Behind The Scenes On This Year's Best Visual Effects Contenders

1/3/2018

By Will Mavity

We recently revealed the shortlist of 10 films which are up for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. This weekend, the Academy Visual Effects branch will gather to view making-of featurettes from the 10 shortlisted films, before voting on nominees. For the rest of us who will not be attending, here is your own look at the behind the scenes work of the talented VFX artists on these 10 films.

Click below to see highlights from the 10 visual effects contenders.

ALIEN: COVENANT

BLADE RUNNER 2049

DUNKIRK

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

KONG: SKULL ISLAND

OKJA

THE SHAPE OF WATER

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

VALERIAN & THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS

WAR FOR THE PLNET OF THE APES

So what do you think will be the five films nominated for the Oscar for Best Visual Effects? Take a look at our predictions for the Oscar for Best Visual Effects here and you can also check out our reviews of these 10 films below:

“Alien: Covenant”
“Blade Runner 2049″
“Dunkirk”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”
“Kong: Skull Island”
“Ojka”
“The Shape of Water”
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”
“War for the Planet of the Apes”

You can follow Will and hear more of his thoughts on the Oscars and Film on Twitter at @mavericksmovies

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BEST PICTURE
Nomadland (42) - AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, BOFCA, BSFC, CCA, CFCA, CIC, DFCS, DFWFCA, GALECA, GFCA, GG, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LEJA, LFCC, LVFCS, MFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, OFCS, OSCAR, PFCS, PGA, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA, TFCA, TIFF, VENICE, VFCC, WAFCA, WFCC
Promising Young Woman (10) - AACTA, COFCA, HCA, KCFCC, MCFCA, NFCS, OAFFC, SCA, SDFCS, WFCC
Minari (7) - AFCA, NCFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, OFTA, PCC, UFCA
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (3) - BFCC, CIC, PFCC
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (3) - DFCS, HFCS, SAG
Da 5 Bloods (2) - CIC, NBR
First Cow (2) - FFCC, NYFCC
Judas And The Black Messiah (2) - AAFCA, BRA
Another Round - EFA
Bad Boys For Life - NAACP
Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains - ICS
Rocks - BIFA
Small Axe - LAFCA
The United States vs. Billie Holiday - AARP

BEST DIRECTOR
Chloé Zhao (53) - AACTA, AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, BOFCA, BFCC, BSFC, CCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFCS, DFWFCA, DGA, FFCC, SALECA, GFCA, GG, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LEJA, LVFCS, MFCA, MSFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC, WAFCA
Regina King (4) - AAFCA, BFCC, BRA, UFCA
Spike Lee (3) - CIC, HFCS, NBR
Lee Isaac Chung - AFCA
Emerald Fennell - NFCS
Darius Marder - SCA
Steve McQueen - LFCC
Andrew Patterson - GOTHAM
Gina Prince-Bythewood - NAACP
Kelly Reichardt - ICS
Aaron Sorkin - AARP
Thomas Vinterberg - EFA
Remi Weekes - BIFA

BEST ACTRESS
Carey Mulligan (29) - AACTA, AFCA, AFCC, CCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GALECA, GFCA, HCA, HFCS, KCFCC, LAFCA, LEJA, MCFCA, MFCA, NBR, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFTA, PCC, PFCS, SCA, SDFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA, WFCC
Frances McDormand (26) - AWFJ, BAFTA, BOFCA, CFCA, DFCS, FFCC, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, LFCC, LVFCS, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, OFCC, OFCS, OSCAR, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA, VFCC, WAFCA
Viola Davis (6) - BFCC, BRA, CIC, NAACP, PFCC, SAG
Andra Day (2) - AAFCA, GG
Sidney Flanigan (2) - BSFC, NYFCC
Maria Bakalova - IPA
Paula Beer - EFA
Nicole Beharie - GOTHAM
Sophia Loren - AARP
Rosamund Pike - GG
Wunmi Mosaku - BIFA
Isabel Sandoval - ICS

