By Will Mavity
Another year, another Oscars Visual Effects bake-off. For a refresher, the Academy Visual Effects branch assembles every year to view 15-minute presentations of each of the 10 shortlisted finalists for the visual effects Oscar. Voters then rate the presentations, resulting in the 5 nominees. A good presentation can result in a nomination for an unexpected film ("Deepwater Horizon") and a poor presentation can kill a perceived frontrunner’s chances ("Tron: Legacy"). It is always worth considering Variety’s David S. Cohen’s breakdown of factors at play in any given VFX bake-off...
This year the 10 films in competition were.... Gemini Man
Although "Gemini Man" was shot in 120 FPS, the Academy projectors could only project at 60 FPS. The projection showcased the film’s hyper-realistic appearance. It almost appeared video-game-like at times. The presentation emphasized the combination of body doubles and motion capture to create twin Will Smiths (they actually created digital versions of both young and old Smith). Because of the high frame rate, the work had to be incredibly precise down to the smallest detail (we’re talking grains of skin). The effects team spent two years perfecting the film’s VFX and 40 weeks on post-production. There was only one audience question and a polite applause after.
The Irishman
The VFX team on "The Irishman" opted not to use traditional visual effects techniques for de-aging, so as not to impede on the cast’s performances. As such, there was no motion-capture, no tracking dots on faces, etc. Instead, the VFX team was tasked with tweaking the footage as it was shot on set. They used light and texture as tracking markers instead. The team strove, not to replicate the younger selves of the actors, but rather to create realistic younger versions of the characters. The reel wisely avoided showing the more awkward looking moments of Robert De Niro moving like an older man while appearing young in the face.
|
BEST PICTURE Nomadland (30) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, CIC, DFWFCA, GG, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LFCC, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, OFCS, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, TFCA, TIFF, VENICE, VFCC, WAFCA Promising Young Woman (7) - COFCA, KCFCC, MCFCA, NFCS, OAFFC, SCA, SDFCS Minari (4) - NCFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, UFCA Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (3) - BFCC, CIC, PFCC Da 5 Bloods (2) - CIC, NBR First Cow (2) - FFCC, NYFCC The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2) - DFCS, HFCS Another Round - EFA Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains - ICS Rocks - BIFA Small Axe - LAFCA BEST DIRECTOR Chloé Zhao (38) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BFCC, BSFC, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, MSFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Spike Lee (3) - CIC, HFCS, NBR Regina King (2) - BFCC, UFCA Emerald Fennell - NFCS Darius Marder - SCA Steve McQueen - LFCC Andrew Patterson - GOTHAM Kelly Reichardt - ICS Thomas Vinterberg - EFA Remi Weekes - BIFA BEST ACTRESS Frances McDormand (22) - AWFJ, BOFCA, CFCA, FFCC, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, LFCC, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, OFCC, OFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Carey Mulligan (17) - AFCC, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, HFCS, KCFCC, LAFCA, MCFCA, NBR, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, PFCS, SCA, SDFCS, StLFCA Viola Davis (3) - BFCC, CIC, PFCC Sidney Flanigan (2) - BSFC, NYFCC Maria Bakalova - IPA Paula Beer - EFA Nicole Beharie - GOTHAM Andra Day - GG Rosamund Pike - GG Wunmi Mosaku - BIFA Isabel Sandoval - ICS BEST ACTOR Riz Ahmed (18) - AFCC, COFCA, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, NBR, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, SCA, SDFCS, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA Chadwick Boseman (17) - AWFJ, BFCC, CFCA, CIC, DFCS, DFWFCA, GG, IFCA, LAFCA, LFCC, MSFCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Delroy Lindo (8) - BOFCA, HFCS, IFJA, NCFCA, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, PFCC Anthony Hopkins (4) - BIFA, BSFC, FFCC, NFCS Sacha Baron Cohen (2) - GG, IPA Mads Mikkelsen - EFA Aditya Modak - ICS Steven Yeun - NTFCA BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Youn Yuh-jung (24) - AWFJ, BFCC, BSFC, COFCA, GWNYFCA, IFCA, KCFCC, LAFCA, MCFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, PFCS, SCA, SEFCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Maria Bakalaova (15) - AFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, CIC, FFCC, HFCS, IFJA, LFCC, MCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, TFCA, UFCA Amanda Seyfried (3) - DFWFCA, IPA, PFCC Ellen Burstyn (2) - DFCS, NYFCO Kosar Ali - BIFA Sônia Braga - ICS Glenn Close - NFCS Olivia Cooke - HFCS Jodie Foster - GG BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Paul Raci (16) - AFCC, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, COFCA, FFCC, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, NBR, NSFC, OFCC, SCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, StLFCA Leslie Odom Jr. (9) - AWFJ, BFCC, HFCS, IFJA, KCFCC, NYFCO, OFCS, UFCA, WAFCA