Animated Feature Contenders

For the films of 2011
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OscarGuy
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by OscarGuy »

And to expound upon BJ's though, if the animation branch WERE to blackball Tintin, the backlash they would see would be nothing compared to ignoring A Scanner Darkly, Polar Express or Christmas Carol.

The reason the animators ignored those films is because they were largely controlled by visual effects artists, not animators. Hence why a character like Gollum, although masterful to the minutest detail, would never be considered animation to most animators. At least with Tintin, most of the motion capture elements are heavily animated and rendered by actual animators, not visual effects people. (at least as far as I am aware at this juncture).

As for Arthur Christmas, Aardman is one of the powerhouses of the Academy. Their animated shorts have been nominated more frequently than Pixar and Wallace and Gromit even won the Animated Feature prize a few years ago. I even saw a couple of critics say that Arthur Christmas was the best family film being released over Thanksgiving, topping Muppets and Hugo.
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by The Original BJ »

It's also worth noting that Tintin's early reviews make it a far stronger candidate than some of those motion capture candidates that have been excluded (i.e. The Polar Express). It's true that some of the animators could still blackball it, but it seems like there would have to be a pretty strong movement against such a likely hit to keep it out of a five-nominee field in what looks like a pretty thin slate quality-wise.

Also, I saw Arthur Christmas this weekend, and I think it's the warmest and most imaginative animated effort I've seen so far this year. (Obviously, I'm still missing Tintin and the foreign efforts, all of which seem promising.) But I do hope Arthur Christmas makes it into the final five -- it's far better than the big-ticket sequels this year, I feel.
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by OscarGuy »

It shouldn't be a concern at all Irvin. While it's true they've avoided photo-realistic motion capture as employed by Robert Zemeckis, but when it looks like animated characters on the screen (see Monster House), the Academy's animators aren't at all opposed. I've seen images from Tintin and the preview and there's nothing about it that shouts photorealism in the Zemeckis sense. I have little doubt Tintin will be nominated.
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by anonymous1980 »

It's still doubtful if Tintin is even going to get nominated because the animators in the Animation Branch do not consider motion-capture to be "animation".
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by HollywoodZ »

Well, Tintin is going to be the clear winner here from what I've heard. As far as the other nominees (since we're going to have five this year):


- "The Adventures of Tintin"
- "Cars 2"
- "Chico & Rita"
- "Puss in Boots"
- "Rango"
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by Sabin »

My picks:
The Adventures of Titin
Cars 2
Chico & Rita
Happy Feet Two
Rango

Tintin ftw.
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by OscarGuy »

My guess, Peter, is that it will be released later in the year. Not all of the eligible films have released yet and their eligibility hinges on competing standard eligibility requirements, which is a one week run in a Los Angeles county theater for paid admission suitably advertised, etc.
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by Dien »

My predictions:

Chico and Rita
Puss in Boots
Rio
Rango
Winnie the Pooh

I'm going to take a chance and say Cars 2 will be the first Pixar film to not be nominated since the inception of this category.

So far there's only been one nomination in any given year that includes a foreign animated film. Since Alois Nebel is produced through the rotoscoping technique, I doubt it will take that spot. A Cat in Paris has a chance though.
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by anonymous1980 »

The Original BJ wrote:Two thoughts:

1. If ever a year DIDN'T call for five nominees, this would be it. Of what I've seen, Rango is worthy enough, but the thought of filler nominations for such unexciting movies as Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, or Winnie the Pooh seems really unnecessary. (And I wasn't all that enamored with Happy Feet One to have high hopes for Two.)
I strongly disagree with you on Winnie The Pooh. I thought it was a wonderful film that's a great throwback to the old Pooh Disney movies. It's worthy of a nomination.
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by Big Magilla »

I know the animation branch has different rules than the feautre bracnh for its short subjects, but apparently has the same dispensations for animated features as well. The French film, A Cat in Paris, which sounds like a interesting cartoon noir, according to the IMDb. had only one showing in the U.S. at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April.
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by Damien »

A Cat in Paris -- what's that? My favorite creature in my favorite city, it certainly sounds like a winner to me!
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Re: Animated Feature Contenders

Post by The Original BJ »

Two thoughts:

1. If ever a year DIDN'T call for five nominees, this would be it. Of what I've seen, Rango is worthy enough, but the thought of filler nominations for such unexciting movies as Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, or Winnie the Pooh seems really unnecessary. (And I wasn't all that enamored with Happy Feet One to have high hopes for Two.)

2. Because of this, I would be VERY surprised if one or more under-the-radar entries didn't make it into the race. The Secret of Kells came from literally nowhere to score a nomination in a really strong field; I think general apathy toward a slate full of big-ticket sequels will cause at least some of them to be displaced by the tinier gems.
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Animated Feature Contenders

Post by anonymous1980 »

The Academy has announced 18 features that will compete for this year's Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Despite the revision to the rules, with 18, the category will have five nominees total. Those nominees will be selected from the list included in the following press release.

Beverly Hills, CA (November 4, 2011) – Eighteen features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®.

The 18 submitted features are:

"The Adventures of Tintin"
"Alois Nebel"
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked"
"Arthur Christmas"
"Cars 2"
"A Cat in Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Gnomeo & Juliet"
"Happy Feet Two"
"Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Mars Needs Moms"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"
"Rio"
"The Smurfs"
"Winnie the Pooh"
"Wrinkles"

Several of the films listed have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying runs. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and meet all of the category's other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process. At least eight eligible animated features must be theatrically released in Los Angeles County within the calendar year for this category to be activated.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
My prediction:

The Adventures of Tin Tin
Cars 2
Kung Fu Panda 2
Rango
Winnie the Pooh


Now it is eligible, The Adventures of Tin Tin seems to be the front-runner but then again, this is a branch who doesn't like mo-cap all that much. I'm rooting for Rango to win, Tin Tin sight unseen.

I really hope Chico & Rita somehow gets in. It's a lovely, wonderful grown-up Spanish animated feature co-directed Fernando Trueba. I think even Damien might like it.
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