Pixar producer and former ILM senior exec Jim Morris, currently overseeing an Andrew Stanton (FINDING NEMO) feature to be released in summer 08, will receive the Board of Directors Award from the Visual Effects Society. This award will be presented at the 4th Annual VES Awards on Feb.15, 2005, at the Hollywood Palladium, and follows last weeks VES announcement that Pixar founder John Lasseter will receive the 2005 Georges Melies Award for artistic excellence and lifetime achievement.
As you might imagine, I am extremely honored to receive this award from the VES, said Morris. I feel very, very privileged to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented filmmakers and artists both in the VES and on so many wonderful films, and I am deeply moved to be recognized by my colleagues in this way.
Morris will be honored for his indispensable role as the founding chair of the VES, an organization started in 1997 by Tom Atkin in response to the explosive growth in the visual effects art form. According to Carl Rosendahl, VES chair, Jims management experience was vital in creating a strong organizational foundation for the VES, while his exceptional reputation in the field served as the key recruiting force for membership. The VES continued success can truly be attributed to his vision and steering, and for that the board of directors unanimously named Jim as the recipient of our most personal award.
Morris joined Pixar in early 2005. His previous post was president of Lucas Digital Ltd., topping his 17 years at Lucasfilm. Morris served as gm at ILM on more than 150 movies, including STAR WARS EPISODES I and II, the first two HARRY POTTER movies, JURASSIC PARK, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, FORREST GUMP, SCHINDLERS LIST, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, THE MUMMY, MEN IN BLACK and many more.
Morris had previously served as ILMs exec in charge of production, where he supervised all of the companys productions, including the Oscar-winning TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY and BACK TO THE FUTURE, PART III, among others. Morris first joined ILM in 1987, producing visual effects sequences for films and commercials. THE ABYSS, which also earned an Academy Award for best achievement in visual effects, and ALWAYS are among Morris producing credits.
Before joining ILM, Morris was exec producer at Arnold & Associates, where he produced commercials for clients such as Atari and Chevron, and oversaw the companys three offices. Prior to that, he was exec producer at One Pass, where he headed the commercial production department. He also worked in the production departments at J. Walter Thompson and Foote, Cone & Belding in San Francisco. Morris has also worked as a producer-director for PBS, working on documentaries and educational programs for the network. He launched his career as a cameraman and editor at the NBC affiliate in Syracuse, New York.
Morris has served as a board member for a number of academic institutions and motion picture organizations. In 1997, Morris was named founding chairman of the VES and went on to serve three terms in the organizations top post. He is currently a commissioner for the San Francisco Film Commission.
Morris earned a B.S. degree in film, from the Newhouse School, Syracuse University. He also holds a M.S. in television and radio from the same institution.
Founded in 1997, the Visual Effects Society (www.visualeffectssociety.com) is a professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences and applications of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community and promoting industry recognition. The VES is the entertainment industrys only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners, including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of about 1,250 global members, the VES strives to enrich and educate its own members and members of the entertainment community at large through a multitude of domestic and international events, screenings and programs.
Pixar Animation Studios (www.pixar.com) combines creative and technical artistry to create original stories in the medium of computer animation. Pixar has created six of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time: TOY STORY, A BUGS LIFE, TOY STORY 2, MONSTERS, INC., FINDING NEMO and THE INCREDIBLES. Pixar has won 18 Academy Awards and its six films have grossed more than $3.2 billion at the worldwide box office to date. The Northern California studio will release its next film, CARS, on June 9, 2006.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
