(The annual “Will Win/Should Win” of the Awards Circuit has been our most popular yet most challenging series where each writer let’s their final thoughts be known on the Oscar categories. Each writer will reveal their choices everyday leading up to the Oscar ceremony. Think you can do better? Let your final thoughts be known in the comment section or by joining our Oscar Pool. -CD)
The most wide-open and unpredictable Oscar season in modern history is set to twilight in less than 100 hours and perhaps the biggest surprise Oscar has in store for us is that there will be no surprises. An anti-climactic ending would be fitting to a season that, for one year at least, has rewritten so many of the hard and fast rules we Oscar pundits and prognosticators have come to rely on in making our predictions.
(The annual “Will Win/Should Win” of the Awards Circuit has been our most popular yet most challenging series where each writer let’s their final thoughts be known on the Oscar categories. Each writer will reveal their choices everyday leading up to the Oscar ceremony. Think you can do better? Let your final thoughts be known in the comment section or by joining our Oscar Pool. -CD)
It’s here, the Big One. The Oscars are finally upon us, generating a frenzy of excitement and a torrent of ever-changing predictions in its path to the big stage on Sunday. This is the highly anticipated annual organized free-for-all when ideals shatter, frustrations bubble over, and sometimes (though not often) pleasant surprises challenge the odds. The final results could go any which way, and especially in such a quality-loaded year, it’s been a dizzying process trying to peg the sway of Academy Voters. Finally dashing aside unrealistically hopeful designs of one candidate over another, I’ve joined my Awards Circuit colleagues in settling on the probable winners, though not without putting up a fight for my preferred winners. In the spirit of the games, here are my “Win Will/Should Win” Oscar Selections: Read more on Oscar 2013 Will Win/Should Win Selections (Melkonian)…
On late Saturday night, the Cinema Audio Society (CAS) handed out their prizes for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing, awarding Les Misérables with their award for a live action film. This probably puts Les Misérables as the frontrunner for the Sound Mixing Oscar (if it wasn’t already), especially on the heels of last weekend’s victory with BAFTA in the same category. Meanwhile, they handed out their award for an animated film to Pixar’s Brave, who gained a lot of momentum this weekend taking both CAS and the ACE Eddie.
(The annual “Will Win/Should Win” of the Awards Circuit has been our most popular yet most challenging series where each writer let’s their final thoughts be known on the Oscar categories. Each writer will reveal their choices everyday leading up to the Oscar ceremony. Think you can do better? Let your final thoughts be known in the comment section or by joining our Oscar Pool. -CD)
We’re just one week away from the 85th Annual Academy Awards, and the love for Argo continues to pile up even in these last few crucial days. In the latest Power Hour, The Awards Circuit staff discussed how the USC Scripter Awards and BAFTAs — both, of course, went for Ben Affleck’s awards sweeper — affects the Oscar® race. It’s a no-brainer where Argo’s headed, but is Emmanuelle Riva’ssurprise victory over Jennifer Lawrence at the BAFTAs a sign that her birthday will be extra special come Oscar night? We shall soon find out. Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 2/17)…
Argo - John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
Les Miserables - Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
Life of Pi - Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
Lincoln - Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins
Skyfall - Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson
Arguably one of the most competitive years in Oscar history, the Sound Mixing category follows the same suit where any of the five nominated films can win. While there are some nominations that are questionable, there’s no denying the multitude and passion these mixers have for their craft. As many eyes that read this article can easily name the stars of Argo, the person who played Mary Todd Lincoln, not many, I dare to say any, can name any Sound Mixers besides the ones that follow in line with Oscar. If there are unsung heroes of cinema, a Sound craftsman (or woman) is near the top of the list. Read more on Oscar Circuit: Sound Mixing…
Original Score is one of the most interesting categories year in and year out, with the list of films that were disqualified being almost as good of a list as the nominees. This year was not only a great year for film but film music, with the 5 nominees beating out many worthy adversaries to make it in the Oscar lineup.
