As we await the USC Scripter finalists (which should drop any minute), I should pass along the Academy’s bake-off finalists in the Best Visual Effects category.
Last month the field was narrowed down to 15 titles. Today, seven titles remain, from which five nominees will be selected in a bake-off (which is an odd extra step now, given that the ultimate nominations field was expanded to five this year). So take two off of the following list:
“Alice in Wonderland”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”
“Hereafter”
“Inception”
“Iron Man 2”
“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”
“TRON Legacy”
And the two I expect to be omitted are “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (kudos for making it this far) and “Hereafter” (which is honestly a sleeper here), leaving the same five I’ve been predicting for months now.
The bake-off will feature a 15 minute screening of footage from each film, followed by a Q&A session.
Meanwhile, the Visual Effects Society will announce its list of nominees Monday, which could help to make some sense of where things are going int his category.
[Photo: Universal Pictures]
Comments
22 responses to “‘Scott Pilgrim,’ ‘Hereafter’ make visual effects bake-off”
The sidebar predictions are probably going to be correct, but I’d love to see Scott Pilgrim take Iron Man 2’s place.
Very odd indeed to narrow it down when the category has five slots. Kind of cruel, really, to know you were that close if you’re one of the two that doesn’t get nominated.
*fingers crossed for a Scott Pilgrim upset*
I’ll stick with Scott Pilgrim on my predictions. I know it’s a longshot, but I’m hoping that the voters go for something creative over, something they’ve already nominated (really, there was nothing new or creative about the IM2 effects, and they didn’t look too good from time to time)
by the way, anyone have any idea as to when the makeup finalists will be announced?
I am astounded that Unstoppable did not make the cut. Its effects were so real.
Anyone want to suggest why it fell short?
I actually agree totally, re: Iron Man 2. Not sure why I’ve stuck with it so long, but it made it this far and there are a lot of heavy-hitters involved, so I’ll probably just play out the same five.
Scott Pilgrim’s shot at a nomination would be that they feel it was a fresh and different use of visual effects rather than the same old stuff on display in the likes of Iron Man 2 and Harry Potter 7. It should be about rewarding those pushing the medium forward, and the latter two were hardly doing that.
If I have to take a stab at it… I’d say Alice in Wonderland, Inception, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and TRON: Legacy are in.
The fifth slot it’s either between HP7 and Iron Man 2. I can’t say which has the upper hand, because from what I’ve seen, this guild in particular looks for a challengeful technical improvement when it comes to franchises, since it’s kinda pointless to award the very same CGI that won last year. It worked for Spiderman 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean 2, but no luck for Transformers 2, or 2012 for that matter (if The Day After Tomorrow wasn’t even nominated, what chances had that movie?).
With this said, I’d lean closer towards Iron Man 2. It’s true that’s more of the same, but now with more irondudes; but HP hasn’t been consistent with this category.
What a weird decision — it renders the actual nomination announcement something of an anti-climax, particularly with so few surprises in the lineup.
I was hoping the expansion to five nominees might allow subtler supporting effects a chance, but it doesn’t look that way.
I’d like to see Hereafter make it to the final five. I’m a sucker for a sleeper underdog, what can I say? Plus, I think it would be very well-deserved. It made it this far somewhat under the radar so you never know, right?
Hereafter’s effects are very impressive and there will be A LOT of older voters nominating it over, say, Iron Man 2.
I have a feeling Iron Man 2 loses its place to Scott Pilgrim.
I didn’t love “Hereafter”, but I would be happy to see it nominated here. That tsunami sequence was a tour-de-force.
McAllister, how many “older voters” do you think the visual effects branch has? I can’t imagine many in the Mickey Rooney age bracket from THAT particular branch.
Iron Man 2 and Hereafter won’t make it.
More transparency, less transparency. Jeez, make up your minds about the Academy folks.
I agree with McA somewhat, and to Glenn’s point, I suspect it’s not about a Mickey Rooney demographic necessarily. I think it’s about a group of seasoned vfx pros making an objective assessment about true achievement, both technical and aesthetic. Which is why I could see Hereafter edge out Iron man 2 or Potter, both of which were solid work but didn’t have the innovative edge going for them, in my opinion. Hell, I’d even give the nod to Pilgrim over Potter or IM2, based on that criteria. So I hereby take my final stand: top five should (but won’t necessarily be) Inception, Tron, Alice in Wonderland, Hereafter and Scott Pilgrim.
One thing I admire on Potter films was that its VFX were properly utilize… unlike the other visual effects heavy films…
If there’s a film to be booted off the contenders, then it is IM2… Every effects in the movie were seen in the first one….
“More transparency, less transparency. Jeez, make up your minds about the Academy folks.”
What do you mean?
[…] In Contention, The Hollywood Reporter] (function() {var s = document.createElement('SCRIPT'), s1 = […]
Sorry, guys! Hereafter & Alice reign supreme.
[…] In Contention has reported the Academy’s final modification of the Best Visual Effects category, which, in effect, leaves seven eligible titles for consideration. They are: Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, Hereafter, Inception, Iron Man 2, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and TRON Legacy. The final five nominees will be selected in a “bake-off,” which “will feature a 15 minute screening of footage from each film, followed by a Q & A session.” […]