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
The Power Of The Dog (33) - AACTA, AFCA, AWFJ, BAFTA, BOFCA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GALECA, GG, HFCS, KCFCC, LEJA, LFCC, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCS, OFTA, PCC, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, UFCA, VFCC
Belfast (7) - AARP, IFCA, IPA, LVFCS, PFCS, TIFF, WAFCA
CODA (6) - CIC, HCA, NFCS, OSCAR, PGA, SAG
Drive My Car (6) - BSFC, LAFCA, NSFC, NYFCC, SFCS, TFCA
Licorice Pizza (5) - AFCC, GFCA, NBR, OFCC, StLFCA
The Green Knight (2) - NTFCA, PCA
Happening (2) - ICS, VENICE
The Harder They Fall (2) - AAFCA, NAACP
King Richard (2) - BFCC, BRA
The Lost Daughter (2) - GOTHAM, SPIRIT
After Love - BIFA
Cyrano - DFCS
Last Night In Soho - HFCS
Mass - IFJA
Pig - GWNYFCA
Quo Vadis, Aida? - EFA
Tick, Tick...Boom! - IPA
Titane - CANNES
The Tragedy of Macbeth - CACF
West Side Story - GG
The Worst Person In The World - IFSC

BEST DIRECTOR
Jane Campion (52) - AARP, AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, BOFCA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, DGA, FFCC, GALECA, GFCA, GG, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, ICS, IFCA, IFCS, IFJA, IFSC, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LEJA, LFCC, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PCC, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, TFCA, UFCA, VENICE, WAFCA
Denis Villeneuve (6) - AACTA, BFCC, CACF, HCA, NTFCA, VFCC
Ryūsuke Hamaguchi (3) - BSFC, NSFC, SFCS
Guillermo del Toro (2) - HFCS, NFCS
Maggie Gyllenhaal (2) - GOTHAM, SPIRIT
Jeymes Samuel (2) - AAFCA, BRA
Paul Thomas Anderson - NBR
Kenneth Branagh - PFCS
Leos Carax - CANNES
Alex Khan - BIFA
Shaka King - NAACP
Lin-Manuel Miranda - DFCS
Steven Spielberg - LVFCS
Jasmila Zbanic - EFA

BEST ACTRESS
Kristen Stewart (27) - AFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GALECA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFCS, IFJA, IPA, MFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NTFCA, OAFFC, OFTA, PCA, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA, WFCC
Jessica Chastain (8) - CCA, DFCS, HFCS, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, OSCAR, SAG
Olivia Colman (8) - AWFJ, GOTHAM, KCFCC, LFCC, OFCS, SFBAFCC, TFCA, VFCC
Alana Haim (7) - AFCC, BSFC, COFCA, FFCC, GFCA, IPA, OFCC
Penelope Cruz (5) - LAFCA, LEJA, NSFC, SDFCS, VENICE
Tessa Thompson (4) - BFCC, BRA, CIC, NYFCO
Nicole Kidman (3) - AACTA, AARP, GG
Renate Reinsve (3) - CACF, CANNES, IFSC
Lady Gaga (2) - IFCA, NYFCC
Jennifer Hudson (2) - AAFCA, NAACP
Joanna Scanlan (2) - BAFTA, BIFA
Rachel Zegler (2) - GG, NBR
Caitriona Balfe - SDFCS
Jasna Duricic - EFA
Lee Hye-yeong - ICS
Emilia Jones - UFCA
Taylour Paige - SPIRIT
Agathe Rousselle - AFCA

