In Contention

Tag: Guy Dyas

  • OSCAR GUIDE: Best Art Direction

    The art directors settled on a wonderful quintet to represent their form in 2010. Each of these films (okay, I haven’t seen one of them) manages to showcase art direction in organic ways, even when it comes to the contender with the most robust and vibrant design to offer.

    When it comes to the design categories, though, abundance can be an asset. There’s no question about it. The old joke is “Most Art Direction” or “Most Costume Design,” rather than “Best.” And unfortunately, that extends sometimes into the nominations process as nuanced, subtle work is disregarded each and every year. But even with that caveat, this is a handsome slate.

    The nominees are:

    “Alice in Wonderland” (Robert Stromberg; Karen O’Hara)
    “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” (Stuart Craig; Stephanie McMillan)
    “Inception” (Guy Hendrix Dyas; Larry Dias, Doug Mowat)
    “The King’s Speech” (Eve Stewart; Judy Farr)
    “True Grit” (Jess Gonchor; Nancy Haigh)

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  • TECH SUPPORT: Final analysis, part two

    Yesterday I began a final look at the crafts categories. Today, a look at the four remaining fields: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Film Editing.

    BEST ART DIRECTION

    The precursors of the BFCA, BAFTA and Art Directors Guild have been fairly consistent in citing four titles in this category. Last year’s winner, Robert Stromberg, seems poised to dip again for creation of a 3D world on Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Eve Stewart, on the other hand, will likely be returning to the fold after an 11 year absence for “The King’s Speech.”

    Guy Hendrix Dyas and Jess Gonchor also have got all necessary precursors, and have fashioned surefire Best Picture nominees, in “Inception” and “True Grit” respectively. It is true that they have had difficulty being nominated in the past but Gonchor has also never had such an Oscar-friendly opportunity, whereas the impressive, integral-to-the-story nature of Dyas’s work has been especially embraced by the precursors.

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  • 1/18 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Gervais should have been meaner, cut ‘127 Hours’ ending, working class contenders

    • Ricky Gervais on Golden Globes hosting controversy. [Hollywood Reporter]

    • Devin Faraci, meanwhile, thinks the comedian wasn’t mean enough. [Baddass Digest]

    • Naomi Serviss hearts seeing Michael Douglas at the show. [The Wrap]

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  • TECH SUPPORT INTERVIEW: The look of ‘Inception’

    Christopher Nolan has become known for making the Batman films look, and consequently feel, “real.”  His latest film, “Inception,” despite being a visual treat, also seemed a far cry from the CGI spectacles that normally dominate the blockbuster circuit.  It was very well-received by critics and certainly audiences alike and is currently enjoying a solid run on the awards circuit, having earned multiple nominations from both the BFCA and the HFPA.

    Speaking to cinematographer Wally Pfister, production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas (who earned the LAFCA award) and special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, it becomes clear that Nolan’s style is as infectious on the crew as it is on the public.  They delight in revealing how they collaborated with Nolan – and each other – to make “Inception” look so real.  The short answer: “Because it is.”

    Corbould, having worked with Nolan on “The Dark Knight” and “Batman Begins,” was on the fast track when Nolan approached him in 2009 to talk about the new film  “I heard from him on a Wednesday,” he recalls, “and after reading the script and hearing the pitch, I had signed the contract on the Saturday or Sunday.”

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  • New production photos further reveal Nolan’s ‘Inception’ as a design spectacle

    Production designer Guy Dyas has always associated himself with films that boast elaborate art direction.  Even during his early years as a concept artist, the films were design-heavy.  “Men in Black,” “Wild Wild West” and “Galaxy Quest” are examples.  Later: Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes” and elements of the Wachowski brothers’ “The Matrix Reloaded” benefited from his imagination.

    Dyas has only completed six films at the head of the art department, but they all carry a stamp of scale in their design — most notably in “Superman Returns” — that seem to indicate a first Oscar nomination is likely on the horizon.  (He has four guild nods, mind you.)  And as I slowly (keyword) begin to saddle up to the new season’s offerings across various categories, I must say, I am and have been intrigued with the design opportunity presented in Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.”

    Of course, most are looking forward to a mind-bending story with equally outrageous visual effects, but if we know anything about Nolan, it is that he is a monk when it comes to preserving practical filmmaking wizardry as much as possible.  So while “Inception” is sure to showcase innovative CGI, I imagine its set designs will be just as awe-inspiring — certainly if a recently released quartet of production stills and behind-the-scenes shots are any indication.

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