Sunday, January 11, 2015

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Sound Mixing and Editing, and Best Visual Effects

Total disclaimer, these could easily change as the MPSE, VES, and CAS nods come early next week, so check back on my final nomination list Wednesday night to see if there are changes (that goes for all categories).

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Into the Woods
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Whiplash

Other Contenders - Unbroken, Fury, Get on Up, Interstellar, Guardians of the Galaxy, Gone Girl, Birdman, Godzilla, Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Commentary - Transformers movies get nominated here, and even I loathed this film and most of the series, I do not blame the Sound and Effects folks for giving nominations in these categories, because no matter how bad the films are, the work of these sound editors, mixers, and effects guy is some of the best, if not the best, in modern America cinema. The Hobbit got in last year in both sound categories, and the big battle alone this year required intricate work from the mixers and the editors,  I think it gets in. Into the Woods is probably a shoo-in, musicals do well here. And I expect American Sniper to be a big contender on Thursday morning, and this is an obvious place for the film. This does leave out then Interstellar (which could get in simply because the craft folks love it but has had a lot of complaints about its mix, but not its editing see below), the two big war movies, Fury and Unbroken, and the big blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America, and Godzilla. But I think instead, Whiplash, which has picked up a lot of steam lately, and has great sound work as a semi-musical film, is going to play well with these mixers who will appreciate the work.

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper
Fury
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Transformers: Age of Extinction

Other Contenders - Unbroken, Guardians of the Galaxy, Godzilla, Whiplash, Gone Girl, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The LEGO Movie, Birdman

Commentary - So Sniper, Transformers, and The Hobbit are here again. Interstellar's editing is getting praise compared to its mix, and is a huge technical contender this year. Finally, I think Fury's work is going to get a nomination between these two guilds. It looks like a safe bet here.

Best Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Transformers: Age of Extinction

Other Contenders - Godzilla, Maleficent, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, X-Men: Days of Future Past

Commentary - I always wait to see what is the surprise here, because there usually is one nominee that is a bit unexpected. Is it Godzilla, X-Men (which got the BAFTA nod), or Maleficent? Not sure, but let's just say this, the five I picked are the most obvious.

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