BEST ACTOR
Benedict Cumberbatch (26) - AACTA, AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LFCC, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, PCA, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC
Nicolas Cage (13) - AFCA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCS, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NTFCA, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA
Will Smith (12) - AAFCA, AARP, BAFTA, BFCC, BRA, CCA, GG, NAACP, NBR, OSCAR, SAG, WFCC
Andrew Garfield (11) - CACF, CIC, GG, HCA, IFCA, IFSC, IPA, LEJA, OAFFC, VFCC, WAFCA
Hidetoshi Nishijima (2) - BSFC, NSFC
Simon Rex (2) - LAFCA, SPIRIT
Adeel Akhtar - BIFA
John Arcilla - VENICE
Peter Dinklage - DFCS
Adam Driver - FFCC
Frankie Faison - GOTHAM
Oscar Isaac - IFJA
Caleb Landry Jones - CANNES
Jack Lowden - ICS
Denzel Washington - TFCA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Ariana DeBose (21) - BAFTA, CCA, DFCS, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GALECA, GFCA, GG, HCA, LAFCA, LEJA, LVFCS, MFCA, OAFFC, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PFCS, SAG, SFCS
Kirsten Dunst (11) - AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, IPA, NDFS, OFCC, OFCS, PCC, SEFCA, SFBAFCC
Ruth Negga (11) - CFCA, CIC, COFCA, GWNYFCA, ICS, LFCC, NSFC, NYFCO, PFCC, SDFCS, SPIRIT
Ann Dowd (9) - CACF, HFCS, IFSC, KCFCC, MCFCA, NCFCA, StLFCA, UFCA, VFCC
Aunjanue Ellis (8) - AAFCA, AARP, BFCC, BRA, CACF, NBR, NFCS, WAFCA
Jessie Buckley (2) - BSFC, TFCA
Caitríona Balfe - IFCA
Judi Dench - AACTA
Gaby Hoffmann - IFJA
Kathryn Hunter - NYFCC
Regina King - NAACP
Marlee Matlin - HFCS
Vinette Robinson - BIFA
Tilda Swinton - NTFCA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kodi Smit-McPhee (31) - AACTA, AFCA, AWFJ, BFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, HFCS, IFCA, IPA, LAFCA, LFCC, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, PFCC, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA
Troy Kotsur (15) - BAFTA, BSFC, CCA, GOTHAM, HCA, HFCS, IFJA, LEJA, LVFCS, MFCA, NFCS, OSCAR, SAG, SPIRIT, VFCC
Bradley Cooper (4) - AFCC, CACF, GFCA, TFCA
Ciarán Hinds (3) - KCFCC, NBR, PFCS
Jeffrey Wright (3) - CIC, NTFCA, PCA
Jason Isaacs (2) - IFSC, SDFCS
Talid Ariss - BIFA
Jon Bernthal - DFCS
Anders Danielsen Lie (2) - ICS, NSFC
Colman Domingo - BRA
Mike Faist - PCC
Corey Hawkins - AAFCA
Daniel Kaluuya - NAACP
Jared Leto - AARP
Vincent Lindon - LAFCA
J.K. Simmons - DFCS

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Power Of The Dog (33) - AWFJ, BFCC, BOFCA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GALECA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, LEJA, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, PCA, PFCC, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, WAFCA
Drive My Car (11) - AFCA, BSFC, CANNES, ICS, IFJA, IFSC, LAFCA, LFCC, NSFC, SFCS, TFCA
CODA (7) - BAFTA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, OSCAR, UFCA, WGA
The Lost Daughter (4) - GOTHAM, SPIRIT, USC, VENICE
West Side Story (2) - AARP, KCFCC
Nightmare Alley - NFCS
Passing - BRA
The Tragedy Of Macbeth - NBR

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Licorice Pizza (12) - AFCC, BAFTA, CFCA, COFCA, GFCA, KCFCC, NCFCA, NDFS, NYFCC, OFCC, PCC, SEFCA
Belfast (9) - AWFJ, CCA, GG, HFCS, IPA, LVFCS, OSCAR, PFCS, WAFCA
Mass (6) - CACF, HCA, IFJA, OFTA, SDFCS, StLFCA
Pig (5) - AFCA, CIC, DFCS, OAFFC, OFCS
Don't Look Up (4) - AAFCA, DFCS, VFCC, WGA
C'mon C'mon (2) - LEJA, SFBAFCC
Being The Ricardos - AACTA
Benediction - ICS
The French Dispatch - FFCC
A Hero - NBR
Judas And The Black Messiah - NAACP
King Richard - BFCC
The Mitchells vs. The Machines - UFCA
The Worst Person In The World - IFSC

