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Rule Twenty-Two: Special Rules for the Visual Effects Award

  1. The Academy President shall appoint a chairman who will form an Executive/Steering committee from active and life members from the Visual Effects Branch. 
  2. The Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee shall review a reminder list of all eligible motion pictures and through a series of meetings shall cast secret ballots to select ten productions for further consideration.  Achievements shall be judged within the parameters defined by the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee and on the basis of:

    1. consideration of the contribution the visual effects make to the overall production and
    2. the artistry, skill and fidelity with which the visual illusions are achieved.
  3. The producers of the films selected for award consideration (or their designees) shall be requested to provide the committee with:

    1. Written descriptions explaining the procedures used to create the effects.
    2. Excerpts from film composite release prints – not to exceed ten minutes in total running time – showing the effects described.  Producers wishing to present a matching digital version of their film excerpt reel, may do so (provided the film was originally released in that format), however, a duplicate excerpt reel from a composite release print must still be provided.
    3. The names and titles of the primary individuals – not to exceed four in number – directly involved with, and principally responsible for, the visual effects achieved and a description of their contributions.  Additional names will not be considered.  The Visual Effects Award is a craft award.  Producers, coordinators and other executives are not eligible for this award unless they are also craftspeople with primary creative responsibility for the achievement.
  4. Visual Effects, as an achievement or a craft, shall be determined by the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee.  Eligibility of the contributor(s) to the achievement, for nomination purposes, shall be determined by the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee.
  5. Qualified active members of the Visual Effects Branch will be eligible to serve as the Visual Effects Award Nominating Committee and shall attend a meeting to view the film excerpts and vote upon the achievements.  Written descriptions of the effects shall be made available to the committee prior to the meeting.
  6. The producers (or their designees) may attend the meeting of the nominating committee, however, only the potential nominees will be allowed to address the nominating committee.
  7. Following the running of film excerpts and discussion relative to the achievements, voting shall be conducted as follows:

    1. A ballot shall be cast by all members of the Visual Effects Nominating Committee present on the ten productions in consideration.
    2. Five productions shall be selected using reweighted range voting to become the nominations for final voting for the Visual Effects Award.
    3. Final voting for the Visual Effects Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.
  8. Excerpt reels shall become the property of the Academy and placed in the Academy Film Archive, with the proviso that the Academy will not use these reels for commercial gain.
  9. Such other rules or procedures necessary for the proper conduct of this award shall be adopted by the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.
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