In Contention

Tag: guild awards

  • ASC on the way

    Daniel Day-Lewis in NineAlong with the WGA, the American Society of Cinematographers will also be announcing nominees Monday.  Guesses as to which way they’ll go?

    I’d say the safest bet is Robert Richardson and his work on “Inglourious Basterds.” He often gets his due from the guild (eight nominations) even when he doesn’t from the Academy (five nominations).

    After that, it’s likely Barry Ackroyd, the most lauded of the season’s lensers in the critics awards circuit, will be chalked up for “The Hurt Locker.” But I think I have to come clean on something here.

    Due respect to Mr. Ackroyd, who is a considerable talent, his work on the film totally took me out of the narrative.  The slavish devotion to dizzying handheld work lacked the focus of the characters being depicted while attempting to somehow simulate the tension of their profession, and that, I think, was a misstep.

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  • Art Directors Guild nominees

    Johnny Depp in Public EnemiesI’ve had my eye on these because I’ve always felt that, if “Avatar” could slide in here, it might be able to get over any weird bias against the way it was designed (largely in computer, etc.). But after sitting down with Robert Stromberg yesterday, and with these nominations in mind, I feel better about its prospects for Oscar in the category now.

    I’m happy to see “The Lovely Bones” recognized, though I’m consistently baffled as to where the distinction is between “contemporary” and “period” with this film.  And can I also say, looking out over the slate of nominees, this is a damn fine year for art direction?  The 10 in period and fantasy could easily find their way to nominations.

    The obvious snub here is kind of a big one, I’d say: “Nine.” Despite the quality of the film, the below-the-line elements were exemplary.  I guess it wasn’t enough to overcome the film’s overall critical reception.  Oh, and big ups to Jess Gonchor, who I’ve said since day one was a threat for his and set decorator Nancy Haigh’s meticulous work on “A Serious Man.” Stay tuned next week for a Tech Support interview with the principals from that film

    Nominees after the jump.

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  • WGA on the way

    (from left) Quinton Aaron and Sandra Bullock in The Blind SideWith the DGA, SAG and PGA out of the way, it’s on to the fourth and final of the major guild announcements: the Writers Guild of America, which announces Monday.

    The WGA has seemingly instituted a slash and burn campaign on a number of the year’s hopefuls this season.  Go here, here and here for the details.  Alright, “slash and burn” isn’t really accurate.  If WGA brass wants to play “in the club,” that’s their prerogative.  No sense getting worked up over it.  But suffice it to say, the field is fairly wide open now and, at the end of the day, no one should really bother putting too much prognosticative stock into what we get from the guild next week, seeing as the AMPAS writers branch is likely to go with a number of the fallen.

    Still — it’s fun to guess at the picks, no?

    From where I stand there are still 10 really decent bets, and maybe five or six more that wouldn’t surprise me if they made it through.  Best Picture contenders “The Hurt Locker,” “Precious” and “Up in the Air” are probably the easiest picks of the bunch, but what about the other seven?

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  • DGA nominees announced

    Directors Guild of AmericaAlright, so, the safe bet wins the day.  The nominees are:

    James Cameron, “Avatar”
    Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
    Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
    Lee Daniels, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
    Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”

    None of my little hunches panned out at the end of the day, and really, this is classic DGA.  Best Picture frontrunners right…down…the…line.  It’s amazing to me that a membership this vast can so consistently have its finger on the pulse of the season (while, of course, consistently ignoring a great many outside-the-box contenders).

    Onward to the WGA, I suppose.  The needle stays frozen in place, for now.

  • ‘District 9,’ ‘In the Loop’ also ineligible for WGA

    District 9With all the WGA casualties popping up this morning I thought I’d track down the eligibility concerns of a handful of other films in the mix and, lo and behold, some other high-caliber work doesn’t make the cut with the guild.

    Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell’s “District 9,” for starters, is not eligible.  It was not written under the guild’s guidelines and contracts and the writers are not WGA signatories.

