Leura 3D special effects film director, Matt Drummond, is hoping it will be third time lucky at the 35th Annual Emmy Awards in New York this year.
Drummond, 41, is nominated for outstanding achievement in graphic design and art direction on a History Channel production, Big History, which puts a sci-fi spin on historical events. The visual effects "creature guy" was also nominated for an Emmy last year and in 2008, both for History Channel programs.
Drummond said he's been thrilled to receive the nod again from industry professionals and is hoping for the best.
"I was not expecting the nomination at all, the series producer sent me an email letting me know I had been nominated I wasn't even aware we were up for consideration.
"It's always a tremendous honour, to be considered in such an esteemed class of artists both personally and professionally. They say third time's the charm."
The news comes off the back of another high for Drummond, who recently was told his first movie, Dinosaur Island, has been pre-sold by Arclight Films into 57 countries.
"We're thrilled. The response from the industry has been fantastic and far more than what we ever anticipated. From the outset we looked at the feature film marketplace and saw a niche in the live-action, family entertainment space that was not being filled, fortunately we found the sweet spot."
He recently completed post production on the debut, which stars Blue Mountains Grammar student Darius Williams. It's a story about a boy who finds himself stranded in a world filled with ghost ships and prehistoric creatures.
"We were privileged to be able to tap into the talented drama students and use the campus for one of the shoots, the students feature quite prominently in the opening of the film."
Drummond, an ex-Grammar boy himself who divides his time between his home in the Blue Mountains and Vanuatu in the South Pacific where his animation studio has another office, loves the creativity of his job and credits his early schooling for some of his success.
"Grammar was able to provide me with a great foundation for applying my creative abilities for use in the commercial marketplace."
He sees his role as paying "tribute to the storytellers of the past while stretching the current visual effects methods to the limit".
Drummond, who is self taught, has been working in visual effects since the early 90s, pioneering desktop animation for the television and film markets.
"Creature work is complex and not a lot of artists specialise in it. Fortunately, I have had almost 20 years experience being the visual effects 'creature guy' which has allowed me to really hone my craft."
He has been profiled on ABC TV for his Australian Museum Tyrannosaurs Exhibition where he "created wonderful augmented reality screens, and many interactive media elements," a Museum spokeswoman said. That popular exhibition is now headed to Wellington in New Zealand.
Dinosaur Island will be released in America in November and Australia by late 2014/early 2015. The Emmy Awards will be announced in September.
