OSCAR BLOG #3: Analysis & Prediction (The Technical Categories)

Analysis: All the nominees are exceptional this year, but Lubezki deserves a win here for his stunning work in Terrence Malick's visionary film. Kaminski and Richardson have both won twice before, so it is less likely they will be rewarded again. But Richardson has the advantage of working in a competently-crafted 3-D film, and Avatar previously scored a win in this category in 2009, so he is a potential dark horse. Cronenweth will win in years to come if he continues to work with director David Fincher. If Schiffman wins, it would mean that The Artist will immediately solidify its position as the frontrunner in the Best Picture race.

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BEST FILM EDITING

Film editing is a post-production process that pairs the director's vision with the technical skills of the film editor. This category not only rewards the nominee who is able to put the bits and pieces of the footage shot together into a coherent whole, but also to use various editing techniques to create moments of suspense, comic timing, and excitement, delivering a film that is well-paced and engaging throughout.   

[Film still from Moneyball]

The nominees:

• THE ARTIST - Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicus

Known for: Nil

• THE DESCENDANTS - Kevin Tent

Known for: Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004).

• THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter

Known for: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), The Social Network (2010). 

• HUGO - Thelma Schoonmaker

Known for: Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas 1990), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006).

• MONEYBALL - Christopher Tellefsen

Known for: The Village (2004), Capote (2005), Fair Game (2010). 

Analysis: The potential party spoiler are the nominees for The Artist. If they win this category, it will be another huge boost to its Best Picture chances, though I suspect the Academy may pass over Hazanavicus for Best Director in favor of Martin Scorsese (for Hugo) if the former wins this category. The legendary Schoonmaker has always been an Academy favorite, with three wins thus far. It will not be a surprise if she wins her fourth Oscar. Tent and Tellefsen are first-time nominees, so they are not expected to win. Wall and Baxter have already won last year for The Social Network, so it is very unlikely they will pull off a consecutive win.

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BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Visual effects used to be practical effects or camera tricks that were done on set during production. Now, they are synonymous with computer-generated imagery (CGI). As technology advances, we get more photo-realistic effects. But even the best visual effects will come to naught if they do not help to tell the story. This category will reward nominees who have not only made a breakthrough in advancing CG effects, but use them in innovative ways that enhance the film's narrative and characters. 

[Film still from Rise of the Planet of the Apes]

The nominees:

• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2
• HUGO
• REAL STEEL
• RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
• TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

Analysis: Transformers: Dark of the Moon has great visual effects, but honestly, everything else sucks. Real Steel has a relatively better story and characters we care for, but it cannot compete with the juggernaut that is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the magnificent Hugo, and the surprise package Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A win for the deserving Rise of the Planet of the Apes will help soothe any ill feelings toward the Academy for snubbing motion-capture actor Andy Serkis, and motion-capture animated feature The Adventures of Tintin. 

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BEST SOUND MIXING

No one really knows what is the difference between Sound Mixing and Sound Editing. They sound the same to many. We are unsure of their explicit differences, but we hope to help you to understand these categories slightly better. Sound Mixing is likely to mean the creative manipulation of sounds that are used in the film (e.g. ambient sounds, sound effects). They are then mixed to give the most realistic or best effect in the film.

[Film still from Transformers: Dark of the Moon]

Sound Editing is the stage after Sound Mixing, when all the carefully-mixed sounds are edited to fit what is happening in each scene in the film so that everything appears to be realistically synched. In other words, Sound Mixing is the process of creating "sound files", and Sound Editing is the process of putting the created "sound files" coherently into the film. 

The nominees:

• THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
• HUGO
• MONEYBALL
• TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
• WAR HORSE  

BEST SOUND EDITING

The nominees:

• DRIVE
• THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
• HUGO
• TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
• WAR HORSE

Analysis: The sound categories will likely be dominated by Hugo. A win for Drive in Sound Editing would be a comforting gesture from the Academy after snubbing the film in the Best Picture, Director, and Best Leading Actor categories. 

We hope you have enjoyed reading this. Stay tuned for OSCAR BLOG #4: Analysis & Prediction (The Artistic Categories) next week!

Previously in the InCinemas' Oscar Blog series, we had:

• OSCAR BLOG #1 - Top 5 Oscar Snubs of 2012! - Friday, 27 January 
• OSCAR BLOG #2 - Top 5 Oscar Surprises of 2012! - Wednesday, 1 February