotiaux, Peter Nofz, Spencer Cook

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture
Ratatouille
Michael Fong, Apurva Shah, Christine Waggoner, Michael Fu
Zodiac
Eric Barba, Craig Barron, Janelle Croshaw, Chris Evans
We Own the Night
Kelly Port, Julian Levi, Brad Parker, Olivier Sarda
The Kite Runner
David Ebner, Les Jones, Todd Perry, Leif Einarsson
Blades of Glory
Mark Breakspear, Randy Starr, Shauna Bryan, Kody Sabourin

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Razor
Mike Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Sean Jackson, Pierre Drolet
RACE TO MARS - Getting to Mars
Manon Barriault, Jacques Levesque, Olivier Goulet, Benoit Girard
DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 2007 - Voyage of the Damned
David Houghton, Will Cohen
BEN 10: RACE AGAINST TIME - VFX Compilation
Dina Benadon, Evan Jacobs, Brent Young, Chris Christman
TIN MAN - Night One
Lee Wilson, Lisa Sepp-Wilson, Sebastien Bergeron

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series
HEROES - Episode 208 - “Four Months Ago”
Eric Grenaudier, Mark Spatny, Diego Galtieri, Mike Enriquez
DOCTOR WHO “THE LAST OF THE TIME LORDS” - Series 3, Episode 13
David Houghton, Will Cohen
STARGATE ATLANTIS - Adrift
Mark Savela, Shannon Gurney, Erica Henderson, Jamie Yukio Kawano
FIGHT FOR LIFE - Episode 4
Philip Dobree, Nicola Instone, Marco Iozzi, Matt Chandler
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Episode 316 - “Maelstrom”
Mike Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Michael J. Davidson, Kyle Toucher

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program

GREY'S ANATOMY - WALK ON WATER - Ferryboat Crash
Sam Nicholson, Scott Ramsey, Valeri Pfahning, Mike Enriquez
MARIE-ANTOINETTE - Miniseries
Richard Martin, Pierre Raymond, Sebastien Rioux, Nadine Homier
DRIVE EPISODE 101 “THE STARTING LINE” - Driving Sequence
Raoul Yorke Bolognini, Loni Peristere, Steve Meyer, Chris Jones
ROME 2 - Episode 6 - “Philippi”
James Madigan, Barrie Hemsley, Duncan Kinnard, Gary Broznich
PUSHING DAISIES - Pilot Episode
Craig Weiss, Toni Pace Carstensen, Brian Vogt, Jimmy Berndt

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
BACARDI - Bacardi Sun
Vittorio Giannini, Franck Lambertz, Robin Carlisle, Nico Cotta
ZUNE - The Ballad of Tina Pink
Luisa Murray, Laurent Ledru, Katrina Salicrup, Miles Essmiller
BMW COMMERCIAL - Hydrogen
Simon Maddison, Dave Kelly, Mike Bain, Sam Cole
BMW - Road
Chris Fieldhouse, Jay Barton, Ron Herbst, Dave Stern
SMIRNOFF - Sea
William Bartlett, Scott Griffin, Dan Seddon, David Mellor

Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
TRANSFORMERS - Desert Highway Sequence
Scott Farrar, Shari Hanson, Shawn Kelly, Michael Jamieson
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END - Jack and Davy Duel
John Knoll, Jill Brooks, Francois Lambert, Philippe Rebours
300 - Crazy Horse Sequence
Chris Watts, Gayle Busby, Kirsty Millar
SURF’S UP - Riding the Visual Effects Tube
Rob Bredow, Lydia Bottegoni, Daniel Kramer, Matt Hausman
SPIDER-MAN 3 - The Birth of Sandman
Scott Stokdyk, Terry Clotiaux, Spencer Cook, Doug Bloom

Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game

NEED FOR SPEED PRO STREET - ProStreet
Michael Mann, Wilson Tang, Eduardo Agostini, Carl Jarrett
CRYSIS - Realtime Visuals
Michael Endres, Michael Khaimzon
TEAM FORTRESS 2
Jason Mitchell, Moby Franke, Chris Green, Dhabih Eng
HALO 3 - Halo 3 Footage
Marcus Lehto, Jonty Barnes, Stephen Scott, CJ Cowan
MASS EFFECT - Game Sequence
Derek Watts, Casey Hudson

Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals in a Video Game

COMMAND AND CONQUER 3 TIBERIUM WARS - GDI, NOD & Scrin Scenes
Richard Taylor, Matt Britton, Ben Hopkins, Tang Katai
HELLGATE: LONDON
Tim Miller, Jerome Denjean, Al Shier
WORLD OF WARCRAFT: THE BURNING CRUSADE - Cinematic Intro
Jeff Chamberlain, Scott Abeyta
THE WITCHER CINEMATIC - Intro
Tomek Baginski, Marcin Kobylecki, Grzegorz Kukus, Maciek Jackiewicz

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project

DINOSAURS-GIANTS OF PATAGONIA - 38_011
Mario Couturier, Vincent Roberge, Richard Bergeron, Martin L'Heureux
MONSTERS, INC. LAUGH FLOOR - Show Edit
Roger Gould, Liz Gazzano, Joe Garlington, Dan Colajacomo
SEA MONSTERS
Sean Phillips, Jack Geist, Robin Aristorenas, Mark Dubeau

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture
SPIDER-MAN 3 - Sandman
Chris Yang, Bernd Anger, Dominick Cecere, Remington Scott
THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP - Crusoe
Richard Frances-Moore, Martin Hill, Marco Revelant, Daniel Barrett
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END - Davy Jones
Hal Hickel, Marc Chu, Jakub Pistecky, Maia Kayser
ENCHANTED - Pip
Tom Gibbons, James W. Brown, David Richard Nelson, John Koester
TRANSFORMERS - Optimus Prime
Rick O'Connor , Doug Sutton, Keiji Yamaguchi, Jeff White
I AM LEGEND - The Infected Leader
David Schaub, Marco Marenghi, Josh Beveridge

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture
SURF'S UP - Chicken Joe
David Schaub, Moon Jun Kang, Brian Casper, Andreas Procopiou
SHREK THE THIRD - King Harold
John Cleese, Guillaume Aretos, Tim Cheung, Sean Mahoney
BEOWULF - Beowulf
Keith Smith, Scott Holmes, Pericles Michielin, Kenn McDonald
SURF'S UP - Cody
David Schaub, Pete Nash, James Crossley, Shia LaBeouf
RATATOUILLE - Colette
Janeane Garofalo, Jaime Landes, Sonoko Konishi , Paul Aichele

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program or Commercial
DOCTOR WHO 'THE LAST OF THE TIME LORDS' - Series 3 Episode 13
Nicolas Hernandez, Adam Burnett, Neil Roche
CHEMICAL BROTHERS - SALMON DANCE - Fatlip shots
Nicklas Andersson, Mike Mellor, Sylvain Marc, Florent DeLa Taille
PRIMEVAL - Episode 6 - Predator Animation
Mathieu Vig, Antoine Birot, Simon Thistlethwaite, Kevin O'Sullivan
AMP - Paper
Fred Raimondi, Chris De Santis, Angie Jones, Narbeh Mardirossian
BEN 10: RACE AGAINST TIME - Grey Matter Sequence
Brent Young, Michael Smith
PROPEL - Stress Monster
Mitch Drain, Sean Faden, Matt Hackett, Denis Gauthier

Outstanding Effects in an Animated Motion Picture
BEOWULF - Dragon Chase
Theo Vandernoot, Vincent Serritella, Rob Engle, Pericles Michielin
SHREK THE THIRD - Effects
Matt Baer, Greg Hart, Krzysztof Rost, Anthony Field
RATATOUILLE - Food
Jon Reisch, Jason Johnston, Eric Froemling, Tolga Goktekin
SURF’S UP - Riding Wave - CG Style
Rob Bredow, Daniel Kramer, Matt Hausman, Danny Dimian
RATATOUILLE - Rapids
Darwyn Peachey, Chen Shen

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture
SWEENEY TODD - The Old Bailey
Raf Morant, Julian Gnass, Nakia McGlynn, Christine Wong
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END - The Maelstrom
Frank Losasso Petterson , Paul Sharpe , Joakim Arnesson , David Meny
ZODIAC - Washington and Cherry
Wei Zheng, Greg Szafranski, Janelle Croshaw, Karl Denham
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - The Hall of Prophecy
David Vickery, Philippe LePrince, Trina Roy, Jolene McCaffrey
RUSH HOUR 3
Barry Williams, Robert Weaver , Jay Cooper , Masahiko Tani
I AM LEGEND - Times Square Hunt
Daniel Eaton, Blaine Kennison, Ron Gress, Daveed Shwartz

