Oscar 2012 - VFX

Ok .. I'm back. Unfortunately, I don't have much time on my hands, but enough to start my pass through few of this years' categories with the VFX one. So, let's take the nominees one by one as they're officially anounced (= alphabetical):

It's been a while since the last "Harry Potter" came out in cinemas. Sufficient enough to cause me the same trouble I've always had with this series (too long and too re-entangled from one episode to the other due to the classic syndrome of "I have no clue how I'm gonna finish this" from the author's mind .. which can be felt from miles away even from the first movie). The trouble is I don't remember enough details to make at least a coherent summary of the story (obviously except the part in which Voldemort dies and Harry lives). Not to be mean, the movie was ok, but as the rest of them in my opinion quite far from LotR or Stardust or Neverending Story, just to give only three different options as a fantasy. But I was talking about VFX, so back to the point. It's clearly visually the most spectacular from all the parts (this, I can remember) and I can say I liked it. However I don't think it's sufficiently original/inovative to have a big shot at this category. I see it somewhere in the middle of the 5 nominees. And I refer here especially at the fact that "Deathly Hallows Part 2" comes after "Deathly Hallows Part 1" which comes after ... I don't recall after what .. but what's about VFX in it doesn't get way far different technically speaking from one part to the other. I have to admit anyway that from these year's entries here I guess this is the most varied. But this variation includes also a sufficient amount of motion capture, and we have seen motion capture before, and we have also another example for this among the five which gives class to "Harry Potter" specifically on this (and I guess it will matter a lot).



"Hugo" is an adaptation (a bit atypical for what usually Scorsese directs) after a semi-fictitious novel centered arounf Georges Melies, one of the most important names connected to the beginnings of the cinematography. More about the movie some other time, when I'll get to the Best Picture category, but as a short note Melies is probably the first important name linked to the usage of VFX in movies (as far as I know for the beginning of the XX-th century there wasn't anybody else to achieve something at a similar level). This would be an indirect reason, besides the 11 nominees that "Hugo" got this year, for which I see it as one of the two favorites on this section. On the other hand, I would give more credit to the movie for the art direction and cinematography + editing than for VFX in regard to the visual impression. As effects I don't see something really extraordinary. The most spectacular scene is probably the one involving a train crash, and the details about this show, at least for me, pretty conclusive the difference in complexity on the technical side in respect to at least one of the other nominees (if not more of them). Yes, well .. the VFX in "Hugo" are not reduced at just a single scene and I have to admit that I didn't see the move in 3D, but unlike "Avatar" where the 3D and the effects were going hand-in-hand, here the 3D however that would be, in my opinion is probably much more connected to the cinematography. And that's a completely different story (I have some fears that for the Academy might be not ... again remember "Avatar").



I had an entry about "Real Steel" in December so I won't get very long with it. It's clearly one of the two outsiders here, and also the title that probably has the least chances to nail an Oscar from the Academy (for me it would be the 4th though). Once again, lots of motion capture, and like I say for this we have this year's "the masterpiece" among the nominees. And it's not "Real Steel" ...



... It's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (long title .. I wonder how is the abbreviation .. guess it would still be long). The prequel for all the movies I guess, newer or older, from the "Planet of the Apes" franchise, which says to us "how all started", is indeed something superb considering the VFX. I personally have faith that the Academy won't be blind and see that objectively speaking, the Oscar should land here. It happened already for "Benjamin Button" a few years ago, and also for effects where the dominant and innovative part was related to the motion capture technique. What WETA from New Zealand managed to do (same team from LotR, Avatar & King Kong) is at least at the same level. Unfortunately, to say so, it's also the best part of the movie (the only nominee it has after all, and that's why I'm afraid that "Hugo" might grab this one), the rest being ok, but not something to remember. I've seen it last summer, and I don't want to get very long about it, especially since it's been a while and I don't remember it very well, but what I was assuming then proved to be true: if you see the three trailers released before, it's enough for not having anything essentially important more in the movie. Well .. except of the effects ;) ...



About the last (I really hope is the last ...) "Transformers" I don't have much to tell. They say (check the clip below) that they tried something different than the previous parts. Maybe .. I don't know .. what's certain is that's a difference also in the number of explosions, debris, etc, samd (obviously rising). "Dark of the Moon" bored me even more than "Transformers 2" ... and considering the script itself, even if it's not the right criteria, I would ban the movie from any type of nominee (they gave it 3 this year .... :|). To be fair, I have to admit that the VFX are probably the sole reason to watch this movie (well .. there is also Rosie around there, but still Megan was more ok .. a matter of taste anyway :P).



That's pretty much all for VFX ... I'll try to be back soon with an entry for sound ( one of my favorites ;) )