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dune (22) - ASC, BAFTA, BFCC, CACF, DFWFCA, GFCA, HCA, HFCS, HFCS, IPA, LEJA, MFCA, NTFCA, OAFFC, OFCC, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, WAFCA
The Power Of The Dog (15) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BSC, BSFC, CCA, CFCA, FFCC, LAFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OFCS, StLFCA
The Tragedy Of Macbeth (7) - BRA, COFCA, KCFCC, MCFCA, NBR, PCC, SFBAFCC
The Green Knight (6) - AFCA, CIC, GWNYFCA, NSFC, SFCS, UFCA
Nightmare Alley (2) - NFCS, PFCC
West Side Story (2) - LVFCS, NYFCC
Benediction - ICS
Boiling Point - BIFA
Great Freedom - EFA
Passing - SPIRIT
Spencer - IFSC

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Cruella (12) - BAFTA, CCA, CIC, HCA, IFSC, LEJA, LVFCS, NDFS, OFTA, OSCAR, SDFCS, StLFCA
Dune (5) - MFCA, NCFCA, OFCS, PCA, PFCS
Ammonite - EFA
Cyrano - IPA
The Green Knight - SFCS
The Harder They Fall - BRA
House Of Gucci - HFCS
Spencer - CFCA
The Souvenir Part II - BIFA

BEST FILM EDITING
Dune (8) - AFCA, BOFCA, IPA, MFCA, OFTA, OSCAR, PFCS, SFCS
The Power Of The Dog (6) - AWFJ, GWNYFCA, LEJA, NDFS, OFCS, SFBAFCC
West Side Story (5) - CCA, CIC, COFCA, LVFCS, UFCA
Last Night In Soho (4) - HCA, HFCS, MCFCA, StLFCA
The French Dispatch (2) - CFCA, NCFCA
Tick, Tick...Boom! (2) - ACE, WAFCA
The Harder They Fall - BRA
In The Heights - SDFCS
King Richard - ACE
No Time To Die - BAFTA
The Souvenir Part II - BIFA
Summer Of Soul - LAFCA
Titane - IFSC
Unclenching The Fists - EFA
The Velvet Underground - BSFC
What Do We See When We Look At The Sky? - ICS
Zola - SPIRIT

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
The Eyes Of Tammy Faye (7) - BAFTA, CCA, CIC, HCA, NDFS, OFTA, OSCAR
Cruella (5) - HFCS, IFSC, LEJA, MUAHS, NCFCA
Being The Ricardos - MUAHS
Coming 2 America - MUAHS
The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain - BIFA
Dune - MFCA
Titane - EFA

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Dune (23) - AFCC, BAFTA, BOFCA, CACF, CCA, CIC, DFWFCA, FFCC, GFCA, GG, HCA, HMMA, IPA, MCFCA, NCFCA, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA
The Power Of The Dog (14) - AFCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, NDFS, OFCC, OFCS, PCC, PFCC, SFBAFCC, UFCA
Spencer (4) - BSFC, GWNYFCA, LVFCS, MFCA
Parallel Mothers (3) - HMMA, IFSC, LAFCA
Encanto (2) - LEJA, SCL
The Harder They Fall (2) - BRA, HFCS
The Addams Family 2 - HMMA
Ali & Ava - BIFA
Annette - ICS
C'mon C'mon - HMMA
Don't Look Up - HMMA
Great Freedom - EFA
The Green Knight - SCL
Julia - HMMA
A Quiet Place: Part II - HMMA

