ASC Nominees and "Spotlight" Cinematographers
Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 12:03PM The Cinematographer's guild has spoken and they basically went with mainstream Best Picture frontrunners as is their habit. The five theatrical nominees are...
- Roger Deakins for 1917
- Phaedon Papamichael for Ford V Ferrari
- Rodrigo Prieto for The Irishman
- Robert Richardson for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Lawrence Sher for Joker
All but Sher are familiar to the Oscar race having been nominated before, particular Deakins (14 nominations / 1 win) and Richards (9 nominations / 3 wins).
Their "spotlight" nominees -- a fairly new category -- are always more interesting since they tend to be far removed from the Oscar race...
It's a cool prize for up and coming DPs. The nominees there are:
- Jarin Blaschke for The Lighthouse
- Natasha Braier for Honey Boy
- Jasper Wolf for Monos
You can safely assume that the five pictures in the main category are now the frontrunners for the Oscar nominations which is a smidge disappointing since it leaves out gorgeously lensed movies like Parasite, Portrait of a Lady, Atlantics, Ad Astra, Pain and Glory, The Lighthouse... etcetera as your mileage varies. But then 5 is never enough spots for such a rich area of filmmaking.
That said the ASC and Oscar match 5/5 only about half the time. Here's an example of the different lineups in the past decade with the differing films in bold and the winners marked by stars...
| 2018 ASC | 2018 OSCAR |
| Cold War ★ The Favourite First Man Roma A Star is Born |
Cold War The Favourite Never Look Away Roma ★ A Star is Born |
| 2017 ASC | 2017 OSCAR |
| Blade Runner 2049 ★ Darkest Hour Dunkirk Mudbound The Shape of Water |
Blade Runner 2049 ★ Darkest Hour Dunkirk Mudbound The Shape of Water |
| 2016 ASC | 2016 OSCAR |
| Arrival La La Land Lion ★ Moonlight Silence |
Arrival La La Land ★ Lion Moonlight Silence |
| 2015 ASC | 2015 OSCAR |
| Bridge of Spies Carol Mad Max Fury Road The Revenant ★ Sicario |
Carol Hateful Eight Mad Max Fury Road The Revenant ★ Sicario |
| 2014 ASC | 2014 OSCAR |
| Birdman ★ Grand Budapest Hotel Imitation Game Mr Turner Unbroken |
Birdman ★ Grand Budapest Hotel Ida Mr Turner Unbroken |
| 2013 ASC | 2013 OSCAR |
| 12 Years a Slave Captain Phillips The Grandmaster Gravity ★ Inside Llewyn Davis Nebraska Prisoners |
The Grandmaster Gravity ★ Inside Llewyn Davis Nebraska Prisoners |
| 2012 ASC | 2012 OSCAR |
| Anna Karenina Les Miserables Life of Pi Lincoln Skyfall ★ |
Anna Karenina Django Unchained Life of Pi ★ Lincoln Skyfall |
| 2011 ASC | 2011 OSCAR |
| The Artist Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Hugo Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy The Tree of Life ★ |
The Artist Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Hugo ★ The Tree of Life War Horse |
| 2010 ASC | 2010 OSCAR |
| Black Swan Inception ★ The King's Speech The Social Network True Grit |
Black Swan Inception ★ The King's Speech The Social Network True Grit |
2013 is the anomaly because it's hard to say how well the list lined up since the ASC inexplicably included 7 nominees (something they've never done before or since).
If anything is vulnerable from the ASC list it's likely either The Irishman (since the work is less showy than the others) or Ford V Ferrari (since that film doesn't have quite as much Best Picture heat). But what would prove a spoiler? It's difficult to say at this juncture.
That said we hope the nominees and winners don't totally lineup. It's always fun when they don't and why not spread the wealth with so many awards worthy options out there each year? The ASC win for Cold War last season was such a (good) shock.
Reader Comments (13)
Ford V Ferrari is very well shot but quite surprising to me.
I've seen all the five except 1917. I think The Irishman is the least distinguished achievement. It's well shot but nothing special. Ford v. Ferrari and Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood are brilliantly shot from first frame to last. Joker has some excellent lighting and colour schemes.
Terrible! So disappointing. For all its merits, "The Irishman" is among the least visually interesting things Scorsese has ever done. Here's hoping the Academy does some course correction ("Portrait" or "Lighthouse" please, to say nothing of "A Hidden Life?").
I think the nominees this year for the Oscars will be
1917
Once upon a Time in Hollywood (If the academy choose for Pain and Glory, oh Lord, what a thrill!)
Joker
Portrait of a lady on fire
The lighthouse
We all should know that the academy is more international in the craft fields than in the acting field, so, having for "foreign" nominated is a commitment to this people and I am ok with that. Choose the best, doesn't matter where they come from.
"Ford vs Ferrari " should be nominated for cinematography and editing
asc motto: no chicks allowed [offscreen or - barely - on]
The Lighthouse is exquisite. The ASC can usually be counted on supporting some of the true beauties out there, but sadly missed the boat this year.
1917 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood aside (and those two for technical merit, not the look itself), this is pretty "meh" of them.
I find this year's nominations so damn boring. I really hope The Lighthouse surprises with an Oscar nomination.
I tink Portrait of a Lady on Fire will replace one o the five, most likely The Irishman.
Claire Mathon is winning alotsa critics awards for both this n Atlantics.
If one more spot opens up, I hope it goes to Yorick Le Saux! 😁
I feel like Portrait of a Lady on Fire has been peaking at the right time for this category and suspect it may get in ahead of Ford v Ferrari. But that's probably also just wishful thinking as I think this ASC line-up is dull as dishwater. A well-executed gimmick that doesn't work within the confines of the film itself (1917), a rip-off of far better movies' style (Joker), a handsome albeit an overly grey Scorsese picture and whatever Ford V Ferrari is. Richardson's work was great though - I saw it on film and it really allowed the atmosphere to permeate.
I don't usually like Robert Richardson's work but I like his sunsets in the Tarantino movie.
I find very interesting The Irishman's ugliness.
I'm pretty disappointed in The Irishman and Joker's nominations. So dull, not only in terms of choosing only from among the films with buzz but also in color palette.
The nominations in the Spotlight category are also rather sad. That category has recently highlighted a lot of obscure foreign films. The past three winners are from Georgia, Estonia, and Georgia! Amazing! This year's nominations of Honey Boy and The Lighthouse feel like that weird category for "Independent Film" at NBR... total second-class citizens deemed not to have enough Best Picture heat to make the actual nominations.
I'm hoping Oscar rectifies these wrongs and nominations The Lighthouse and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
Joker looks great in the long shots, and is certainly well-shot, but based on my viewing, I'd say no. The Irishman is great but a little dull off memory.
The Lighthouse...B/W films always get in, so hope it does. Parasite certainly deserves.