Having unveiled the list of 15 documentary features vying for an Oscar nomination, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has now announced the 10 titles that are in contention for a coveted Best Visual Effects nod – including Guardians Of The Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The list presents an interesting mix of genres and varying levels of critical success. Each of the projects shortlisted, however, represent what the VFX branch of the Academy deem to be among the greatest achievements in the field this year.
While the number and frequency of Best Visual Effects Oscars has changed many times over the years, there have been five annual nominees since 2010, with the rule that not more than four individuals can be nominated for any one film. To be eligible, the Academy states that consideration must be given to the following aspects of the films:
a) The contribution the visual effects make to the overall production;
b) The artistry, skill and fidelity with which the visual illusions are achieved.
In this regard, the task of whittling this list of 10 possible nominees down to half that number is not enviable in the slightest.
Points of interest arising from this list include the fact that it features three films from Disney, and three from 20th Century Fox, increasing their chances of inclusion in the final list. Similarly, three of ten films in the running are superhero movies. There is also a point to be made about the annual overlap between the Best Visual Effects category and that of Best Picture. Historically, whenever a Best Picture nominee also features in the Effects category, it often takes the prize. Looking at this list, however, with Guardians Of The Galaxy and Interstellar both featured, this could be the year to break that pattern. The full list is as follows:
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
- Godzilla
- Guardians Of The Galaxy
- The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
- Interstellar
- Maleficent
- Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb
- Transformers: Age Of Extinction
- X-Men: Days Of Future Past
The final Academy Award nominations will be announced on January 15th 2015, at which point we will find out whether the Best Visual Effects category will in fact pit Marvel properties Guardians Of The Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier against each other.
