Precursor: 13th Visual Effects Society Nominations (2014)

The key categories to look at are Visual Effects and Supporting Visual Effects categories. Of these, only the films in the Effects-Driven category are on the Oscar shortlist and all six are there. Drop one of them and you may have the Oscar nominees (I’d suggest dropping Maleficent). Another sure sign is that four of those shortlisted film received 3 or more nominations, making them even stronger candidates.

Noteworthy here is that Interstellar wasn’t a run-away nominee, taking in one fewer than Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (which really should be four, but received two nominations in one category making it five). It then tied with The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Maybe it’s a touch vulnerable. I don’t think it is, but these nominations does give one pause.

Nominations Tallies

(5) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
(4) Big Hero 6, The Boxtrolls, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Interstellar
(3) Edge of Tomorrow, How to Train Your Dragon 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past

The Nominations

Best Visual Effects in an Effects-Driven Film

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Maleficent
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Supporting Visual Effects

Birdman
Divergent
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Unbroken

Best Animation in an Animated Feature

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
Rio 2

Best Animated Character in a Live Action Film

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Caesar
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Koba
Guardians of the Galaxy – Rocket
Maleficent – Thistlewit

Best Animated Character in an Animation Film

Big Hero 6 – Baymax
The Boxtrolls – Archibald Snatcher
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Hiccup
Rio 2 – Gabi

Best Created Environment in a Live Action Film

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Triskelion Headquarters
Interstellar – Tesseract
Lucy – Times Square
Noah – Antediluvian Earth

Best Created Environment in an Animated Feature

Big Hero 6 – Into the Portal
The Book of Life – Magical Land of the Remembered
The Boxtrolls – Boxtroll Cavern
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Oasis

Best Models

Big Hero 6 – City of San Fransokyo
The Boxtrolls – Mecha-Drill
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Laketown
Transformers: Age of Extinction – Knightship

Best Compositing

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edge of Tomorrow – Beach
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar – Water

Best Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Film

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edge of Tomorrow – Beach and Paris Attacks
Interstellar – Tesseract
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Kitchen Scene

Best Effects Simulations in an Live Action Film

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Helicarrier Broadside and Crash
Edge of Tomorrow – Destruction and Sand
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Quicksilver Pentagon Kitchen