With no less than five precursors coming out this coming weekend, we’re previewing all of them today. Saturday, we have the Cinema Audio Society, American Cinema Editors and USC Scripter awards; then on Sunday, we get the Motion Picture Sound Editors and Writers Guild of America awards.

CINEMA AUDIO SOCIETY AWARDS

Best Sound Mixing

Hanna (RU:Tripp)
Hugo (Wesley / Peter / Tripp)
Moneyball (RU:Wesley / RU:Peter)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Super 8

Wesley Lovell: Only two of these films are Oscar nominees. I’m thinking that should give them both the edge. And after Hugo won the prize at the BAFTA awards, I’m beginning to think it could triumph here, too. If it does, Oscar could be next.

AMERICAN CINEMA EDITORS AWARDS

Best Drama Editing

The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Wesley / RU:Peter / RU:Tripp)
Hugo (RU:Wesley / Peter / Tripp)
Moneyball
War Horse

Wesley Lovell: Four of the five Oscar nominees are in this category (the fifth is in Comedy/Musical editing). If David Fincher’s film is going to win at the Oscars, it has to win at ACE. If it goes to Hugo as I think it might, then its chances at the Oscars diminish quite a bit. Of course, since it’s the most obviously edited of these nominees, I’d say it has a good chance of taking home the trophy.

Best Comedy/Musical Editing

The Artist (Wesley / Peter)
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris (RU:Wesley / RU:Peter)
My Week with Marilyn
Young Adult

Wesley Lovell: It’s the only Oscar nominee of the bunch, so don’t count it out. I don’t really see much chance for any of the others, but Bridesmaids or Midnight in Paris are the most likely selections from this bunch.

Best Animation Editing

The Adventures of Tintin (Wesley / RU:Peter)
Puss in Boots
Rango (RU:Wesley / Peter)

Wesley Lovell: Chalk up another win for Rango…or don’t. There isn’t a lot of skillful editing work in Rango (though, there is the massive chase sequence through the middle), but there are some amazing action sequences in Tintin that could easily figure into its victory here. It could be a close race, though.

Best Documentary Editing

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Peter)
Freedom Riders (RU:Wesley / RU:Peter)
George Harrison: Living in the Material World (Wesley)

Wesley Lovell: Concerts are probably the most likely films to win this category since they rely so heavily on quick cuts. While Living in the Material World isn’t a musical per se, it should qualify enough to win the award.

USC SCRIPTER AWARDS

Best Adapted Screenplay

A Dangerous Method
The Descendants (Wesley / RU:Peter)
Jane Eyre
Moneyball (Tripp)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (RU:Wesley / Peter / RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Since Moneyball scribe Aaron Sorkin won here last year and Jane Eyre is lucky to be nominated, it comes down to The Descendants and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. If Tinker wins, an upset at the Oscars could be in the offing, but I’m leaning towards The Descendants here.

MOTION PICTURE SOUND EDITORS AWARDS

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects and Foley in a Feature Film

Drive (Peter)
Fast Five
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (RU:Peter)
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Tripp)
Super 8 (RU:Wesley)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse (Wesley / RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Of the five Oscar nominees for Sound Editing, four are on this list (Hugo is missing entirely). This means if one of the films wins, it could be considered an early precursor. Yet, something about Super 8 and its recognizable names may give it the upper hand. A win by Drive would excite me, but I doubt it can win. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo just seems too subtle, leaving the competition between Oscar nominees Transformers and War Horse. Since Oscar voters seem to want to avoid the Michael Bay franchise, I’m guessing that War Horse may be the winner.

Best Sound Editing: Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film

Abduction
The Help (Peter)
Moneyball (Wesley / RU:Peter)
Quarantine II: Terminal
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Tripp)
Super 8 (RU:Wesley)
War Horse (RU:Tripp)
The Way

Wesley Lovell: Only one Oscar nominee is on the list here and that War Horse, but since the war sounds are likely to earn it the Foley award, dialogue and ADR just don’t seem to be in its favor. Of the rest, I think Moneyball may have the best chance with Super 8 a close competitor.

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, ADR and Music in an Animation Feature Film

The Adventures of Tintin (Peter / Tripp)
Cars 2 (RU:Wesley)
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango (Wesley / RU:Peter / RU:Tripp)
Rio
The Smurfs

Wesley Lovell: I never know quite what to expect here. I though for sure Tintin would beat Rango at the VES and was wrong, so I’m giving Rango a bit of an edge. However, look out for Pixar who has always done well with Sound Editing awards and in spite of Cars 2 being a critic bomb, the sound editing work was still terrific.

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, ADR and Music in a Feature Documentary

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (RU:Peter)
George Harrison: Living in the Material World (Wesley / Peter / Tripp)
Lemmy
Pearl Jam Twenty (RU:Wesley / RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: There are two major musical events on the list, but I think Martin Scorsese’s tribute to George Harrison will win out.

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Foreign Language Film

1920. The World’s Most Important Battle
Circumstance
The Flowers of War (Wesley / RU:Tripp)
In the Land of Blood and Honey (Tripp)
Sarah’s Key (Peter)
The Skin I Live In (RU:Wesley / RU:Peter)
Tropa de Elite 2 (Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within)

Wesley Lovell: There are a few war and/or action films on the list, but I’m guessing The Flowers of War may be the ticket. However, without major Oscar nominees in the bunch, it’s hard to put a finger on an obvious choice.

Best Sound Editing: Music in a Feature Film

Drive (RU:Wesley / Peter / RU:Tripp)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Wesley / RU:Peter / Tripp)
Hop
Hugo
Priest
Super 8
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The Tree of Life

Wesley Lovell: The best use of music is a toss up between Drive and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on this list for me. However, these voters may want to give a prize to Oscar nominee Hugo.

Best Sound Editing: Music in a Musical Feature Film

Footloose (RU:Peter / RU:Tripp)
The Muppets (Wesley / Peter / Tripp)
Perfect Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Pina (RU:Wesley)

Wesley Lovell: The Muppets seem like such an obvious choice, that I almost think they’re going to lose. Pina is an artistic film using music and dance with equal measure. That may just be enough to triumph over the Jim Henson creations.

WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARDS

Best Original Screenplay

50/50 (RU:Peter)
Bridesmaids (RU:Wesley / RU:Tripp)
Midnight in Paris (Wesley / Tripp)
Win Win (Peter)
Young Adult

Wesley Lovell: With no Artist to stand in its way, Woody Allen should have no problem winning for Midnight in Paris. If it loses to anything else, look for The Artist to emerge victorious at the Oscars.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Descendants (Wesley / RU:Tripp)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help (RU:Peter)
Hugo
Moneyball (RU:Wesley / Peter / Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Without Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in the mix, it becomes a case of Descendants vs. Moneyball. Aaron Sorkin won last year, which means Alexander Payne could win this year. But watch out for the non-Oscar nominees for they might just pull a surprise.

Best Documentary Screenplay

Better This World (Peter)
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (RU:Wesley)
Nostalgia for the Light (Wesley)
Pina
Position Among the Stars
Senna (RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: I’m at a loss on this one. They nominated Pina which seems like just the artistic film they would ignore. Only one of these is also an Oscar nominee, which could benefit If a Tree Falls, but I think Nostalgia for the Light seems more like a winner to me. However, as I said before, I’m really not certain on this one at all.