Visual FX artists everywhere cross their fingers, as a proposal for an increase of their Oscar eligibility is very close to going through. The VFX branch has taken a vote, hoping to get the number of their nominations increased from three to five. The matter was debated last Thursday, with Variety describing it as “heated” (we’re sure they were hurling CGI chairs that took weeks to render). The main reason for this is to bring in films that do big time buck at the box office, in other words, super hero movies and “Alice in Wonderland.” So that’s fine, the more the merrier, right?
With an already long run time and a decline in ratings, and having already increased “Best Picture” to lackluster results (“The Blind Side” was obviously chosen to fill in space, and why so many when the competition is mainly between two films?), it’s understandable why the Academy might not be so gung-ho over this idea. VFX argue their case, mentioning the fact that sound gets two categories, screenplays get two categories, and they’d only need one. They’re basically looking up to their parents, stomping, and yelling “Its not fair!”
And maybe it isn’t. These films are the ones topping the box office, not “The Hurt Locker.” VFX, like it or not, is also way more prominent in today’s films than they were back in the day. So why not throw a dog a bone? But still, time is a huge issue with the show, and with over 20 artists to name for each picture along with a clip, we can see the Academy not being terribly wild about this.
The big question is, and will likely effect the decision, would the inclusion of two more nominees do anything for the show? Will more people watch next year if, say, “Iron Man 2” is one of the five that will be nominated? Most likely not. If you care at all, you’ll already be watching whether or not your favorite super hero is up for an award.
The Awards Rules Committee and the Board of Governors still have to vote on the issue, and its unclear if they will please the VFX artists or stand their ground on a shorter, simpler show. It’s true that these guys are artists and should be celebrated for their work, but an increase of a few minutes for the show might not seem so minuscule to the bigwigs.