    Some people may have thought this mass clearing might have made way for “In the Loop” to show up, but, alas, it is not eligible either.  Ditto (as you might have guessed) “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” along with Pixar’s “Up.” Animation companies do not sign agreements with the guild and are not signatories, even if sometimes the writers of animated films ARE signatories.

    I’m still poking around to see what else might be ineligible, but at this rate, I’ll be damned if I know what the list of nominees will look like now.  I guess we’ll suss that out in a few days when we preview the announcement.

  • ‘An Education’ ineligible for WGA as well

    Well, just after posting about the Weinstein titles that aren’t eligible for the writers, indieWIRE’s Peter Knegt reports that Nick Hornby’s wonderful work on “An Education” is also ineligible:

    Hornby has been a member of WGA for 10 years, a representative for Hornby told indieWIRE today. But after production of “An Education” was completed, a new rule was instituted that Hornby also had to be a member of his local WGA Great Britain, which he was not.

    *coughbullshitcough*

    In any case, this should make for quite the, uh, unexpected list of nominees.

  • ‘Basterds,’ ‘Road,’ ‘Single Man’ ineligible for WGA

    (from left) Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The RoadIt seems Steve Pond was willing to track down the real reason The Weinstein Company hasn’t sent screeners of its Oscar season hopefuls to the WGA, reacting to a story initially run by Kyle Buchanan at Movieline: three of them aren’t even eligible, and one of them (which is all but dead this season) is better viewed on the big screen anyway.

    Writes Pond:

    The Weinstein Company didn’t send out “Inglourious Basterds” screeners because “Inglourious Basterds” isn’t eligible for the WGA Awards.

    Neither is “A Single Man.”

    And neither is “The Road.”

    “Nine,” written by WGA member Michael Tolkin and the late Anthony Minghella, a member of the WGA, East during his lifetime, is the only Weinstein film that’s eligible, according to a spokesperson for the guild. And “Nine” plays much better on a big screen, it’s still in theaters, and it doesn’t really have much chance for a writing nod anyway.

    So Harvey Weinstein didn’t send out screeners to the WGA not because he dropped the ball, but because he understands how the guilds work and didn’t feel like wasting money.

    The reasons? Keep reading…

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  • DGA on the way

    J.J. Abrams on the set of Star TrekTomorrow the Directors Guild of America will chime in with its list of nominees for the 2009-2010 film awards season.  Long considered to be the best “predictor” of the Oscar game (as in, the DGA winner typically wins the Oscar for Best Director, and Best Director often matches up with Best Picture), this guild’s shenanigans makes for a heavily anticipated harbinger of the season.

    Then again, maybe not.  In the last few years, names like Christopher Nolan, Sean Penn, Julian Schnabel and Bill Condon have popped up on the list, almost as if the guild was concerned with predicting the Best Picture race as it had done, five-for-five, for four straight years prior.  Those picks reflected the buzz of the early-year hour in each case, but ultimately, the Academy went a different direction with its Best Picture slate.

    That said, “the 10” makes for an entirely different dynamic.  I actually expect (or maybe “hope” is the word) tomorrow’s announcement to inject some intrigue into the proceedings.  I think there will be someone shortlisted who catches a great many off guard.  But who will it be?

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  • ‘Air,’ ‘Basterds,’ ‘Precious’ lead the way with SAG

    Diane Kruger in Inglourious BasterdsThere wasn’t much in the way of a surprise with this year’s Screen Actors Guild announcement.  The nods that are least likely to translate to Oscar, if I were a betting man, are Diane Kruger’s supporting actress bid for “Inglourious Basterds” and (I guess I just have a feeling) Matt Damon, supporting for “Invictus.” The rest seem like safe bets on down the line.

    I wouldn’t read too much into the ensemble snub of “Up in the Air,” though it’s curious to nominate three actors from the film and then ignore it in that field.  The ensemble category is also where “Nine” got its expected attention, though Penelope Cruz also showed up in supporting for the film.  The BFCA, you’ll recall, went for Marion Cotillard instead.

