By RUSSELL BAILLIE AND ELEANOR BLACK
For some, the news came with a phone call in the wee small hours. Others stayed up all night to watch their name go down in cinema history as it happened.
For many of the New Zealanders involved in the near-record 13 Oscar nominations garnered by The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, yesterday was final, bleary-eyed proof that they had joined the big time.
Much glory has already been heaped upon Peter Jackson for the first of his trilogy and predictably he figures directly in three of the film's nominations - for best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay.
But the 13 - the biggest haul at the 74th Academy Awards - encompassed just about every facet of the New Zealand crew's efforts.
It might be churlish to point it out, but the locals behind the scenes did far better than the imported cast. Only Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf, was nominated as best supporting actor.
The film is also nominated for cinematography, art direction, sound, original score, original song, costume, editing, make-up and visual effects.
Jackson was up all night awaiting the Oscar nominations with colleagues in New Zealand, where he is working on the next instalment of the JRR Tolkien epic, The Two Towers.
They watched the nominations announcement on BBC at 2.30am, he said.
"We had a bunch of friends around and had a little party at our place. We just stayed up to wait for the moment."
"I never put my mind there too much because everything is so fickle. In the past few months we've won awards and lost awards so you tend not to have expectations at all.
"The awards are a byproduct, they are not the reason you make a film. But I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled that so many Kiwis have been nominated."
He described the project as a labour of love. "There was a sense that people didn't want to spend so long on a film they weren't proud of. That still continues...I'm cutting the movies today, everyone's feeling pretty happy I can tell you."
Jackson said he wouldn't have an acceptance speech lined up. "No. I don't think I will. I only think that will bring bad luck."
All told, LOTR's nominations carry the names of eight New Zealanders. Add Russell Crowe's nomination for A Beautiful Mind as well the nomination of Shrek - which was co-directed by former Aucklander Andrew Adamson - in the inaugural animated feature award and there will be at least a 10-strong NZ contingent at this year's Oscars.
Already in the States is Richard Taylor, director of special effects company Weta, who matched Jackson's three nominations by being named in LOTR's nods for make-up, costumes and visual effects - possibly the first time one person has appeared in so many technical categories.
Speaking from Manhattan, where the company has a stand of LOTR collectibles at the New York Toy Fair, Taylor said his partner, Tania Rodger - who is also involved in Weta - rang him with the news.
"It was obviously a great day for the collective efforts of everyone at the Weta workshop. Although individuals win Oscars it's obviously a tribute to everyone involved."
But the workshop didn't get the day off to celebrate: "God forbid, no. You don't win awards by giving days off. The guys have had a nice few days off while I have been away so I think they are all very happy to be back at work."
Taylor said he would be going to the awards but Rodger would not because she is expecting their first child about the same time.
Philippa Boyens, a third of the LOTR writing team with Jackson and partner Fran Walsh, was still giggling with nervous excitement yesterday after the news that her first attempt at a screenplay was nominated for an Oscar.
The trio stayed up to hear the announcement early yesterday morning, watching the BBC coverage of the nominations, scanning the internet for information and phoning colleagues in the US.
"We sat up because none of us could go to bed," said Boyens. "It was just incredible, it was an amazing feeling. It was just a blast ... The first thing I did was go and get the champagne."
She woke 13-year-old daughter Phoebe, having promised to tell her the good news.
"I said, 'We got the Oscar nomination' and she said, 'Oh cool - do you know where my PE gear is'?"
Son Calum, 15, is already dropping hints about making room in his schedule to attend the March 24 ceremony with his mother.
"The greatest thing is the nomination and the prospect of just celebrating it in this glamorous environment that you've seen on TV," she said. "I'm honestly not going to go with any other expectation than having a really good time."
She already knows what she will wear - something by a New Zealand designer. "I have a friend on the phone to Trelise Cooper already. All my girlfriends know I'd leave it to the last minute and realise I had nothing to wear."
Also already thinking about what frock to wear to the Oscars is Ngila Dickson, who was woken by a call from Los Angeles at 2.30 am and told of her nomination for best costume design.
"It's a bloody great thrill," she said. "It's been madness since half past two this morning. Then from that point on just phone calls from friends all over the world in the film industry - LA, New York, London. They didn't give a damn whether they were waking me up, they were so excited and I didn't give a damn either.
"It's the most thrilling experience I've ever had. You have such a passion for this industry but this is where it's at. The Oscars are it and to actually get to go to the Oscars as a nominee is enough for me, thank you very much."
She intends to wear New Zealand-made to the awards.
"I'm probably going to wear Zambesi actually. I'll work with [Zambesi designer] Elisabeth Findlay on the frock.
"It's a huge event. It's a real door-opener. It's saying you're one of the top costume designers in the world and the reality is the nomination says that.
"The win is the icing on the cake. The nomination is the great thing and it's just that sense of enormous personal satisfaction and recognising that I'm just representing a huge department. It wasn't me who stitched those frocks so that's a big deal for me that those people get recognised for the work that they did," she says of her crew of 50.
The film's Auckland-based production designer, Grant Major, was also in bed when he got the call at 2 am yesterday with the news he and supervising art director Dan Hennah had won the nomination for art direction.
"We knew the date for the nominations was coming and that we were a strong contender, but you don't want to count your chickens. But it's absolutely terrific.
"After the call I went back to bed, but then the phone went again from an agent who's trying to represent me over in the States, so I gave up trying to sleep after that."
Editor John Gilbert also got a wake-up call to say he was nominated and couldn't get back to sleep.
"I tossed and turned a bit thinking about the repercussions of it all. For one thing it's a pretty cool party to go to.
"It's a big kick for the local industry. It shows that we can match it with [Hollywood] given the time and resources. They haven't got some magic wand up there that only they can do it."
- additional reporting: Linda Herrick, Fiona Hawtin and NZPA
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