Art Directors Guild Nominations

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rolotomasi99
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Post by rolotomasi99 »

Hollywood Z wrote:Since True Grit has better chances at a Best Picture nomination, it'll more likely find itself a nominee in many other technical categories as Best Picture nominees tend to do.
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Post by Hollywood Z »

TRON LEGACY definitely deserves a nomination over the horrible looking ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Those sets (both real and computer generated) were just ugly!


I will absolutely agree with this statement!

Yeah, but for those three examples you also have the sets for SILVERADO, WYATT EARP, MAVERICK, 3:10 TO YUMA, and THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES (all of which were nominated for Oscars in other categories) being ignored. That is not to mention the many other westerns with large sets which were not nominated for any Oscars.


Yes, but consider:

SILVERADO: Best Sound (nomination)
WYATT EARP: Best Cinematography (nomination)
MAVERICK: Best Costume Design (nomination)
3:10 TO YUMA: Best Score & Best Sound Mixing (nomination)
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD: Best Supporting Actor & Best Cinematography (nomination)

The reception of these films doesn't compare as much to True Grit's as much as Unforgiven, Legends of the Fall & There Will be Blood. Not that I'm saying it's as good of a movie as them, but that since it has better chances at a Best Picture nomination, it'll more likely find itself a nominee in many other technical categories as Best Picture nominees tend to do.

Plus, I thought THE HURT LOCKER beating AVATAR proved once and for all, Oscar does not care how much money your movie makes. I think we can use box-office as an indication about how much a movie is liked overall, but I do not think folks in the Academy are thinking, "Well, I really wanted to nominate TRON LEGACY's amazing sets, but its grosses are just too low. Oh, well."


True, it's the new Academy's voting board showing they don't need box office to tell them what a good movie, which is what dug the ten nominee grave they're in right now by ignoring box office films like The Dark Knight and Wall-E. What I meant by the Academy seeing the low return for TRON: Legacy by this point is only that it didn't have the impact that it was intended to have. But the Academy has ignored plenty of well-designed, but low-grossing movies (Dark City, The Cell, A.I.) in favor of prestigious period pieces (Shakespeare in Love, Quills, Gosford Park). Sometimes this branch can surprise or other times, it can disappoint, like were the sets(set) of Sweeney Todd seriously better than the sets from There Will be Blood, Atonement or Golden Compass?




Edited By Hollywood Z on 1294330433
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Post by rolotomasi99 »

Hollywood Z wrote:
rolotomasi99 wrote:I would replace TRUE GRIT with TRON LEGACY. The majority of TRUE GRIT took place in the desert, and the sets were the typical "old timey west" buildings. The set designers rarely go for these.

As AVATAR showed us, visual effects now count as sets. TRON LEGACY created a pretty amazingly designed world. Even the sets that were more than green screen (Flynn's home, Zuse's bar) were really cool.

Well, that really didn't matter for Unforgiven, Legends of the Fall or There Will be Blood, both of which had one old west town, a house and lots of splendid vistas (except Blood, which had to recreate a turn of the 19th century oil rig). But like Oscarguy said, "the Oscar is given to both the Production Designer (not the Art Directors) and the Set Designer."

While I had TRON: Legacy on my list for Set Design for the longest time (based on the trailer alone), I'm finding the lukewarm response (including my own) to the film from audiences, critics and box-office wise to appear to be not so strong of a litmus test in Legacy's favor.

So, while Flynn's house and the bar were truly unique designs, I think the complexity and the authenticity of True Grit's town and couple of houses will win out in the end, edged over only due to Grit's strong chances at a Best Picture nomination (and probably win for Cinematography, giving long overdue Roger Deakins his first win).

Yeah, but for those three examples you also have the sets for SILVERADO, WYATT EARP, MAVERICK, 3:10 TO YUMA, and THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES (all of which were nominated for Oscars in other categories) being ignored. That is not to mention the many other westerns with large sets which were not nominated for any Oscars. I am just saying, more often than not they do not nominate the dusty cowboy towns you see in westerns.

The more nominations for TRUE GRIT the better, as far as I am concerned. I just feel like the list I just mentioned shows how many very worthy and intricately designed sets for westers have been ignored in the past.

