My 2015-2016 Oscar Predictions Part 2: The Technicals

These next categories are usually the categories I am most interested in when watching the Oscars, because they can have a tendency to honour films that would usually be overlooked in the more prominent categories. These are the categories which focus on the video and audio details of the film.

VISUAL EFFECTS:
Ex Machina – Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett
Mad Max: Fury Road – Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver and Andy Williams
The Martian – Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence and Steven Warner
The Revenant – Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith and Cameron Waldbauer
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould

Okay, so I feel like this will be between Fury Road, which really brought practical effects back into the fold, and Star Wars, which struck just the right tone with their combination of both (except maybe Snoke, he may have been going too far).  However, I think the stunt-work is what dominates Fury Road, and that the actual effects work in Star Wars is more present.

Prediction: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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Production Design:
Bridge of Spies – Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo and Bernard Henrich
The Danish Girl – Eve Stewart and Michael Standish
Mad Max: Fury Road – Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson
The Martian – Arthur Max and Celia Bobak
The Revenant – Jack Fisk and Hamish Purdy

However when it comes to production design, this NEEDS to be Mad Max.  Look at all the detail put into this post-apocalyptic world.  Even though so little of it is explained, it all feels like it has a reason to be there.  The design of it all, from vehicles to structures, to weapons, is  inventive and cohesive.  If Fury Road doesn’t win it will be an Oscar crime.

Prediction: Mad Max: Fury Road

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COSTUME DESIGN:
Carol – Sandy Powell
Cinderella – Sandy Powell
The Danish Girl – Paco Delgado
Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan
The Revenant – Jacqueline West

So this usually goes to period pieces, so Carol and Danish Girl both work.  The Revenant also captures its own time well, and Mad Max is just outlandish.  This really could go any way, my gut is telling me go with the oscar-batey Danish Girl.

Prediction: The Danish Girl

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MAKEUP And Hairstyling:

Mad Max: Fury Road – Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damien Martin
The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared – Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
The Revenant – Sian Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini

Again, Fury Road seems obvious, just because of all the excess.  I suppose I should go with obvious, but the make up effcts in The Revenant were just so damn good!   The attack wounds on Dicaprio, as well as the half-scalped head of Tom Hardy, were both very authentic looking.

Prediction: The Revenant

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SOUND MIXING:

Bridge of Spies – Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Drew Kunin
Mad Max: Fury Road – Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo
The Martian – Paul Massey, Mark Taylor and Mac Ruth
The Revenant – Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Randy Thom and Chris Duesterdiek

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson

Hmm, again I think  its between Star Wars and Mad Max. I mean…. I guess a lot of the Star Wars sounds existed before already.  I suppose Mad Max this time.  It got tons of nominations, so clearly the Oscars loves it.

Prediction: Mad Max: Fury Road

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SOUND EDITING:
Mad Max: Fury Road – Mark Mangini and David White
The Martian – Oliver Tarney
The Revenant – Martin Hernandez and Lon Bender
Sicario – Alan Robert Murray
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Matthew Wood and David Acord

Some really good choices here.  Could go to SW, Max, or even Sicario which had some excellent shoot-out scenes.  But Max is shaping up to be technical darling this year, so…

Prediction: Mad Max: Fury Road