BEST ACTOR
Chadwick Boseman (29) - AACTA, AAFCA, AWFJ, BFCC, BRA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, DFCS, DFWFCA, GALECA, GG, IFCA, LAFCA, LEJA, LFCC, MFCA, MSFCA, NAACP, OFTA, PCC, PFCS, SAG, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, VFCC, WAFCA, WFCC
Riz Ahmed (22) - AFCA, AFCC, COFCA, GFCA, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LVFCS, NBR, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, SCA, SDFCS, SFCS, SPIRIT, TFCA, UFCA
Delroy Lindo (11) - BOFCA, DFCS, HCA, HFCS, IFJA, MFCA, NCFCA, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, PFCC
Anthony Hopkins (7) - AARP, BAFTA, BIFA, BSFC, FFCC, NFCS, OSCAR
Sacha Baron Cohen (2) - GG, IPA
Mads Mikkelsen - EFA
Aditya Modak - ICS
Steven Yeun - NTFCA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Youn Yuh-jung (37) - AFCA, AWFJ, BAFTA, BFCC, BSFC, COFCA, DFCS, GALECA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, IFCA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LEJA, MCFCA, MFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFTA, OSCAR, PCC, PFCS, SAG, SCA, SEFCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA, VFCC, WAFCA
Maria Bakalova (16) - AFCC, BOFCA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, FFCC, HFCS, IFJA, LFCC, MCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, TFCA, UFCA
Amanda Seyfried (4) - DFWFCA, IPA, LVFCS, PFCC
Ellen Burstyn (2) - DFCS, NYFCO
Dominque Fishback (2) - AAFCA, BRA
Jodie Foster (2) - AARP, GG
Kosar Ali - BIFA
Sônia Braga - ICS
Glenn Close - NFCS
Olivia Colman - AACTA
Olivia Cooke - HFCS
Phylicia Rashad - NAACP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Daniel Kaluuya (22) - AAFCA, AFCA, BAFTA, BRA, CCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GALECA, GG, LEJA, LVFCS, MFCA, NFCS, OAFFC, OFTA, OSCAR, PCC, PFCS, SAG, SFCS, TFCA, VFCC
Paul Raci (19) - AFCC, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, COFCA, FFCC, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFCA, NBR, NSFC, OFCC, SCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SPIRIT, StLFCA
Leslie Odom Jr. (9) - AWFJ, BFCC, HFCS, IFJA, KCFCC, NYFCO, OFCS, UFCA, WAFCA
Sacha Baron Cohen (7) - AACTA, DFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NTFCA, SEFCA
Chadwick Boseman (5) - CIC, IPA, NAACP, NYFCC, PFCC
Francisco Barreiro - ICS
Demián Bichir - AARP
D’angelou Osei Kissiedu - BIFA
Shaun Parkes - LFCC
Glynn Turman - LAFCA

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Nomadland (20) - AFCA, AWFJ, CCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, NCFCA, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, SEFCA, USC, WAFCA
The Father (7) - BAFTA, BIFA, IPA, NFCS, OSCAR, SCA, SDFCS
One Night In Miami (6) - AAFCA, HCA, LEJA, LVFCS, PCC, PFCS
I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (5) - BOFCA, BSFC, FFCC, StLFCA, UFCA
First Cow (4) - DFCS, ICS, PFCC, SFBAFCC
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2) - BFCC, CIC
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm - WGA
News Of The World - NBR

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Promising Young Woman (28) - AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, CCA, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, GALECA, GFCA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, MFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, SFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA, WAFCA, WGA
Minari (11) - AFCA, BFCC, DFCS, FFCC, LEJA, NBR, NCFCA, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, TFCA
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (10) - AACTA, AARP, CIC, DFCS, GG, HFCS, MCFCA, PFCS, UFCA, VFCC
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always (7) - CFCA, GWNYFCA, IFJA, NSFC, NYFCC, OAFFC, WFCC
The Forty-Year-Old-Version (3) - BRA, GOTHAM, NAACP
Another Round - EFA
Bacurau - ICS
Fourteen - GOTHAM
Judas And The Black Messiah - LVFCS

