Great films but the Oscars are bullshit

[Andrew Reid]

Joaquin Phoenix on the Oscars - "Pitting people against each other...It's the stupidest thing in the whole world. It was one of the most uncomfortable periods of my life, when Walk the Line was going through all the awards stuff. I never want to have that experience again."

 

This year, Oscars host said he hoped Joaquin was 'on his meds'. Very sensitive considering his brother River Phoenix died from a drug overdose.

 

Rain, Leaf, River, Liberty and Summer - you live up to your names. Seth you live up to yours.

[andy lee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=90Py70XjjY0#!

 

How did 'Life Of Pi' win best Cinematography when its mainly CG ??? - come on!!

I will never understand that Roger Deakins was overlooked for Skyfall in this catagory.

 

anyhow there is a Visual Effects Strike in Hollywood as all those 'Mac Monkeys' are underpaid and not Unionised.....well for now !

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.402551-Visual-Effects-Artists-Strike

[Axel]

About the VFX strike: Visual effects are considered cheaper special effects. When Avatar came out, there was an open letter signed by many of the vfx-slaves to James Cameron, begging him to speak out for their rights. But justice in a world that's built on competition is like unobtainium.

And it's not just about being paid badly. It's about suffering from a bunch of collateral illnesses. Sitting all day and most of the night in front of a computer kills you. The rider of the last shadow ...

[Andrew Reid]

So Hollywood sees VFX artists as 'cheap labour'? Maybe. It's all about money. Why blow something up for XX amount when you can do it for slightly less.

 

Life of Pi did well at The Oscars. What sickened me was cutting the VFX guys speech off. They're allowed to suck the ass of the academy but when it comes to their own rights, and their very survival it is... Jaws theme.

[Leang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=90Py70XjjY0#!

How did 'Life Of Pi' win best Cinematography when its mainly CG ??? - come on!!
I will never understand that Roger Deakins was overlooked for Skyfall in this catagory.

I would look closer at the composition of the shots and how you tell a metaphorical tale from shot to shot. Its also not easy to light green consistently, look at the consistent color temperature and shadow detail. and it was not all CG... great film...Ang Lee is one of the best in the game in lens choice too, most DP's know this about him.

[jgharding]

My favorite film last year was The Hunt (Danish drama). Beautiful cinematography, astonishing performances, not perfect but still better than most that were nominated. A great maturation of Dogme 95.

 

I don't expect it to win at something like the Oscars though, but it received recognition at many other festivals: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2106476/awards

 

Joaquin Phoenix put in the performance of a lifetime in The Master. That scene with the interview is a tour de force, mind blowing stuff... I didn't expect it to get any awards though. Anderson is quite open about not be fussed about them. Good on him I say!

[ScreensPro]

This year, Oscars host said he hoped Joaquin was 'on his meds'. Very sensitive considering his brother River Phoenix died from a drug overdose.

 

If you are that easily offended, don't watch something hosted by Seth MacFarlane. That much is very, very simple. I didn't see it all, but he seemed pretty tame and generally came across as a likeable guy.

 

Joaquin's brother died from taking heroin and cocaine..... Hardly a "med" and hardly related to a very mild gag about Joaquin saying some strange stuff.

 

For all we know, Seth and Joaquin are good friends.

[markm]

So Hollywood sees VFX artists as 'cheap labour'? Maybe. It's all about money. Why blow something up for XX amount when you can do it for slightly less.

 

Life of Pi did well at The Oscars. What sickened me was cutting the VFX guys speech off. They're allowed to suck the ass of the academy but when it comes to their own rights, and their very survival it is... Jaws theme.

 

Capitism and business compete for work. IE effects houses compete against each another. Whoever offers the lowest price for the most work gets the business. If a company unfairly priced the contract knowing they cant deliver and have beaten another company who quoted more and could have delivered they have basicly taken the work from someone else.

 

Contracts are written for a reason. The VFX company is at fault. NOT the Director. Many VFX companies may go bust and the reason for that is there are to many competing for to little work. This also has the effect of driving prices down. This was the wrong platform to complain on.

 

Similarly if there were to few effects houses This would drive prices up.

 

Film makers get this all the time.

[Andrew Reid]

Actually Seth MacFarlane was so heavily watered down he was almost turning translucent. The main problem was that he wasn't very funny, and that he was crass and not very likeable. I don't find the frat boy humour very cleaver to be honest. If only more stage time was given to the people the ceremony was meant to be celebrating, and less to him, singing and dancing. It was like the Tonys.

 

He was a bit like a slightly insipid glossier version of Ricky Gervais. At least when he's offensive, it's funny.

[Andrew Reid]

Contracts are written for a reason. The VFX company is at fault. NOT the Director. Many VFX companies may go bust and the reason for that is there are to many competing for to little work. This also has the effect of driving prices down. This was the wrong platform to complain on.

 

It was the right platform to complain on. Got people's attention didn't it?

[markm]

It was the right platform to complain on. Got people's attention didn't it?

 

Yes but it doesn't change their position and maybe it's made it worse. Blaming the director etc on oscar night making them look bad sends all kinds of wrong signals to future contractors. The VFX house created wonderful effects but they are still part of the chain. Many crew are often overlooked for the work they do too. Often actors take the credit for the entire film IE An interviewer will often say to a top actor Lets talk about your latest film for example.

[Andrew Reid]

Nobody blamed the directors on Oscars night.

[AaronChicago]

I thought Joaquin was great in The Master, however he was going against DDL. Anytime DDL is in a film, other actors are just happy to be nominated. Denzel was also wonderful in Flight. It was a good year for actors.

[Bruno]

The VFX company is at fault. NOT the Director.

 

I recommend you read up on what's really going on and what the VFX issues are.

 

VFX companies are not blaming directors, even though it wouldn't hurt for VFX films' directors to actually know a thing or two about VFX.

 

The problem is the business model, how studios take the work to tax havens and force every company and workers to move with it, how they force VFX facilities to underbid and work at a loss, how they don't credit the artists who worked on the films, and no it's not caused by bad management, it's the nature of the industry and the overall disrespect it gets from the studios.

 

http://www.facebook.com/VfxSolidarityIntl

 

 

 

I would look closer at the composition of the shots and how you tell a metaphorical tale from shot to shot. Its also not easy to light green consistently, look at the consistent color temperature and shadow detail.

 

You'd be surprised at how much of the shot composition and editing in VFX sequences is actually done by the VFX companies, and many times after the DP is done with shooting the film and already off shooting another project.

 

And let's get this straight:

YOU DON'T GET A CINEMATOGRAPHY OSCAR FOR LIGHTING A FLAT GREENSCREEN!

 

Tell me of a single DP that actually light his film's greenscreens... that's technical work, not artistic.

 

 

Both Ang Lee and Claudio Miranda were quite ungrateful during their speeches. They both tried to make up for it backstage, but backstage is just not the same thing, is it? Especially in a moment where the VFX industry really needs serious changes and all the attention it can get.

[Leang]

And let's get this straight:

YOU DON'T GET A CINEMATOGRAPHY OSCAR FOR LIGHTING A FLAT GREENSCREEN!

 

sure you most definitely can.  First off Miranda is already ASC, and as I already mentioned lighting green is extremely challenging and not generic weather report lighting as most think.  The point is not how to light green screen properly, it's who can pull off nice creative lighting for VFX - that's important!  DP's sit in the same room when revising the color grade.  It's not like DP's just randomly shoot a ''correct exposure'' and expect a colorist to make the magic happen.  Ang Lee has his own unique style of directing, and it's not like these directors just walk away and expect post production to be the foundation for any accomplishment.  Ang Lee and Miranda work nicely together.  

 

Sure it was just a boat and some animals...minimal...but far better lit and depth than Clash of the Titans.  Look at the camera work when the Indıan dives into the pool.  It's art!!   the blocking and staging along with camera tracking is hard.  I've done tracking.  It's not easy, and I highly respect the complexity of it.  Argo...generic lit.

[markm]

I recommend you read up on what's really going on and what the VFX issues are.

 

VFX companies are not blaming directors, even though it wouldn't hurt for VFX films' directors to actually know a thing or two about VFX.

This is about blaming Ang Lee for not giving enough recognition or baling out the VFX company who made the film what it is and never got the appropriate credit or nod.

 

The VFX company involved seems to want to unite other VFX companies into some sort of union against the film makers Of course this is destined to fail. Unless VFX companies are advocating going it alone to make their own VFX movies and they very well could. I think its a splendid idea

 

However this turning on film makers will backfire on them if they want to carry on working the same way.

The problem is the business model, how studios take the work to tax havens and force every company and workers to move with it, how they force VFX facilities to underbid and work at a loss, how they don't credit the artists who worked on the films, and no it's not caused by bad management, it's the nature of the industry and the overall disrespect it gets from the studios.

 

http://www.facebook.com/VfxSolidarityIntl

They DON'T force VFX companies to under bid Companies do that all by themselves. The problem is the more VFX companies out there competing will mean the more they will drive each others prices down. You obviously didnt read my earlier post.