The Oscars are just around the corner & we thought this would be the right time to take a look at the Best Visual Effects nominees for the year.
This year the Oscars will witness a literal clash of the titans. So let’s take a look at the nominations this year & why or why not could they take the coveted honour home.
Guardians of the Galaxy
The latest instalment from Marvel Universe, 90% of the shots in Guardians of the Galaxy was special effects. Moving Picture Company, Luma Pictures, Framestore, and Method Studios came together to create the mind blowing visual effects for the film.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LIQ2-PZBC8[/youtube]
Source: Marvel Entertainment
Oscar hit: The first nomination from Marvel Entertainment this year, the film has a strong story line & CG characters working in its favour. But will these be enough to clinch Marvel its first Oscar? We will soon find out.
Oscar miss: Competing against favourites like Interstellar & Dawn of the Planet of the Apes may prove to be enough for Marvel to miss the award once again.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Special effects creator, Joe Letteri extensively used motion capture technology to depict apes in their natural habitat in one of the top contenders this year at the Oscars for the category.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf5e7Xc1Hwk[/youtube]
Source: 20th Century Fox UK
Oscar hit: A front runner for the award in the category this year, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes finds favour due to its perfect blend of computer generated effects & motion capture.
Oscar miss: Interstellar. Do we need to say more?
Interstellar
The visual effects company, Double Negative provided the special effects for Christopher Nolan’s latest thriller. The film contained 850 visual effect shots, out of which 700 were created during post-production. 620 of those shots were presented in IMAX.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSWdZVtXT7E[/youtube]
Source: Warner Bros. UK
Oscar hit: A favourite of moviegoers & juries alike, Nolan’s film is expected to repeat the victory of Inception (2010).
Oscar miss: Weak plot, characterisations & dialogues have been pointed out by trade critics globally. Will the stunning visual effects be enough to fetch the award?
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Director duo the Russo brothers wanted to work with as little CGI as possible during the filming and yet, as many as six companies including Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Scanline VFX, Lola VFX, Luma Pictures, Whiskytree, and The Embassy were involved in providing the 2,500 visual effects shots featured in the movie.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbayiPxkUMM[/youtube]
Source: Marvel Entertainment
Oscar hit: Another nomination from the house of Marvel Entertainment, Captain America slowly but gradually came to forefront with its extensive use of visual effects. Will it surpass all the contenders at the finishing line, we will have to wait & watch.
Oscar miss: In-house competition with Guardians of the Galaxy could be the reason for losing the award. In addition, higher concentration on location shooting & practical effects could prove to be its downfall.
X-Men: Days of Future
A whopping number of twelve studios, including Digital Domain, Moving Picture Company & Rising Sun Pictures, were employed to work on the special effects of the film. The film contained 1311 visual effect shots & Richard Stammer acted as the overall effects supervisor.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiA6sVKLlgo[/youtube]
Source: 20th Century Fox UK
Oscar hit: A dark horse, this is the first film in the franchise to receive a nomination. Would this also mean receive the award itself?
Oscar miss: Competing against favourites like Interstellar & Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Who’s your favourite in the Oscar run? Tell us in the comment box below.
P.S: We leave you with a memory of the last year.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViL3TXzM5tE[/youtube]