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nomadland (36) - AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, BOFCA, BSFC, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, LEJA, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCS, OFTA, PFCC, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA
Mank (6) - ASC, FFCC, IPA, OFCC, OSCAR, SCA
Tenet (4) - BFCC, HFCS, NFCS, NTFCA
Small Axe (2) - LAFCA, NYFCC
Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains - ICS
First Cow - SFBAFCC
Hidden Away - EFA
I'm Thinking Of Ending Things - PCC
Malcolm & Marie - BRA
Saint Maud - BIFA
The Vast Of Night - KCFCC

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (10) - BAFTA, CCA, CDG, CIC, HFCS, LVFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PFCS, SFCS
Emma. (3) - CFCA, LEJA, SDFCS
The Personal History Of David Copperfield (2) - HCA, IPA
Hidden Away - EFA
Jingle Jangle - BRA
Misbehaviour - BIFA
Mulan - CDG
Promising Young Woman - CDG

BEST FILM EDITING
Nomadland (11) - AFCA, AWFJ, BOFCA, GWNYFCA, LEJA, NDFS, OFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (10) - ACE, CCA, CIC, COFCA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, MCFCA, PFCS, UFCA
Sound Of Metal (6) - BAFTA, CCA, LVFCS, MFCA, OFTA, OSCAR
The Father (2) - BIFA, LAFCA
I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (2) - BSFC, CFCA
The Invisible Man (2) - MCFCA, SDFCS
Once More Unto The Breach - EFA
Palm Springs - ACE
Tenet - WAFCA
The Wasteland - ICS

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (7) - BAFTA, CCA, CIC, HCA, LEJA, MUAHS, OSCAR
Birds Of Prey (2) - MUAHS, OFTA
The Endless Trench - EFA
Mank - HFCS
Misbehaviour - BIFA
Pinocchio - MUAHS

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Soul (34) - AFCA, AFCC, BAFTA, BOFCA, BRA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, FFCC, GFCA, GG, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, HMMA, LAFCA, LEJA, LVFCS, MFCA, NCFCA, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCC, PFCS, SCL, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA
Tenet (4) - HMMA, IFJA, MCFCA, SCA
Mank (3) - DFWFCA, HFCS, NDFS
David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2) - HMMA, IFMCA
Minari (2) - BSFC, HMMA
Berlin Alexanderplatz - EFA
Blizzard Of Souls - SCL
The Call Of The Wild - IFMCA
Fukushima 50 - IFMCA
The Invisible Man - HMMA
The Midnight Sky - IPA
News Of The World - HMMA
Nomadland - IFCA
The Personal History Of David Copperfield - IFMCA
Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time - ICS
Wolfwalkers - IFMCA
Wonder Woman 1984 - IFMCA

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
One Night In Miami (12) - BRA, CCA, CIC, DFCS, GFCA, HFCS, HFCS, IFCA, LEJA, MCFCA, OFTA, PFCS
The Life Ahead (3) - GG, HMMA, IPA
Eurovision (2) - HCA, SCL
Judas And The Black Messiah (2) - LVFCS, OSCAR
Giving Voice - HMMA
The Outpost - HMMA
Over The Moon - NDFS
Trolls: World Tour - HMMA

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mank (23) - ADG, BAFTA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, FFCC, GFCA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, LAFCA, LVFCS, MCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PFCS, SDFCS, SDSA, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA
Tenet (2) - ADG, SDSA
Birds Of Prey - MFCA
Da 5 Bloods - ADG
First Cow - SFBAFCC
His House - BIFA
Jingle Jangle - BRA
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - LEJA
The Personal History Of David Copperfield - EFA
Promising Young Woman - SDSA
A Portuguesa - ICS
Soul - ADG