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
No Time To Die (18) - CACF, CCA, CIC, DFCS, GFCA, GG, HFCS, HFCS, HMMA, IFSC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, OFTA, OSCAR, PFCS, SCL
Encanto (3) - GMS, IPA, LEJA
Bruised - BRA
CODA - HMMA
Don't Look Up - SCL
The Harder They Fall - IFCA
King Richard - HCA
PAW Patrol: The Movie - HMMA
Rebel Hearts - HMMA

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Dune (14) - ADG, BAFTA, CCA, FFCC, GFCA, HFCS, LEJA, MCFCA, NCFCA, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, SDSA, WAFCA
Nightmare Alley (8) - ADG, CIC, HCA, MFCA, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFBAFCC
The French Dispatch (6) - CFCA, IFSC, NDFS, OFCS, SDSA, StLFCA
No Time To Die (2) - ADG, SDSA
The Souvenir Part II (2) - BIFA, ICS
The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2) - BRA, IPA
Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar - LAFCA
Being The Ricardos - SDSA
The Green Knight - SFCS
Natural Light - EFA
West Side Story - LVFCS

BEST SOUND
Dune (13) - BAFTA, CAS, IFSC, LEJA, MCFCA, MFCA, MPSE, NCFCA, NDFS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, SDFCS
Boiling Point - BIFA
The Innocents - EFA
Last Night In Soho - HFCS
Memoria - ICS
Tick, Tick...Boom! - IPA

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dune (25) - BAFTA, CCA, CFCA, DFCS, FFCC, HCA, HFCS, IFSC, IPA, LEJA, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, VES
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2) - CIC, HFCS
Dashcam - BIFA
Lamb - EFA

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Mitchells vs. The Machines (33) - AFCA, AFCC, ANNIE, AWFJ, BFCC, BOFCA, CACF, CCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, HFCS, KCFCC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, NFCS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, PCA, PCC, PFCS, SEFCA, StLFCA, WAFCA
Encanto (13) - AWFJ, BAFTA, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, IFCA, IPA, LEJA, MFCA, NAACP, NBR, NDFS, OSCAR
Flee (12) - BSFC, CFCA, DFCS, EFA, GALECA, IFJA, IFSC, LAFCA, PFCC, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA
The Crossing - ICS
Luca - SDFCS
Raya And The Last Dragon - NTFCA

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Drive My Car (34) - AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, CCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GFCA, GG, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFJA, IFSC, IPA, KCFCC, LFCC, MCFCA, NCFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCC, SEFCA, SFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA, TFCA, WAFCA
Flee (4) - BIFA, LVFCS, NDFS, UFCA
The Hand Of God (4) - BFCC, FFCC, HFCS, PFCS
The Worst Person In The World (4) - BOFCA, NYFCC, PCA, VFCC
Parallel Mothers (3) - CIC, LEJA, SDFCS
A Hero (2) - CACF, NBR
African America - BRA
Lamb - NTFCA
Petite Maman - LAFCA
Sheep Without A Shepherd - AARP
Titane - PFCC

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Summer Of Soul (45) - AAFCA, AARP, AFCA, AWFJ, BAFTA, BFCC, BRA, BSFC, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, HFCS, IFCA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LFCC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NTFCA, OFCC, OFCS, OSCAR, PCA, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, PGA, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, SPIRIT, TFCA, WAFCA
Flee (20) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, CACF, CEH, DFCS, EFA, GALECA, GOTHAM, IDA, IFSC, LEJA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFTA, StLFCA, VFCC
Attica - DGA
Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power - NAACP
The First Wave - UFCA
Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In Time - IFJA
Mr. Bachmann And His Class - ICS
Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche - BIFA

Authors

Nicole Ackman
Dan Bayer
Zoe Rose Bryant
Danilo Castro
Cody Dericks
Daniel Howat
Lauren LaMagna
Will Mavity
Matt Neglia
Tom O'Brien
Eve O'Dea
Josh Parham
Ema Sasic

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