The Visual Effects Society doesn’t always get it right, but they are accurate enough to be a potential playmaker should anything other than Dune win. Their awards are on Tuesday evening as they are one of the few guilds who will host their honors on a non-weekend evening.

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY AWARDS

Best Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Dune (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Godzilla vs. Kong
The Matrix Resurrections
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (RU:Wesley)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (RU:Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: This is entirely Dune‘s to lose. I could see either Shang-Chi or Spider-Man topping it in an alternate universe, which both of these films are a part of.
Peter J. Patrick: Dune has the most complex and Spider-Man: No Way Home is the most popular, but I think Dune will prevail.
Tripp Burton: Dune is the easy front-runner here, unless people really loved Spider-Man.
Thomas LaTourette: Dune feels like it should be the easy winner here. If it doesn’t, then the Oscar race will be wide open.

Best Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Candyman (RU:Thomas)
The Last Duel
Last Night in Soho (Wesley, Tripp, RU:Peter)
Nightmare Alley (Peter, Thomas, RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
The Tragedy of Macbeth

Wesley Lovell: Last Night in Soho earned great acclaim for its fascinating effects and camera shots, but if any folk could see past the camera trickery, it’s this branch and Nightmare Alley wouldn’t be unprecedented for a Guillermo del Toro film.
Peter J. Patrick: These all have outstanding supporting visual effects, but Nightmare Alley and Last Night in Soho had the most stunning.
Tripp Burton: There are no Oscar nominees in here this year, so Best Picture nominee Nightmare Alley would seem the front-runner. However, I have a hunch that voters could go with Last Night in Soho.
Thomas LaTourette: This is an odd group of films as most of them did not seem to have a lot of visual effects as in some years, so I am not sure how it will go. I will choose Nightmare Alley as it was the most successful film of the bunch for me.

Best Visual Effects in an Animated Feature

Encanto (Wesley, Thomas, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Luca (Peter)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (RU:Thomas)
Raya and the Last Dragon (Tripp, RU:Wesley)
Sing 2

Wesley Lovell: The most effects occur in Encanto, Raya, and The Mitchells. Disney seems to be on a roll, but if any film can break that streak, it’s one of those two films.
Peter J. Patrick: I found Luca‘s effects more impressive than the more popular Encanto, but both were good.
Tripp Burton: Like many of these guides, between Encanto and Raya and the Last Dragon, I will go with the more ambitious.
Thomas LaTourette: I do not know if Encanto will win here, but it seems like it would have a good chance.

Best Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature

Finch – Jeff (RU:Wesley)
Flora & Ulysses – Ulysses (RU:Peter)
Jungle Cruise – Aguirre (Peter, Thomas, RU:Tripp)
Venom: Let There Be Carnage – Carnage (Wesley, Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Venom is such a chaotic character and Carnage is right there with him. It’s such a big, massive character, that I can’t see it losing out to any of the others except in a shock upset.
Peter J. Patrick: I haven’t seen any of these, so I’m just guessing.
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: Aguirre was an interesting character, so I will go with him.

Best Animated Character in an Animation Feature

Encanto – Mirabel Madrigal (Peter, RU:Wesley)
Luca – Luca (Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Raya and the Last Dragon – Tuk Tuk (Tripp, Thomas)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Katie Mitchell (RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: All of these characters require a lot of digital effects, but I can see Luca winning its only award here, though I’m not 100% sold on that.
Peter J. Patrick: I give a slight edge to Mirabel over Luca.
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: Tuk Tuk was the most different character, so perhaps he will win.

Best Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature

Dune – Arrakeen City (Wesley, Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Jungle Cruise – Waterfall Canyon
Spider-Man: No Way Home – The Mirror Dimension (Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
The Suicide Squad – Valle Del Marre

Wesley Lovell: Back to the Dune winning streak, but Spider-Man‘s mirror dimension is a potential spoiler.
Peter J. Patrick: Dune has the more intricate design, but Spider-Man: No Way Home was quite memorable as well.
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: The mirror dimension of Spider-Man was the most memorable environment for me, so I will choose it over Dune, though not sure if the guild will go that way.