    “Precious,” “Inglourious Basterds” and “Up in the Air” had the most nominations, with three apiece.  I would have expected “An Education” to have that designation, too, but somehow Alfred Molina was ignored.  Maybe that won’t be the case with Oscar, maybe it will.

    On to the next thing.  Check the full list of nominees after the jump.

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  • ‘Precious’ to be honored by PGA

    (from left) Lenny Kravitz and Gabourey Sidibe in PreciousThe press release, in part:

    The Producers Guild of America (PGA), a national non-profit trade group committed to protecting the rights and credits of producers in film, television and new media, announced today that PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE will be honored with the 2010 Stanley Kramer Award. The film’s producers will be honored with the award at the 21st Annual PGA Awards ceremony on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Hollywood Palladium.

    The Stanley Kramer Award was established in 2002 to honor a motion picture, television program, studio, network, producer, executive or other individual entity whose work illuminates provocative social issues in an accessible and elevating fashion. Kramer, considered within the film industry to have served as “Hollywood’s Conscience” during his career as film director and producer, created some of the most respected and successful works in the annals of American motion pictures. He was the master behind such classics as “The Caine Mutiny,” “High Noon,” “The Defiant Ones,” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” Previous recipients of the Kramer award include “Milk,” “The Great Debaters,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Hotel Rwanda,” “Innocent Voices,” “In America,” “Antwone Fisher” and “I Am Sam.”

  • 11/11 Oscarweb Round-up

    Up• Steven Zeitchik plays things from the other side of the coin, says a high Best Picture profile for “Up” could cause the film in the animated feature category. [Hollywood Reporter]

    • Jeffrey Wells takes aim and fires heavily on “Precious.” [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • The People’s Choice Award nominations are here.  I KNOW you care.  So go ahead and vote. [PeoplesChoice.com]

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  • Henry Selick to be honored by CAS

    Henry SelickTwo months ago Randy Thom was announced as this year’s Cinema Audio Society Lifetime Achievement Award winner.  Now comes word that Henry Selick will receive the guild’s Filmmaker Award.  Recent recipients have included Paul Mazursky, Bill Condon and Gil Cates.

    The press release, in part:

    Multi-faceted stop-motion filmmaker Henry Selick will receive the CAS Filmmaker Award at the 46th CAS Awards on February 27, 2010 at the Crystal Ballroom of the Millennium-Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles.

    “The Cinema Audio Society is delighted to be honoring one of the vanguards of stop-motion animation as this year’s Filmmaker Recipient and, once again we are thrilled we have synergy between our Career Achievement Recipient Randy Thom and our Filmmaker Honoree through their collaboration on CORALINE. We look forward to another year of honoring the best in the Sound Mixing field at this year’s dinner,” said CAS President Edward L. Moskowitz.

  • Caleb Deschanel to be feted by ASC

    Caleb DeschanelThe American Society of Cinematographers has announced that veteran lenser Caleb Deschanel will receive the guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Recent recipients have included Jack N. Green, Stephen H. Burum and Allen Daviau.

    Deschanel won the ASC award for Best Cinematography in 2000 for his work on Roland Emmerich’s “The Patriot.” He has been nominated for the Oscar five times, stretching back to 1983’s “The Right Stuff.” His most recent nod came for Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” but he has yet to win a statuette from the Academy.

    Most recently Deschanel worked on Nick Cassavetes’s “My Sister’s Keeper.”

    “Caleb Deschanel is an extraordinarily talented cinematographer who has played an influential role in cinema history, and driven artistic excellence in contemporary filmmaking,” ASC President Michael Goi says in the press release. “For him to receive this honor while still at the top of his field shows the profound influence and respect he has among his peers. His innovative cinematography is inspiring. We look forward to seeing what is yet to come in his work.”

  • PGA goes to 10

    In a move entirely expected, the Producers Guild has expanded its tally of nominated films to 10, just like AMPAS.  Key quote from the release:

    “The PGA board approved the expansion of our Best Produced Picture category nominations to support our colleagues at the Academy, but also because we feel it better represents the unprecedented diversity of films being produced today,” said PGA President Marshall Herskovitz in a statement.

    Sure.

    The PGA nominees will be announced January 5, four weeks before the Oscar announcement. The awards ceremony will take place January 24.

    Your thoughts?

  • SAG to honor Betty White

    Betty White87 year-old Betty White has been named as next year’s recipent of the Screen Actors’ Guild’s lifetime achievement gong, which apparently honors both career achievement and humanitarian work. (Are both those two factors always prerequisites? Just asking.)

    Anyway, you go, Rose … you’ll be 88 when you collect the prize, lest we forget. Thank you for being a friend, etc, etc. Here’s the press statement by SAG head Alan Rosenberg:

    “Whether creating some of television’s most indelible characters, plunging into film roles with joyous gusto or perfecting the art of the quip as a television panelists and host, Betty White has entertained audiences with her impeccable comic timing and remarkable with for more than 60 years.

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  • Randy Thom to be feted by CAS

    Randy ThomThe press release, in part:

    Rerecording Mixer/Sound Designer, Randy Thom will receive the Cinema Audio Society’s highest accolade, the CAS Career Achievement Award, to be presented at the 46th CAS Awards on February 27th, 2010 at the Crystal Ballroom of the Millennium-Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles.

    “The Cinema Audio Society’s Career Achievement Award honors the best of the best and Randy Thom’s career spanning more than 30 years and over 75 films and numerous awards certainly warrants being honored,” stated CAS President Edward L. Moskowitz. “He has collaborated with some of the finest producers and directors on project as varied as blockbusters, independent films, cutting edge animation, commercials and videogames. His work exemplifies the perfect integration of sound with image.”

    Thom has been nominated four times by the Cinema Audio Society for his work on FORREST GUMP, JUMANJI, CONTACT and CAST AWAY and took the top honor in 1995 for FORREST GUMP. He has shared in 14 nominations for Academy Awards, winning for Best Sound Editing for THE INCREDIBLES and Best Sound for THE RIGHT STUFF and nominated for: STAR WARS: EPISODE VI-RETURN OF THE JEDI, NEVER CRY WOLF, BACKDRAFT, CONTACT, CAST AWAY, THE POLAR EXPRESS and RATATOUILLE.

    Thom began his career in film 30 years ago working on the film APOCALYPSE NOW and is currently the Director of Sound Design at Skywalker Sound.

  • ACE: “AVID FTW”

    ACE/AVIDSorry, I couldn’t resist the anagram train on that headline, but this David Cohen story at Variety is interesting for us cinema tech hounds.  It seems the American Cinema Editors will be dishing out the first ever ACE Technical Excellence Award to Avid’s Media Composer software, amounting to”an unprecedented endorsement of a commercial product,” Cohen says.  Furthermore:

    ACE is voicing both appreciation for its close relations with Avid and frustration with what it perceives as snubs from Apple, maker of Final Cut Pro, Avid’s biggest rival.

    The subtext of the kudo announcement is also a message to producers: ACE’s members are frustrated about not having a choice of which tools they use, and they don’t like being forced to use alternatives to Avid.

    All this is coming at a time when ACE editors are feeling restive over job security in the wake of the production slowdown and changes in TV patterns and orders.

    It amounts to inside sniping more than an actual watershed moment for the craft as far as I’m concerned.  Cohen quotes ACE board member Harry B. Miller III as complaining that “Apple and Final Cut Pro doesn’t listen, doesn’t respond, doesn’t solicit [industry editors’] opinion.”  Let’s drag it out in public then, shall we?  Oy.

  • Two more industry awards: MPSE and VES

    We should link to these for closure, so “The Dark Knight,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Slumdog Millionaire” and “WALL-E” won big at the Motion Picture Sound Editors awards, while “Button” took four trophies from the Visual Effects Society.  “The Dark Knight” and “WALL-E” also won a few each.  Thanks to Awards Daily on both of those.