TECH SUPPORT

Tech Support: 'Life of Pi,' 'Lincoln' and 'The Master' lead the race for Best Cinematography

Posted by gerardkennedy · 8:14 am · October 11th, 2012

This week’s edition of Tech Support surveys the field of Best Cinematography contenders, from westerns to war, bayous to Bond.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: Kicking off 2012's crafts coverage

Posted by gerardkennedy · 7:45 am · October 4th, 2012

Today marks the beginning of the seventh year of Tech Support here at In Contention.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: Dolby Atmos ready for its close-up with the premiere of Pixar's 'Brave'

Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:07 pm · June 13th, 2012

Next week Walt Disney Pictures will be premiering “Brave” in conjunction with the Los Angeles Film Festival at the newly named Dolby Theatre (formerly the Kodak) in Hollywood. But while it promises to be a fun time for the event at hand, the fact that it’s the grand re-opening of the space is what has me a little bit more excited.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: 'Django,' 'Amazing Spider-Man' production designer J. Michael Riva has passed

Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:24 pm · June 7th, 2012

Your heart has to melt for Quentin Tarantino. The guy is nothing if not protective and supportive of his crews, many key members loyal to him over the years. Back in 2010, he was dealt a blow when long-time editor Sally Menke tragically died amid hot summer heats while hiking in Runyon Canyon, and today, the production designer of his hotly anticipated western “Django Unchained,” J. Michael Riva, has reportedly died at the age of 63, according to Variety.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: See (or hear) how Lou Ferrigno lives on as part of the Hulk in 'The Avengers'

Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:44 am · May 9th, 2012

The Soundworks Collection’s latest profile reveals the film’s aural design.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: Final predictions and analysis for 2011, from 'Hugo' to…'Hugo'

Posted by gerardkennedy · 10:25 am · February 23rd, 2012

Final guesses on this year’s crop of below-the-line contenders.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support Interview: Emmanuel Lubezki on capturing the moment in 'The Tree of Life'

Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:41 am · February 16th, 2012

The experience of working on a Terrence Malick film is drastically different than the goings-on of a typical film set. And a photographer’s work, much like an actor’s, is collaborative at the start, but ultimately an element to be manipulated to the director’s will. But while some on a crew or cast might chafe at having their ego squashed like that, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki finds it liberating and educational.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews

Tech Support Interview: Hair and makeup designers Marese Langan and Mark Coulier on turning Meryl Streep into 'The Iron Lady'

Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:48 am · February 2nd, 2012

Transforming a well-known actor into a well-known political figure on the screen is tricky business. The visual familiarity with both can be a huge challenge, leaving viewers scrutinizing the work more than they might otherwise. In the case if “The Iron Lady,” one of the most recognizable actresses in the world, Meryl Streep, had to undergo such a transformation as prosthetics designer Mark Coulier and hair designer Marese Langan were tasked with turning her into former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews

Tech Support Interview: Stuart Craig and Stephenie McMillan on a decade of designing 'Harry Potter'

Posted by gerardkennedy · 11:48 am · January 26th, 2012

On Tuesday, Stuart Craig and Stephanie McMillan respectively earned the ninth and fifth Oscar nominations of their careers for serving as the production designer and set decorator of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews

Tech Support: 'The Artist,' 'Hugo,' 'Dragon Tattoo' and 'War Horse' feature heavily in Oscar's crafts categories

Posted by gerardkennedy · 1:12 pm · January 24th, 2012

This morning, many crafts artists in Hollywood (and elsewhere in the world) found out that they are heading to the Kodak Theatre for the 84th Annual Academy Awards. The thrill they are experiencing must be difficult to describe.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: Wrapping up guesses throughout the Academy's craft categories

Posted by gerardkennedy · 1:31 pm · January 19th, 2012

Rounding out my picks in the Academy’s crafts branches, from Best Music to Best Visual Effects.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: Guessing the nominees throughout the Academy's craft categories

Posted by gerardkennedy · 7:49 am · January 19th, 2012

In five days, the nominations for the 84th annual Academy Awards will be announced. It seems extraordinary that another season has nearly passed. And with a silent film and a somewhat fantastical (not-so-) children’s film poised to dominate the major categories, one realizes how quickly trends can change in Hollywood. But now it’s time to make our final picks across the crafts categories.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support Interview: 'The Artist' costume designer Mark Bridges on building character in black and white

Posted by gerardkennedy · 2:51 pm · January 14th, 2012

For those of us who closely monitor the caliber of film costumes, Mark Bridges’s talent has been apparent for well over a decade, going back to at least Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.” Efforts such as “Magnolia,” “Punch-Drunk Love,” “Blast from the Past,” “There Will Be Blood” and “The Fighter” have shown Bridges’s ability to design threads for numerous periods and in a vast array of genres. His collaboration with Michel Hazanavicus on “The Artist,” however, has probably presented him with his best chance to date to finally find a place in Oscar’s final quintet.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews

Tech Support Interview: Bret McKenzie on his 'Muppety' additions to 'The Muppets'

Posted by Roth Cornet · 2:24 pm · January 5th, 2012

Bret McKenzie is not a fan of musicals. Or so he says. But his (alleged) lack of interest in musical theater is somewhat ironic given that he has made his name as one half of the folk comedy duo “Flight of the Conchords” (his other half being Jemaine Clement), and that he is (in all likelihood) about to receive one, if not two, Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews

Tech Support Interview: The ubiquitous Alexandre Desplat on living his dream

Posted by gerardkennedy · 9:52 am · December 29th, 2011

When Tech Support first launched at In Contention five years ago, Alexandre Desplat had proven his talents with top-notch scores for “The Girl With a Pearl Earring,” “Birth” and “Syriana.” Today we chat with him about a ubiquitous year doing what he loves to do.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews

Joe Letteri and Andy Serkis on the progression of performance capture in 'Apes' and 'Tintin'

Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 3:27 pm · December 22nd, 2011

In 2011, New Zealand-based visual effects company Weta Digital was at it again with another banner year in the CG filmmaking landscape, perhaps the company’s biggest year to date. At the forefront were visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri, director of Weta Digital, and actor Andy Serkis, steward of the performance capture form and the face for a technology that could potentially, at some point, become a standardized tool in the filmmaker’s arsenal.

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews