Pixar Animation Studios General Manager/EVP Production and Former VES Chair Jim Morris has been selected by the VES Board of Directors as the recipient of the 2010 VES Founders Award. The award will be presented at the VES Annual Membership Meeting on September 23.
Morris is currently producing Disney’s John Carter of Mars for release in 2012. He produced Pixar’s WALL•E, which won the Oscar for Best Animated film in 2009 and also served as production executive on Ratatouille, Up, Toy Story 3 and Pixar’s upcoming feature films Cars 2, Brave and Monsters, Inc. 2.
Prior to Pixar, Morris worked for Lucasfilm and its divisions for 17 years. He served as President of Lucas Digital Ltd. for 11 years, where he was responsible for Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation and Skywalker Sound. Concurrently, Morris served as ILM's General Manager, where he supervised a staff of more than 1400 artists and technicians, and guided the largest visual effects facility in the entertainment industry. Under Jim’s leadership, ILM created the groundbreaking, Academy Award-winning visual effects seen in Jurassic Park, Death Becomes Her, Forrest Gump, and over 150 other films.
While Morris has been a long time leader in the field of visual effects at both ILM and Pixar, he was chosen as this year’s VES Founders Award recipient for service “above and beyond the call of duty” to the craft of visual effects and to the membership of VES. Jim Morris is the embodiment of this award, as he quite simply kick-started VES into reality during the 1990’s and has given of himself so freely to VES – both his time and unique expertise – ever since.
“Jim Morris was the founding Chair of the Visual Effects Society,” said current VES Chair, Jeffrey A. Okun. “His consistent, tireless efforts have guided the VES to become ‘The Final Word on all things VFX’. His unique talent, insights and generosity of spirit are qualities we treasure,” added Okun.
"A group of great colleagues from the visual effects and animation arts came together to start the VES, and I am very proud to have served the organization as the Founding Chair,” said Morris. “I have charted the progress of the VES over these last 10+ years, and am amazed at the professional and vibrant organization it has become, and the leadership role it is playing in the industry. I am honored and humbled to receive this award."
Previous winners of the VES Founders Award were Jonathan Erland, Harrison Ellenshaw, Ray Feeney and Bill Taylor.
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