The nominees are:
Anna Karenina – Dario Marinelli Argo – Alexandre Desalt Life of Pi – Mychael Danna Lincoln – John Williams Skyfall – Thomas Newman
Just when it was looking like Claudio Miranda’s to lose, Roger Deakins has won the ASC awards for his camera work on Sam Mendes’ Skyfall. The group announced the winner last night when Deakins won over competitors Miranda (Life of Pi), Seamus McGarvey (Anna Karenina), Janusz Kaminski (Lincoln), and Danny Cohen (Les Miserables). Deakins won the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and has won two competitive ASC awards for The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994).
In what has turned out to be the most unconventional year for Oscar predicting, Roger Deakins may be able to top Miranda come Oscar night if enough voters know that the veteran craftsman has been nominated nine time prior and has never won. ASC doesn’t always line up with Oscar. Read more on American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Award goes to Roger Deakins…
Saturday night was a big night for handing out awards. Along with the DGA, the Annies and the Art Directors Guild (ADG) handed out their own best of the year honors. The ADG hands out prizes to films in three separate categories: period, fantasy, and contemporary. It wasn’t much of a surprise to see the Oscar frontrunner for this category (now retitled “Production Design”) come out on top in the Period category, as Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer won for their work on Anna Karenina.
When it comes to the Oscars, one of the questions I hear most often is what the heck is the difference between Sound Mixing and Sound Editing? So I figured I would start with explaining their differences first, before diving into the nominees for Best Sound Editing.
This seemed inevitable, didn’t it? Regardless of being a no-brainer situation for the producers, this is great, great news! I, for one, enjoy the live performances at the Oscars, especially when we have such a fantastic song from one of the finest artists in the biz. Have a look at the official press release after the jump.
Few realize how integral cinematography is to the film experience. Without the technical prowess of “the man behind the camera,” we are lost, the magic of movies disappears, and our eyes are left to gaze at nothing more than an amateur home video caught on tape. A cinematographer is the visual liaison between the viewer and the film’s universe. To understand and wholly appreciate a director’s vision, the cinematographer must literally point us in the right direction. At the best of times, those “directional paths” almost eclipse the film itself thanks to a cinematographer’s artistic imprint that leaves an impression that stands in equal measure to all the quality elements that make a film great. Such work is usually rewarded in the form of an Oscar® nomination, and this year five heroic men of their great craft have been honored. Below, I will break down each contender, their film and their chances of winning an Academy Award at the 2013 Oscar® ceremony. Read more on Oscar Circuit: Cinematography…
The nominees for the 27th annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) awards have been announced, and the Oscar frontrunners – Life of Pi, Skyfall, and Lincoln – are present as expected. Rounding out the field are Les Miserables and Anna Karenina, who most likely edged out other expected contenders such as The Master and Zero Dark Thirty. Wait, what? The Master missed on another guild? At this point, the biggest shock to me on Thursday morning would be to see that film in the Best Picture lineup. The ASC awards will be handed out on February 10th, and you can have a look at the full nominee list after the jump.
The Cinema Audio Society recognizes excellence in Sound Mixing (or Sound, as it used to be called). The nominees for the 49th Annual CAS Awards have been announced in six categories, and the winners will be unveiled on February 16th. The CAS doesn’t always line up exactly with Oscar, and though usually a nomination here can only help your chances there, the Oscar ballots have already been turned in and thus we are in a predicament where we’re not sure what to make of these nominations. While expected frontrunners like Les Mis and Skyfall are present, other contenders like The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, and Django Unchained are noticeably absent. Have a look after the jump.
Following Skyfall’s Producers Guild nomination for Best Picture, AMPAS has announced that they will be celebrating 50 Years of James Bond at the 85th Academy Awards ceremony. As time dwindles down before the nominations are announced (January 10th), it is becoming harder and harder to leave Skyfall out of the Best Picture mix. Could this be the first Bond film to earn such an honor? We’ll find out next week.
