HitFix boils down the crafts categories of the 87th Oscars, where “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Whiplash” found the most love.
Tech Support: 'Grand Budapest' and 'Whiplash' lead Oscar's craft categories
Posted by gerardkennedy · 12:10 pm · February 23rd, 2015
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Oscar-nominated 'Mr. Turner' designers talk costumes and sets of Mike Leigh's biopic
Posted by gerardkennedy · 4:09 pm · February 7th, 2015
HitFix talks to Oscar-nominated production designer Suzie Davies and costume designer Jacqueline Durran about building the world of Mike Leigh’s “Mr. Turner.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews
Tech Support: Final predictions in Oscar's crafts categories
Posted by gerardkennedy · 10:39 pm · January 14th, 2015
In Contention’s Gerard Kennedy offers up final predictions for the crafts categories in advance of this year’s Oscar nominations announcement.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Weta wizards describe the progression from 'Rise' to 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'
Posted by gerardkennedy · 3:17 pm · January 5th, 2015
HitFix talks to visual effects supervisors Joe Letteri and Dan Lemmon about their work on “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews
How Weta Digital pushed the FX envelope over the 13-year Middle Earth saga
Posted by gerardkennedy · 1:54 pm · December 25th, 2014
HitFix chats with Weta visual effects supervisors Joe Letteri and Eric Saindon about the bittersweet close to Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth saga, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews
Wylie Stateman explains the first-person sound experience of Oscar nominee 'Lone Survivor'
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:24 pm · February 10th, 2014
“Lone Survivor” sound editor Wylie Stateman picked up his seventh Oscar nomination to date last month, though despite wonderful work in films like “Cliffhanger,” “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained,” he’s yet to win an Academy Award. He sat down with HitFix to discuss his approach to what you hear in Peter Berg’s war film.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Analyzing the 2014 craft category Oscar nominations
Posted by gerardkennedy · 10:46 am · January 17th, 2014
A day after the Academy dropped its array of surprises throughout its 24 categories, and notably the 10 crafts fields, it’s time to reflect on what the months of build-up have left us with. A few trends come to mind…
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Final predictions for Best Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design and Sound
Posted by gerardkennedy · 3:54 pm · January 10th, 2014
We’re within a week of the big moment. Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday next week and we’ll find out which films are the dominant forces throughout the Academy’s various craft categories. Yesterday HitFix’s Gerard Kennedy began final Tech Support analysis of the field with the categories of Best Cinematography, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Original Song and Visual Effects. Today we round out the field with the rest.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Final predictions for Best Cinematography, Makeup, Score, Song and Visual Effects
Posted by gerardkennedy · 12:16 pm · January 9th, 2014
Here we go again. A week from today, the nominees for the 86th annual Academy Awards will be announced. Here at Tech Support, we’ve analyzed each of the 10 crafts categories, and interviewed several of the contenders. It’s now a waiting game with final calls to be made. Today, we take a final look at the fields of cinematography, music, makeup and hairstyling and visual effects.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
'Mandela' composer Alex Heffes reflects on the experience of putting music to a legend's life
Posted by gerardkennedy · 1:08 pm · January 2nd, 2014
“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” composer Alex Heffes talks to HitFix about the enormous responsibility of capturing a life as monumental as Nelson Mandela’s on screen and in music.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews
Tech Support: John Williams, Arcade Fire and Hans Zimmer (x2) duke it out for Best Original Score
Posted by gerardkennedy · 9:32 pm · December 12th, 2013
Earlier today the list of eligible original score contenders was revealed by the Academy, so consider it great timing as we focus on the category today in our final craft category analysis of the season.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Can 'Catching Fire' crack the costume design Oscar race?
Posted by gerardkennedy · 3:38 pm · December 5th, 2013
HitFix’s Gerard Kennedy surveys the field of Best Costume Design Oscar contenders, from period stand-out “12 Years a Slave” to the contemporary designs of “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Space, music and the high seas clash in the race for Best Sound Mixing
Posted by gerardkennedy · 7:36 pm · November 28th, 2013
HitFix’s Gerard Kennedy surveys the field of Best Sound Mixing, from “Gravity” to “Pacific Rim” to maybe even Disney’s animated musical “Frozen.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar race features 'Rush,' 'The Butler' and… 'Bad Grandpa?'
Posted by gerardkennedy · 4:31 pm · November 21st, 2013
HitFix’s Gerard Kennedy surveys the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category, featuring contenders such as “Rush,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “12 Years a Slave” and even a movie from the “Jackass” guys.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Could Alfonso Cuarón join James Cameron on an exclusive list of editors?
Posted by gerardkennedy · 1:47 pm · November 14th, 2013
HitFix’s Gerard Kennedy plugs away on another installment of Tech Support, this week surveying the category of Best Film Editing. Is Alfonso Cuarón set to join some exclusive company?
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Composer Henry Jackman on 'musical constraint' and minimalism in 'Captain Phillips'
Posted by gerardkennedy · 9:46 am · November 13th, 2013
Henry Jackman talks to HitFix about what went into his affecting, but not affected, score for Paul Greengrass’ Oscar contender “Captain Phillips.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Best Original Song Oscar race heats up with Taylor Swift and Beyoncé
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:01 pm · November 7th, 2013
We’re a little ways off yet from the Academy unveiling its long list of eligible contenders in the Best Original Song Oscar race. But in the meantime, and particularly since we finally started populating the category’s Contenders section with entrants in the last week or so, it doesn’t hurt to put a finger to the wind and see what’s what.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: The production designers go it alone this year
Posted by gerardkennedy · 12:18 pm · October 31st, 2013
This year’s race for Best Production Design is a little different in that the costumers have split off and formed their own branch. How will that affect the race? From this vantage point, films like “12 Years a Slave,” “The Great Gatsby” and “Inside Llewyn Davis” seem formidable.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
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