Precursor: 14th Visual Effects Society (2015)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the film I most expect to take home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects made an expected strong showing here topping all others with seven nominations. Typically, the film with the highest nominations tally will also be the Oscar winner, but as certain Bets Picture nominees of the past can attest, that isn’t always the case.

To figure out the Best Visual Effects nominees, take a look at the top two categories below, Visual Effects and Supporting Visual Effects. Other than the fact that the VES has changed its category names (again?) to reflect live-action films as photoreal films instead, the gist remains the same. Of the ten films nominated by VES, Mad Max, The Martian, Star Wars, The Revenant and The Walk are the only films on the Oscar shortlist. Will all five be nominated? That’s quit possible, though The Walk and The Martian seemed before to be the weaker ones of the bunch.

These nominations hurt two major players more than any others: Ex Machina and Jurassic World. Ex Machina scored zero nominations while Jurassic World only picked up two. That doesn’t bode well for either film for the Oscars, but either or both could make the final list. Based on this data, Mad Max, The Revenant and Star Wars likely have the best chances.

Nominations Tallies

(7) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
(5) The Peanuts Movie
(4) The Good Dinosaur, Inside Out, San Andreas
(3) Avengers: Age of Ultron, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, The Walk

The Nominations

Best Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Furious 7
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
San Andreas
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Bridge of Spies
Everest
In the Heart of the Sea
The Revenant
The Walk

Best Animation in an Animated Feature

Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Hotel Transylvania 2
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie

Best Animated Performance in a Photoreal Feature

Avengers: Age of Ultron – Hulk
Chappie – Chappie
The Revenant – The Bear
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Maz

Best Animated Performance in an Animation Feature

The Good Dinosaur – Spot
Inside Out – Joy
The Peanuts Movie – Charlie Brown
The Peanuts Movie – Snoopy

Best Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature

Ant-Man – The Microverse
Jurassic World – Jungle Chase
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Falcon Chase / Graveyard
Tomorrowland – Tomorrowland Center
The Walk – World Trade Center

Best Created Environment in an Animated Feature

The Good Dinosaur – The Farm
Inside Out – Imagination Land
The Peanuts Movie – Charlie Brown’s Neighborhood
Shaun the Sheep Movie – Under the Arches

Best Models in a Photoreal or Animated Project

Avengers: Age of Ultron – Hulkbuster
Everest – Mt. Everest
Jurassic World – Indominous Rex
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – BB-8

Best Compositing in a Photoreal Feature

Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant – Bear Attack
San Andreas – Los Angeles Destruction
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Tomorrowland

Best Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project

Ant-Man – Macro Action
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – Underwater Torus Chamber
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Falcon Chase / Graveyard
The Walk – Towers Walk

Best Effects Simulations in an Photoreal Feature

Avengers: Age of Ultron – Hulk vs. Hulkbuster
Mad Max: Fury Road – Toxic Storm
San Andreas – Hoover Dam / San Francisco Tsunami
San Andreas – Los Angeles Destruction
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Starkiller Base