Technical branches in the Academy never receive the high-profile buzz or focus they clearly deserve. Acting categories, along with Picture, Director, and Screenplay, reap all the awards focus for the season. This year, however, an interesting thing to notice is that three–criminally, I might add–overdue veteran crew members will be making a play for Oscar success once again: famous cameraman RogerDeakins; brilliant film composer Thomas Newman; and the sound magician for our ears, Greg P. Russell. Read more on Three Amigos of ‘Skyfall’ – Roger Deakins…
At 5:00pm eastern time today, Greg P. Russell, the 15-time Academy Award nominated Sound Mixer will be LIVE on the air with us talking about his work on Sam Mendes’ Skyfall.
The veteran Sound Mixer will be talking to us about a variety of things as well as taking any of your questions via our chatroom or you can call into the show.
Join us today for on our next episode of The Awards Circuit Power Hour! See you at 5:00 PM Eastern time!!!!
It is eligible folks!!! After much speculation from the staff and I, Adele’s hit-song “Skyfall” from Sam Mendes’ Skyfall is submitted and eligible for Oscar’s Best Original Song category. The full list is listed below in the official Academy Press Release. Which five do you see nominated?
As we near 12.12.12, the big question of who will be #1 on, the rumored, the end of the world is, currently, up for grabs! Unsurprisingly, ‘Breaking Dawn Part 2‘ (Sum.) has been dethroned in several other countries around the world, being replaced with the happy holiday 3D flick, ‘Rise of the Guardians‘ (P/DW), a personal favorite of mine that I can’t wait to add to my movie collection! ‘Skyfall‘ (Sony) remains on top in many countries, though many stray down the American charts, finding favor with the epic movies about self-discovery like ‘Life of Pi‘ (Fox), which is #1 in China, and ‘Cloud Atlas‘ (WB). Read more on Box Office (12.09.12)…
It’s an awards bonanza here at the Awards Circuit today, with the latest entry coming courtesy of the International Press Academy. The Satellite Awards, which cover 31 film and TV categories, were announced today with Les Miserables leading the pack with 10 nominations. The awards will be presented at a dinner Dec. 16 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City.
Motion Picture Argo Warner Bros. Silver Linings Playbook The Weinstein Co. Beasts Of The Southern Wild Fox Searchlight Pictures Les Misérables Universal Skyfall Columbia Pictures Moonrise Kingdom Focus Features The Sessions Fox Searchlight Pictures Lincoln Dreamworks/Touchstone Life Of Pi Twentieth Century Fox Zero Dark Thirty Columbia Pictures Read more on Satellite Awards nominations announced, ‘Les Miserables’ leads with 10…
Having never been a fan of the 007 series, never being enthralled with car chases, international espionage, gun play (unless in a western) gadgets, or silly romantic encounters that make little sense to the plot, the films for me were always a chore. Having to see them angered me, because it was one part of the job that felt like a job, and being a film writer has rarely felt like a job. When I learned that Daniel Craig has been cast as the new James Bond in Casino Royale (2008) I went back and watched all the Bond films.
In Sam Mendes’ Skyfall, the 23rd installment in the James Bond franchise and the first since 2008, MI6 - and more notably M (Judi Dench) – is under attack by former operative Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), and it is up to James Bond (Daniel Craig) to once again thwart the evildoer’s plans before they come to fruition.
The staff and I just spoke about the possibility of Greg P. Russell nabbing an Oscar for his work on Sam Mendes’ Skyfall on the latest episode of Power Hour. Below is from Sound Works Collection:
Hear Mr. Russell and the other team members speak about their approach to the Bond franchise. Is this shaping up to a Sound Mixing Oscar? Very well could be.
We have tons of fun this week on the Awards Circuit Power Hour. A jam-packed agenda full of laughs, analysis, and looking in-depth at the Oscar race and its films.
We talk the movie trailers of “Warm Blood,” “World War Z,” and of course, “Les Miserables.
Original Score is one of the most interesting categories year in and year out, with the list of films that were disqualified being almost as good of a list as the nominees. This year was not only a great year for film but film music, with the 5 nominees beating out many worthy adversaries to make it in the Oscar lineup.