Daniel Kaluuya (8) - DFWFCA, GG, NFCS, OAFFC, PFCS, SFCS, TFCA, VFCC Sacha Baron Cohen (6) - DFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NTFCA, SEFCA Chadwick Boseman (4) - CIC, IPA, NYFCC, PFCC Francisco Barreiro - ICS D’angelou Osei Kissiedu - BIFA Shaun Parkes - LFCC Glynn Turman - LAFCA BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Nomadland (14) - AWFJ, CFCA, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, NCFCA, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, SEFCA, WAFCA The Father (5) - BIFA, IPA, NFCS, SCA, SDFCS 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 News Of The World - NBR One Night In Miami - PFCS BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Promising Young Woman (18) - AFCC, AWFJ, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA Minari (8) - BFCC, FFCC, NBR, NCFCA, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, TFCA The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (8) - CIC, DFCS, GG, HFCS, MCFCA, PFCS, UFCA, VFCC Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always (6) - CFCA, GWNYFCA, IFJA, NSFC, NYFCC, OAFFC Another Round - EFA Bacurau - ICS The Forty-Year-Old-Version - GOTHAM Fourteen - GOTHAM BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Nomadland (26) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, MCFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Mank (4) - FFCC, IPA, OFCC, SCA Tenet (4) - BFCC, HFCS, NFCS, NTFCA Small Axe (2) - LAFCA, NYFCC Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains - ICS First Cow - SFBAFCC Hidden Away - EFA Saint Maud - BIFA The Vast Of Night - KCFCC BEST COSTUME DESIGN Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (4) - CIC, HFCS, PFCS, SFCS Emma. (2) - CFCA, SDFCS Hidden Away - EFA Misbehaviour - BIFA The Personal History Of David Copperfield - IPA BEST FILM EDITING Nomadland (8) - AWFJ, BOFCA, GWNYFCA, NDFS, OFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (7) - CIC, COFCA, HFCS, IPA, MCFCA, PFCS, UFCA 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 Tenet - WAFCA The Wasteland - ICS BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING The Endless Trench - EFA Mank - HFCS Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - CIC Misbehaviour - BIFA BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Soul (22) - AFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, FFCC, GG, GWNYFCA, HFCS, HMMA, LAFCA, NCFCA, OFCC, OFCS, 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 (7) - CIC, DFCS, HFCS, HFCS, IFCA, MCFCA, PFCS The Life Ahead (3) - GG, HMMA, IPA Eurovision - SCL Giving Voice - HMMA The Outpost - HMMA Over The Moon - NDFS Trolls: World Tour - HMMA BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Mank (14) - CFCA, CIC, FFCC, HFCS, IPA, LAFCA, MCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA First Cow - SFBAFCC His House - BIFA The Personal History Of David Copperfield - EFA A Portuguesa - ICS BEST SOUND Sound Of Metal (3) - HFCS, ICS, IPA Little Girl - EFA The Reason I Jump - BIFA BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Tenet (10) - DFCS, HFCS, HFCS, IPA, NCFCA, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA The Invisible Man (2) - CFCA, CIC The Platform - EFA Possessor - FFCC BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Soul (27) - AFCC, AWFJ, BFCC, CCA, CIC, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, MSFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, WAFCA Wolfwalkers (13) - BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, GWNYFCA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, NYFCC, OAFFC, SDFCS, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA Josep (2) - EFA, ICS The Wolf House - BSFC BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Another Round (15) - AFCC, AWFJ, CFCA, EFA, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, MCFCA, NCFCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Minari (10) - COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GG, GWNYFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCS, SFCS, VFCC Bacurau (3) - BOFCA, NYFCC, TFCA La Llorona (3) - BSFC, IPA, NBR The Life Ahead (2) - HFCS, SDFCS And Then We Danced - NDFS A Sun - HFCS Beanpole - LAFCA Collective - NSFC His House - CIC Identifying Features - GOTHAM Jumbo - PFCC Los Fuertes - FFCC Martin Eden - OFCC Night Of The Kings - BFCC BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Time (11) - AFCC, BFCC, DFWFCA, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, LAFCA, NBR, NYFCC, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA Collective (9) - BSFC, EFA, IPA, LFCC, OAFFC, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC Dick Johnson Is Dead (8) - CCA, CFCA, COFCA, IFCA, IFJA, NCFCA, OFCS, UFCA Boys State (5) - CIC, DFCS, OFCC, PFCS, WAFCA All In: The Fight For Democracy (3) - AWFJ, NDFS, NTFCA The Dissident (2) - KCFCC, NFCS The Painter And The Thief (2) - AWFJ, BOFCA Beastie Boys Story - HFCS Crip Camp - IDA The History of the Seattle Mariners: Supercut Edition - SFCS My Octopus Teacher - HFCS The Reason I Jump - BIFA The Social Dilemma - MCFCA A Thousand Cuts - GOTHAM The Way I See It - NYFCO The Year Of The Discovery - ICS You Don't Nomi - FFCC AuthorsNicole Ackman Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
|