Precursor: 16th Visual Effects Society Nominations (2017)

The Visual Effects Society has announced their nominees in numerous categories for the best visual effects of the year. While seeing what has the most nominations (War for the Planet of the Apes and Blade Runner 2049 tied with seven each) can be instructive, only two categories have any carry over to the Academy Awards, Best Visual Effects and Best Supporting Visual Effects. Looking over the ten films on the Academy’s shortlist for the Best Visual Effects of the year, we find a surprising four titles completely shut out here. Among them is The Shape of Water, which many think will be one of the final five. The others are Alien: Covenant, Okja, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, the other most surprising omission from this list. Meanwhile, the four films on the Oscar list that got the most nominations were Blade Runner, Planet of the Apes, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and, surprisingly, Kong: Skull Island. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Dunkirk are the other two with Dunkirk picking up a single nomination for Best Supporting Visual Effects. As it’s the only film on that list that’s also on the Oscar shortlist, it’s probably guaranteed an Oscar nomination since at least one title from the Supporting Visual Effects list usually shows up at the Oscars.

Nominations Tallies

(7) Blade Runner 2049, War for the Planet of the Apes
(5) Despicable Me 3
(4) Coco, Kong: Skull Island, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Lego Ninjago Movie
(3) Cars 3

The Nominations

Best Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Blade Runner 2049
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes

Best Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Darkest Hour
Downsizing
Dunkirk
mother!
Only the Brave

Best Visual Effects in an Animated Feature

Captain Underpants
Cars 3
Coco
Despicable Me 3
The Lego Batman Movie
The Lego Ninjago Movie

Best Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature

Blade Runner 2049 – Rachael
Kong: Skull Island – Kong
War for the Planet of the Apes – Bad Ape
War for the Planet of the Apes – Caesar

Best Animated Character in an Animation Feature

The Boss Baby – Boss Baby
Coco – Hèctor
Despicable Me 3 – Bratt
The Lego Ninjago Movie – Garma Mecha Man
The Lego Ninjago Movie – Garmadon

Best Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature

Blade Runner 2049 – Los Angeles
Blade Runner 2049 – Trash Mesa
Blade Runner 2049 – Vegas
War for the Planet of the Apes – Hidden Fortress
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
Despicable Me 3 – Hollywood Destruction
The Lego Ninjago Movie – Ninjago City

Best Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project

Blade Runner 2049 – LAPD Headquarters
Despicable Me 3 – Dru’s Car
Life – The ISS
US Marines – Anthem; Monument

Best Compositing in a Photoreal Feature

Blade Runner 2049 – LAPD Approach and Joy Holograms
Kong: Skull Island
Thor: Ragnarok – Bridge Battle
War for the Planet of the Apes

Best Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project

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

Best Effects Simulations in an Photoreal Feature

Kong: Skull Island
Only the Brave – Fire & Smoke
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Bombing Run
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Mega Destroyer Destruction
War for the Planet of the Apes