You might recall that 2009 was a super-congested year for visual-effects mavens in Hollywood, where not even conspicuously flashy $200 million budgets were enough for films like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and 2012 to get beyond the Oscar-nomination short list. Competition was tougher than ever to see which two films would be those fortunate enough to lose to Avatar. Now, however, the VFX community wants some radical changes made for next year's show.
At least one report is calling the expansion a "swirling controversy" in the Academy's visual-effects branch, whose executive committee nevertheless voted recently to add two nomination slots annually. That would lift the total VFX noms each year to five, bringing it even with virtually every other Oscar category. Proponents at VFX studios and shops around Hollywood argue that the change is required to reflect the added influence of digital effects on contemporary filmmaking. "The numbers are important because I see digital production changing the way we make movies," Digital Domain boss Cliff Plumer told Variety. "The lines are getting grayer and grayer between the crafts."
Fair enough, but opponents might advise more careful consideration and selectivity, because Lord knows the last thing anyone wants is the announcement of another two movies -- and eight names -- tacked on to the overstuffed awardscast. Maybe it'd be OK if we could cut Adam Shankman's interpretive dance segments and Elinor Burkett's bumrushings by 100 percent or so. But I think we all know that the allowance for such inanity is what truly defines Oscar night -- not the recognition of 16 also-rans who are going to get their clocks cleaned by whatever James Cameron and Co. are up to this year.
Still, there's something adorable about Visual Effects Society executive director Eric Roth, who told Variety with such ebullience and sincerity: "To say there hasn't been enough room to shine the Oscar spotlight on a fourth and fifth movie is almost laughable in this day and age. So we say thanks to the Academy for allowing visual effects to take its rightful place at the Academy grownups table!" Aw! Don't get too carried away, though, Eric; as long as guys like Ryan Bingham are photo-bombing the nominees luncheon, it's not as sophisticated a table as you probably think.
ยท Oscars' fix for visual effects [Variety]