Plus, I thought THE HURT LOCKER beating AVATAR proved once and for all, Oscar does not care how much money your movie makes. I think we can use box-office as an indication about how much a movie is liked overall, but I do not think folks in the Academy are thinking, "Well, I really wanted to nominate TRON LEGACY's amazing sets, but its grosses are just too low. Oh, well."

TRON LEGACY definitely deserves a nomination over the horrible looking ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Those sets (both real and computer generated) were just ugly!




Edited By rolotomasi99 on 1294260908
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Post by Hollywood Z »

rolotomasi99 wrote:I would replace TRUE GRIT with TRON LEGACY. The majority of TRUE GRIT took place in the desert, and the sets were the typical "old timey west" buildings. The set designers rarely go for these.

As AVATAR showed us, visual effects now count as sets. TRON LEGACY created a pretty amazingly designed world. Even the sets that were more than green screen (Flynn's home, Zuse's bar) were really cool.
Well, that really didn't matter for Unforgiven, Legends of the Fall or There Will be Blood, both of which had one old west town, a house and lots of splendid vistas (except Blood, which had to recreate a turn of the 19th century oil rig). But like Oscarguy said, "the Oscar is given to both the Production Designer (not the Art Directors) and the Set Designer."

What Avatar had going for it was the fact that it designed an entire biologically-based planet, not to mention that it was on a fast track to becoming one of the highest grossing movies of all time by this stage in the game. Plus, it was a major contender for Best Picture (I believe it would have been second behind The Hurt Locker the way the promotions were going for it).

While I had TRON: Legacy on my list for Set Design for the longest time (based on the trailer alone), I'm finding the lukewarm response (including my own) to the film from audiences, critics and box-office wise to appear to be not so strong of a litmus test in Legacy's favor.

So, while Flynn's house and the bar were truly unique designs, I think the complexity and the authenticity of True Grit's town and couple of houses will win out in the end, edged over only due to Grit's strong chances at a Best Picture nomination (and probably win for Cinematography, giving long overdue Roger Deakins his first win).
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Post by rolotomasi99 »

flipp525 wrote:
The Original BJ wrote:
flipp525 wrote:I would've tossed a bone to Never Let Me Go for its seamless transition from 70's to 80's to 90's. The world of Hailsham was particularly evocative in its design. Truth be told, though, I'd probably throw awards in most categories to that film.
You and me both, flipp.
Agreed, BJ. It's a fine line and they straddle it beautifully. Are we the only two who liked this film?!
I loved it too. My only hope for an actual nomination is the haunting score, but I loved everything about it. I definitely want to read the book.
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Post by rolotomasi99 »

Hollywood Z wrote:I'm predicting:

- Alice in Wonderland
- Inception
- The King's Speech
- Shutter Island
- True Grit
I would replace TRUE GRIT with TRON LEGACY. The majority of TRUE GRIT took place in the desert, and the sets were the typical "old timey west" buildings. The set designers rarely go for these.

As AVATAR showed us, visual effects now count as sets. TRON LEGACY created a pretty amazingly designed world. Even the sets that were more than green screen (Flynn's home, Zuse's bar) were really cool.
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Post by Reza »

Eric wrote:I saw it. Not a fan, but it doesn't go much deeper than that.
I agree. It is exquisitely produced but I found it quite a chore to sit through. Carey Mulligan is better than both Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley. I liked Charlotte Rampling who appears in three scenes.
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Post by OscarGuy »

I know this may shock you, Flipp, but I also loved Never Let Me Go. It's one of my four-star films this year. It wasn't maudlin or overly sentimental. It existed without drawing attention to its. Subtle and well acted.

And I'll step in and defend 127 Hours. Because the Academy goes for lavish set designs so frequently, it's hard to remember that Production Design (which is ostensibly what they are honoring) is more about the overall visual look of the film and not necessarily about how well dressed the film is. Creating a time and place is certainly one strong aspect of Production Design, but so is palette selection, layering, cmobination of time and place to create another world without necessarily drawing attention to itself. How does one scene relate to another visually and stylistically?

