InContention.com: No one needs film awards coverage this deep.: Visual Effects Bake-Off List

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2007-08 Oscar Calendar

[Monday, December 3, 2007]

Official Screen Credits
Forms Due.

[Wednesday, December 26, 2007]

Nominations ballots mailed.

[Saturday, January 12, 2008]

Nominations polls close
5 p.m. PST.

[Tuesday, January 22, 2008]

Nominations announced
5:30 a.m. PST
Samuel Goldwyn Theater

[Wednesday, January 30, 2008]

Final ballots mailed.

[Monday, February 4, 2008]

Nominees Luncheon

[Saturday, February 9, 2008]

Scientific and Technical
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[Tuesday, February 19, 2008]

Final polls close 5 p.m. PST.

[Sunday, February 24, 2008]

79th Annual
Academy Awards Presentation
Kodak Theatre

The press release:

Seven Vie for Visual Effects Oscar®

Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that seven films are in consideration for achievement in Visual Effects for the 79th Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

“Casino Royale”
“Eragon”
“Night at the Museum”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
“Poseidon”
“Superman Returns”
“X-Men The Last Stand”

On Wednesday, January 17, the Academy’s Visual Effects Award nominating committee will view 15-minute film excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate three films for Oscar consideration.

Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST, beginning with a half-hour arrivals segment.

The striking omissions here are "Charlotte's Web" and, especially, "Flags of Our Fathers," which itself received a Satellite nomination in the category a few weeks back (which admittedly doesn't mean much - but it goes to show people were considering the film's visual effects sequences).

Overall, the list is a rather poor sampling of product. I'd expect "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Superman Returns" are still secure, with the last nomination likely going to "Night at the Museum," which has popped up recently as a real contender in any case.

Posted by Kristopher Tapley on December 15, 2006 01:36 PM

Comments

"The Fountain" not having any CGI presumably did it in. I am, however, very surprised (like you) to see both "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Charlotte's Web" absent. "Pan's Labyrinth" was probably way too low-key.

This is a rather underwhelming list. Though after "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (extremely likely to win) and "Superman Returns," I find this to be a very open race for the last slot.

My inclination is "X-Men: The Last Stand" because of the scope of the effects and its hit status (this category, after all, goes for "the films that pay the bills" more than any other). Though I'll condede it would be odd, and unfortunate, if this were the only "X-Men" movie to get a nomination.

Though I suppose "Night at the Museum" could fit that bill. I think it probably is somewhat dependant on how well the film does overall.

Both films have one past nominee on their crew - John Bruno for "X-Men" (he was a perenniel nominee in the late '80s and early '90s) and Jim Rygiel for "Museum" (3 nominations/3 wins to his credit...all of them for "Lord of the Rings").

"Casino Royale" would be an interesting place to cite the film.

I have difficulty seeing "Poseidon" or "Eragon" with the moniker "Oscar nominee."

Posted by: Gerard Kennedy | December 15, 2006 02:33 PM