2017 Precursor Predictions: Visual Effects Society

Only three categories are at all connected to the Oscars. Two have been associated with every winner of the Best Visual Effects category, while the third has, historically, has only brought one nominee a long, but that’s enough for it to at least have some influence.

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY AWARDS

Best Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Blade Runner 2049 (Wesley, Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes (Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: War for the Planet of the Apes has the benefit of being a series with prior winners in this category. Blade Runner 2049 has the benefit of being a follow-up to an incredibly well respected film with the same number of nominations as Apes. Taken together, Apes is something they’ve seen before. Blade Runner may not be. If it can win here, it should have no problem at the Oscars.
Peter J. Patrick: Pure guesswork but I expect Blade Runner 2049 or War of the Planet of the Apes to prevail here.
Tripp Burton: Both Planet of the Apes films in this rebooted series have won this award, and the third film is just as impressive and should complete the trifecta. If not, Blade Runner is probably the next in line.
Thomas LaTourette: All five are Oscar nominated, so there is not really any that are necessarily at the head of the pack. Seeing how the VES has given their award to the two previous Planet of the Apes films, I could see that they might do the same with this one. Though I do wonder if it will go to Blade Runner 2049, which is how I have thought the Oscar would go. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Best Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Darkest Hour (RU:Peter)
Downsizing (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
Dunkirk (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
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Only the Brave (RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: There are no Oscar nominees on this list, which should make the question a challenging one. However, Dunkirk was though to be one of the few films capable of an Oscar nomination and whose failure at the Oscars suggests the film is probably still well loved. That said, of the rest of these, Downsizing has an outsized number of effects, which should make it a solid runner-up.
Peter J. Patrick: The effects in Dunkirk tower over the competition here, but runner-up is a tough call between Darkest Hour and Only the Brave.
Tripp Burton: Best Picture nominee Dunkirk is the only of these films to end up on the Oscar shortlist, and that should propel it to a win here. If not, Downsizing seems to have the most special effects of all these.
Thomas LaTourette: I am thinking that the two more action related films stand a better chance of winning here. I give the battle scenes of Dunkirk a bit better chance than the fires of Only the Brave.

Best Visual Effects in an Animated Feature

Captain Underpants
Cars 3
Coco (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Despicable Me 3 (RU:Thomas)
The Lego Batman Movie (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
The Lego Ninjago Movie

Wesley Lovell: This relatively new category could yield a surprise, but Coco‘s awards season dominance should benefit it well here.
Peter J. Patrick: I don’t really know about this one, but Coco is winning everything else in animation, so why not here as well?
Tripp Burton: When in doubt, go with Coco this season.
Thomas LaTourette: The creation of the City of the Dead was a remarkable sight, and I think that will net them the award. The Lego movies might knock each other out, which leaves Despicable Me 3 as the likely recipient if it does not go to Coco.

Best Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature

Blade Runner 2049 – Rachael (Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Kong: Skull Island – Kong
War for the Planet of the Apes – Bad Ape (Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
War for the Planet of the Apes – Caesar (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)

Best Animated Character in an Animation Feature

The Boss Baby – Boss Baby (RU:Tripp)
Coco – Hèctor (Peter, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley)
Despicable Me 3 – Bratt
The Lego Ninjago Movie – Garma Mecha Man (Wesley, RU:Peter)
The Lego Ninjago Movie – Garmadon (RU:Thomas)

Best Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature

Blade Runner 2049 – Los Angeles (Peter, RU:Thomas)
Blade Runner 2049 – Trash Mesa
Blade Runner 2049 – Vegas (Wesley, Tripp, Thomas)
War for the Planet of the Apes – Hidden Fortress (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
War for the Planet of the Apes – Prison Camp

Best Created Environment in an Animated Feature

Cars 3 – Abandoned Racetrack
Coco – City of the Dead (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Despicable Me 3 – Hollywood Destruction (RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)
The Lego Ninjago Movie – Ninjago City (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)

Best Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project

Blade Runner 2049 – LAPD Headquarters (Peter, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley)
Despicable Me 3 – Dru’s Car
Life – The ISS (Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
US Marines – Anthem; Monument (RU:Peter)

Best Compositing in a Photoreal Feature

Blade Runner 2049 – LAPD Approach and Joy Holograms (Peter, Tripp)
Kong: Skull Island (RU:Wesley)
Thor: Ragnarok – Bridge Battle (RU:Thomas)
War for the Planet of the Apes (Wesley, Thomas, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)

Best Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project

Beauty and the Beast – Be Our Guest (Peter, RU:Tripp)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – Groot Dance / Opening Fight (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Crait Surface Battle (Wesley, Tripp, RU:Peter)
Thor: Ragnarok – Valkyrie’s Flashback (Thomas)

Best Effects Simulations in an Photoreal Feature

Kong: Skull Island (RU:Wesley)
Only the Brave – Fire & Smoke (RU:Thomas)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Bombing Run (Peter)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Mega Destroyer Destruction (RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
War for the Planet of the Apes (Wesley, Tripp, Thomas)