Best Created Environment in an Animated Feature

Encanto – Antonio’s Room (Tripp, RU:Peter)
Luca – Portorosso Piazza (Peter, Thomas, RU:Wesley)
Raya and the Last Dragon – Talon (Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Sing 2 – Crystal Theater
Vivo – Mambo Cabana

Wesley Lovell: I’m going outside the normal and giving my prediction to Raya. All of the locales in this list are solid, but Talon is a massive environment with plenty of details that could well please this group. If there’s a spoiler, I could see it being either Luca or Encanto.
Peter J. Patrick: The plaza in Luca was easily the most impressive with Antonio’s room in Encanto right behind.
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: The Piazza was a fun place, so perhaps it will win.

Best Effects Simulations in an Photoreal Feature

Dune – Dunes of Arrakis (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Godzilla vs. Kong – Ocean Water & Battle Destruction (RU:Tripp)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Water, Bubbles & Magic (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)
The Suicide Squad – Corto Maltese City Destruction

Wesley Lovell: Effects simulation is more than just creating effects. It’s usually something more boisterous and that could benefit the likes of Shang-Chi, though it would be ill-advised to bet against Dune.
Peter J. Patrick: (no commentary provided)
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: Dune feels like the winner, though Shang-Chi might sneak in.

Best Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature

Encanto (Wesley, Peter, Thomas)
Luca (RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Raya and the Last Dragon (Tripp, RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Sing 2

Wesley Lovell: Encanto and Raya have the most effects per capita and with The Mitchells out of the running, it will have to be one of those two.
Peter J. Patrick: (no commentary provided)
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: I think either Encanto or Raya wins, with the edge to Encanto as the more recent film.

Best Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project

Black Widow – The Red Room (Thomas)
Dune – Royal Ornithopter (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)
Encanto – Casita Madrigal (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
The Suicide Squad – Jotunheim (RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: I’m surprised they used a physical model in Encanto, which leads me to believe that the modelmakers who love making models are more likely to go with something physical. Dune‘s ornithopter will likely have what it takes.
Peter J. Patrick: (no commentary provided)
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: I wonder if Dune will be sweeping up most of the awards.

Best Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project

Encanto – We Don’t Talk About Bruno (Peter, Tripp, RU:Wesley)
Godzilla vs. Kong – Ocean Battle (Thomas)
Loki – Race to the Ark (Episode: Lamentis)
Raya and the Last Dragon (RU:Tripp)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Sometimes, the challenge of lighting a scene is a result of changing weather environments and Shang-Chi handles that well in numerous scenes and I suspect it’s in the lead, though Encanto‘s weather-controlling simulations for the “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” sequence are pretty good too.
Peter J. Patrick: (no commentary provided)
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: I would think that a live action film stands a better chance of winning over an animated film.

Best Compositing & Lighting in a Photoreal Feature

Black Widow – Red Room Crashing Back to Earth (RU:Wesley)
Dune – Attack on Arrakeen (Peter, Tripp)
Dune – Hologram & Hunter Seeker (Thomas)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Macau City (Wesley)
Spider-Man: No Way Home – Liberty Island Battle & Christmas Swing Finale (RU:Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Compositing is about bringing together the most effects. This could be a tough choice and I could see it going any of five ways. Surprisingly, I think this might be the one award Dune is more likely to lose thanks to the vibrant and chaotic nightlife of Macau City in Shang-Chi and the crash sequence that ends Black Widow.
Peter J. Patrick: (no commentary provided)
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: I am not at all certain how this one will go.

Best Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal or Animated Project

Eternals (Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Jungle Cruise
The Matrix Resurrections (Peter, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley)
The Tomorrow War (RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: The Matrix Resurrections set the standard for modern practical effects, but I think Eternals is the more impressive achievement overall. That said, I won’t be surprised if Matrix wins.
Peter J. Patrick: (no commentary provided)
Tripp Burton: (no commentary provided)
Thomas LaTourette: It doesn’t have a lot of nominations, but Matrix might win this.