BEST SOUND
Sound Of Metal (10) - BAFTA, CAS, DFCS, HFCS, ICS, IPA, LEJA, MFCA, OFTA, OSCAR
Greyhound - MPSE
Little Girl - EFA
The Reason I Jump - BIFA

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Tenet (14) - BAFTA, CCA, DFCS, HFCS, HFCS, IPA, MFCA, NCFCA, NFCS, OSCAR, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA
The Invisible Man (6) - CFCA, CIC, HCA, LEJA, LVFCS, OFTA
Mank - VES
The Midnight Sky - VES
Mulan - VES
The One And Only Ivan - VES
The Platform - EFA
Possessor - FFCC
Project Power - VES
Soul - VES

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Soul (39) - AAFCA, AFCC, ANNIE, AWFJ, BAFTA, BFCC, CCA, CIC, DFCS, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GFCA, GG, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, LEJA, LVFCS, MSFCA, NAACP, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, PGA, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, WAFCA
Wolfwalkers (17) - AFCA, ANNIE, BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, MFCA, NYFCC, OAFFC, SDFCS, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA
Josep (2) - EFA, ICS
The Wolf House - BSFC

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Another Round (19) - AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, CFCA, EFA, GFCA, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, OSCAR, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA
Minari (15) - AFCA, CCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GALECA, GG, GWNYFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCS, OFTA, PCC, SFCS, VFCC
La Llorona (6) - BSFC, HCA, IPA, LEJA, NBR, WFCC
Night Of The Kings (4) - AAFCA, BFCC, BRA, NAACP
Bacurau (3) - BOFCA, NYFCC, TFCA
Collective (2) - AARP, NSFC
The Life Ahead (2) - HFCS, SDFCS
And Then We Danced - NDFS
A Sun - HFCS
Beanpole - LAFCA
His House - CIC
Identifying Features - GOTHAM
Jumbo - PFCC
Los Fuertes - FFCC
Martin Eden - OFCC
Quo Vadis Aida? - SPIRIT

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Time (14) - AFCC, BFCC, BRA, DFWFCA, GFCA, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, LAFCA, NBR, NYFCC, OFTA, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA
Collective (10) - BSFC, CEHA, EFA, IPA, LFCC, OAFFC, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC
Dick Johnson Is Dead (9) - CCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, IFCA, IFJA, NCFCA, OFCS, UFCA
Boys State (8) - AFCA, CIC, DFCS, LVFCS, OFCC, PCC, PFCS, WAFCA
All In: The Fight For Democracy (5) - AAFCA, AWFJ, HCA, NDFS, NTFCA
My Octopus Teacher (4) - BAFTA, HFCS, OSCAR, PGA
The Dissident (2) - KCFCC, NFCS
The Painter And The Thief (2) - AWFJ, BOFCA
Crip Camp - (2) IDA, SPIRIT
Beastie Boys Story - HFCS
Class Action Park - HCA
Disclosure - GALECA
The History of the Seattle Mariners: Supercut Edition - SFCS
Mucho Amor - LEJA
John Lewis: Good Trouble - NAACP
The Reason I Jump - BIFA
A Secret Love - AARP
The Social Dilemma - MCFCA
Stuntwomen: The Untold Holywood Story -WFCC
A Thousand Cuts - GOTHAM
The Way I See It - NYFCO
Welcome To Chechnya - GALECA
The Year Of The Discovery - ICS
You Don't Nomi - FFCC

Authors

Nicole Ackman
Dan Bayer
Danilo Castro
Casey Lee Clark
Cody Dericks
Bianca Garner
Zach Gilbert
Daniel Howat
Lauren LaMagna
Will Mavity
Matt Neglia
Tom O'Brien
Josh Parham
Michael Schwartz
Amanda Spears

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