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program or
Commercial

BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE - 002_05
Phi Tran, Matthew Lee, Martin Hilke, Andrew Roberts
TIN MAN - Night One
Les Quinn, Ken Less, Andrew Domachowski, Jonah West
UGLY BETTY - “A League of their Own”
Chris Martin, Michael Cook, Cedric Tomacruz
SMALLVILLE - Metropolis City
Kaz Yoshida, Jack Matsumoto, Andrea Shear, Eli Jarra
SUBARU - “Peel Out”
Graham Fyffe, Chris Nichols, Chris Bankoff, Daniel Buck

Outstanding Models or Miniatures in a Motion Picture

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END - Practical and Digital Ships
Ken Bailey, Bruce Holcomb, Carl Miller , Geoff Heron
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD - Freeway Sequence - F35 Miniature and Effects
Ian Hunter, Scott Schneider, Scott Beverly, John Cazin
TRANSFORMERS
Dave Fogler , Ron Woodall , Alex Jaeger, Brian Gernand
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - Hogwarts School
Jose Granell, Nigel Stone
SPIDER-MAN 3 - Building / Crane Destruction Miniature and Effects
Ian Hunter, Scott Beverly, Forest Fischer, Raymond Moore

Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture
TRANSFORMERS
Pat Tubach , Beth D'Amato , Todd Vaziri , Mike Conte
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END - Death of Beckett
Lou Pecora, Joel Behrens, Ted Andre, Kevin Lingenfelser
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END
Eddie Pasquarello , Katrin Klaiber, Jen Howard, Shawn Hillier
I AM LEGEND - Seaport Evacuation
Darren Lurie, John Sasaki, Rita Kunzler, Fish Essenfeld
THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP - Crusoe
Areito Echevarria, Gareth Dinneen, Norman Cates, Caterina Schiffers
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - Hall of Prophecy and Comp Shots
Jolene McCaffrey, Jelena Stojanovic, Victor Wade, Adam Pashke

Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
SMALLVILLE, SEASON 6 - Episode 11, Justice
Rob Reinhart, Jack Matsumoto, Takashi Takeoka, Christina Spring
TIN MAN - Night One
Todd Liddiard, Philippe Thibault, Lionel Lim, Annabelle Kent
NIKE - Leave Nothing
James Allen, Rob Trent
SMALLVILLE - Bizarro Flood
David Alexander, Kaz Yoshida, Geeta Basantani, Tony White
LEVIS - Change
Tim Davies, Jason Schugardt, Yuichiro Yamashito

Outstanding Special Effects in a Motion Picture
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
John Richardson, Stephen Hamilton, Richard Farns, Stephen Hutchinson
Outstanding Special Effects in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
ACTIVELY SAFE - Lexus Hydrant
Dave Peterson, Anthony De La Cruz

The 6th Annual VES Awards will take place on Feb. 10, 2008 at the Kodak Theatre
Grand Ballroom in Hollywood. Last year’s event attracted more than eight hundred
celebrities, visual effects and animation artists, dozens of nominees and members of the
film, television and gaming industries. Winners from 2007 included Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (John Knoll, Jill Brooks, Hal Hickel, Charlie Gibson) for
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture and Battlestar
Galactica - Episode 303b “Exodus” (Gary Hutzel, Michael Gibson, Alec McClymont,
Brenda Campbell) for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series.
This year the VES will present Steven Spielberg the VES Lifetime Achievement Award.
This award recognizes the contribution that his vast body of work, as both a director and
producer, has made to the art and science of visual effects.
Updated information on the VES Awards can be found at www.vesawards.com.
About the VES
The VES is a professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and
applications of visual effects and to upholding the highest uniform standards and procedures
for the visual effects profession. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary year, VES is the
entertainment industry's only official trade organization representing the extended community
of visual effects practitioners including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers,
educators and studio executives.
Its 1,600 global members contribute to all areas of entertainment from film, television and
commercials to music videos, games and new media. VES strives to enrich and educate its
members and the entertainment community at large through many domestic and international
events, screenings and programs. Visual effects professionals constitute a vital creative force
in content creation and are literally shaping the future of entertainment.