VES Nominations & Final Visual Effects Oscar Predictions
Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 1:00PM
NATHANIEL R in Ant-Man, Avengers: Infinity War, Christopher Robin, First Man, Oscars (18), Ready Player One, Solo, Visual FX, Welcome to Marwen, precursor awards

by Nathaniel R

on the set of Solo: A Star Wars Story

The Visual Effects Society have released their nominations for the year. Avengers: Infinity War, Incredible 2, and Lost in Space lead the nominations in the movie, animated movie, and television divisions.  The full list of nominations, Oscar predictions, and a few comments follow...

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Black Panther was entirely shut out, not just in this top category, which is a marked contrast here given its win at the Critics Choice Awards. But as strong as Black Panther is in some craft areas its effects work isn't as strong as its Marvel companions this year. That said we still think it has a great shot at a nomination at the Oscars due to affection for the film overall (which never hurts in any category). Annihiliation, which didn't make the Oscar finals much to our confusion, was also shut out of the VES nominations. 

This category is where you look to see the Oscar correlative since it's an overall category and because Oscar rarely rewards "supporting" visual effects. Here's a sampling of how correlative the awards have been in past years

2018: TBD
2017: 5/5 different winners
2016: 3/5 same winner
2015: 3/5 different winners -Ex Machina, the surprise Oscar winner, received zero VES nods
2014: 4/5 different winners -VES had 6 nominees that year so a better chance of correlating
2013: 4/5 same winner
2012: 4/5 same winner
2011: 3/5 different winners -Hugo, the Oscar winner, wasn't nominated in the main category of the VES but won the "supporting" category.
2010: 4/5 same winner

It's hard to make out any patterns on what stays or goes other than the fact that if a film has heat in other categories, it's more likely to show up at the Oscars even if it was snubbed at VES. Though even that isn't always the case for what they drop or add.

FINAL OSCAR PREDICTIONS THEN? We're still ruminating on this category. Avengers: Infinity War and Ready Player One feel like the only locks of the 10 finalists. Ant-Man and the Wasp and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom feel like the only unlikelies (we personally love the Ant-Man effects so these are not qualitative judgments) which leaves six films fighting for three slots. How to choose between First Man, Black Panther, Christopher Robin, Mary Poppins Returns, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Welcome to Marwen? It's a tough call but tossing a coin and assuming affection for the film puts Black Panther over the finish line, Star Wars' track record (only one Star Wars film Revenge of the Sith has missed in this category and back then they only had 3 nominees) helps Solo, and... Welcome to Marwen surprises?

OKAY BACK TO THE VES NOMINATIONS

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Some truly bizarre nominees, apart from First Man,  which has a good shot at an Oscar nomination in the visual fx category.  What kind of effects did Bohemian Rhapsody and Bird Box have? We've seen both films but don't remember any visual effects from either... Bird Box's whole thing is that you can't see its paranormal (?) alien (?) metaphoric (?) threat so we're having trouble remembering any effects beyond a couple of people having strange eyes. 

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode 

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode 

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial

John Lewis & Partners- The Boy and The Piano from Factory Studios on Vimeo.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project

Have to admit this category will need to be explained to us. It seems to be a mix of live concerts, theater AND films, which is confusing. Obviously it must make sense to visual effects artists.

 

Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature


Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature 

OHMYGOD... how impressive was Ralphzilla? I didn't even like Ralph Breaks the Internet but those effects were unbelievable. Helen Barr and not Jack-Jack in Incredibles 2. Jack-Jack is the MVP and also probably the most complicated to animate given all the shape-shifting. 

 

Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project 

Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial 

Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature 

A bit strange to not see Wakanda here, though. We're now going to pretend that the Quantum Realm nomination is for Michelle Pfeiffer; Congratulations Michelle Pfeiffer on your VES nomination, a first for an actress! (ahhhh, that was satisfying

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature

Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project 

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project

Hmmm. Have to admit Aquaman lost me a bit in that Third Act Battle. Too much too look at, a busy chaotic mish mash of CGI. 

 

Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project 

For a second we forget that Mortal Engines was a movie that existed. But its travelling city is nominated here! Did any of you see it? 

 

Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature

Ah, here's Wakanda. But the nomination goes to Infinity War rather than Black Panther. 

 

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature 

A bit confusing to have whole films competing with specific specific effects, don't you think?

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project

And a whole series competing with individual episodes? Strange. 

Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Feature


Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode

Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Commercial

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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