Set design is a large part of that award, which is why the Oscar is given to both the Production Designer (not the Art Directors) and the Set Designer. And the overall visual look and style of 127 Hours is outstanding. And re-creating the whole environment without looking cheap or unrealistic is a feat in and of itself. It's one thing to construct a building and dress it. It's another to create an exterior, natural environment that doesn't look fake. Of the four nominees I've seen (I still haven't been able to find The Social Network), I'd rank only Black Swan above 127 Hours.
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Post by ITALIANO »

I also saw it. It has its good things (including some affecting, committed acting, from Carey Mulligan especially), but it's the typical case when what must have worked on the written page - a very intriguing but very literary concept - hasn't been convincingly translated into movie terms. It wasn't an easy task, so the fact that they tried and didnt completely fail must be appreciated; but the film is never really satisfying.
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Post by Big Magilla »

It comes out on DVD February 1st.
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Post by Eric »

I saw it. Not a fan, but it doesn't go much deeper than that.
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Post by Mister Tee »

flipp525 wrote:Are we the only two who liked this film?!
You may have been the only two who had a chance to see it. It didn't last three weeks at my NY Sony theatre -- the Friday I planned to go, I was shocked to find it had left. (I deeply loved the novel, and was dying to see it)

Based on what I hear (in life and online) from those fortunate few who did see it, it may be the most beloved of all the films that (because of financial failure) are not figuring in the Oscar conversation.
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Post by The Original BJ »

flipp525 wrote:
The Original BJ wrote:
flipp525 wrote:I would've tossed a bone to Never Let Me Go for its seamless transition from 70's to 80's to 90's. The world of Hailsham was particularly evocative in its design. Truth be told, though, I'd probably throw awards in most categories to that film.
You and me both, flipp.

What is most impressive about the art direction in Never Let Me Go is the way it manages to feel both of-the-past and slightly futuristic, which really creates a strong feeling that we are experiencing an alternate history.
Agreed, BJ. It's a fine line and they straddle it beautifully. Are we the only two who liked this film?!

I know it would be quite out of left-field, but what if Andrew Garfield somehow managed a supporting nomination for Never Let Me Go instead of for The Social Network? I thought his work as Eduardo Saverin was easily the best part of the former, but I think his Tommy in the latter was something akin to self-shattering. It's haunting work.

And Carey Mulligan is obviously in my fantasy top five for her devastatingly controlled performance as Kathy. One of my favorite "new" actresses; she shows such intelligence and compassion in her acting.
My fantasy acting nod from the film would be Keira Knightley, who I've not been especially impressed with in the past, but who nailed a difficult character who is both cruel and heartbreaking. It's so rare in movies to get a genuine portrait of a "frenemy," but Knightley shows how, despite her antagonism, she is inextricably tied with Kathy and deserving of her care (and our sympathies.)
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Post by flipp525 »

The Original BJ wrote:
flipp525 wrote:I would've tossed a bone to Never Let Me Go for its seamless transition from 70's to 80's to 90's. The world of Hailsham was particularly evocative in its design. Truth be told, though, I'd probably throw awards in most categories to that film.

You and me both, flipp.

What is most impressive about the art direction in Never Let Me Go is the way it manages to feel both of-the-past and slightly futuristic, which really creates a strong feeling that we are experiencing an alternate history.

Agreed, BJ. It's a fine line and they straddle it beautifully. Are we the only two who liked this film?!

I know it would be quite out of left-field, but what if Andrew Garfield somehow managed a supporting nomination for Never Let Me Go instead of for The Social Network? I thought his work as Eduardo Saverin was easily the best part of the former, but I think his Tommy in the latter was something akin to self-shattering. It's haunting work.

And Carey Mulligan is obviously in my fantasy top five for her devastatingly controlled performance as Kathy. One of my favorite "new" actresses; she shows such intelligence and compassion in her acting.




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Post by Sabin »

I don't think there will be a dumber nomination this year than Best Contemporary Art Direction and Production Design for 127 Hours. I'm sure that hole is incredibly That Hole...but come on.

Best Contemporary Art Direction will go to The Social Network but aside from that I'm kind of torn. Although it should go to Shutter Island, Best Period Art Direction will either go to True Grit or The King's Speech. Neither one is terribly expensive or lavish, so they seem slightly anachronistic to me. I'm going to predict The King's Speech. Likewise, Best Fantasy Art Direction is between Inception and Alice in Wonderland, the latter being the most lavish, and the former the more liked. Probably Alice in Wonderland.
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