Oscar rules: Best Makeup

Following a submission by Academy Governor Leonard Engelman to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy has agreed to increase the maximum number of Best Makeup Oscar nominees per film to three nominees — ‘on occasion’ — with effect from this year.

As part of his submission Leonard Engelman cited two circumstances where a third nomination would be appropriate: the general case where there are three separate areas of responsibility (Makeup, Special Makeup Effects, and Hairstyling); and the particular case of The Grinch where Kazuhiro Tsuji both sculpted the creation and applied the Grinch’s makeup every day but was not included in the nominations under the existing rules.

There is an article on monstersandcritics.com which includes the relevant excerpt from the new rules; the new rule has not yet been posted on the Academy website.

Tribute to Dick Smith

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is holding a Special Tribute for Dick Smith to honour his lifetime contribution to the makeup profession.

The ceremony will be held  on 17 June at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles. Rick Baker will serve as Master of Ceremonies and speakers will include: Greg Cannom, Mike Elizalde, Kevin Haney, Hal Holbrook, and Guillermo Del Toro. This once in a lifetime event will be open to the general public.

Wonderful, appropriate and about bloody time!

the 81st Oscars: the winners

middle-aged Daisy (Cate Blanchett)

The Oscars ceremony was held last night. The winner for Achievement in Makeup was:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Greg Cannom.

There was an inevitability about that result, though personally I was torn between Benjamin Button and Hellboy in that category. This was Greg Cannom’s ninth Oscar nomination and his second win — he’s also won a Technical Achievement Award.

Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner of the night. I enjoyed that movie, though I note that Indian slum dwellers have mounting angry protests since the movie opened there, especially against the title which many find derogatory. Amazing that it very nearly ended up going straight to DVD in the USA.

I’ve seen The Reader since the nominations were announced and it made no more favourable impression on me  than the book had — both just left me cold. It didn’t deserve the Best Film and Best Director nominations.

The full list of nominees and winners is available at the Oscars website.

the 81st Oscars: the nominees

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has just announced the Oscar nominations.

The nominated movies for Achievement in Makeup are:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight
John Caglione Jr &  Conor O’Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Mike Elizalde & Thom Floutz.

I’m sad but not surprised that Synecdoche, New York did’t make the cut: I couldn’t see three old-age makeups going through and if it came down to one Benjamin Button had all the momentum. On the other hand, I’m surprised but not sad that both The Dark Knight and Hellboy got the nod.

The Oscars ceremony will take place on 22 February.

the 81st Oscars: the shortlist

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has now announced the seven films shortlisted for the Best Makeup Oscar.

The shortlisted movies are:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
The Reader
Synecdoche, New York
Tropic Thunder 
The Wrestler. 

So, some great makeups and no real surprises, except possibly the inclusion of The Wrestler and the absence of Prince Caspian. I haven’t seen all the movies, but from what I’ve seen I’d have difficulty in cutting that list beyond four or even five movies. As to predictions for the nominees, I’d guess that only one, or possibly two (though that might just be my preferences showing), of Benjamin Button, Synecdoche, New York and The Reader will make it through simply because a like-for-like comparison of the age makeups is more straightforward; beyond that . . .

The three nominees — and the two artists named in each nomination — will be announced on 22 January.

the Oscar rules

We all know the Oscar rules but for those who are curious as to the process by which not more than three movies are nominated (each with no more than two named makeup artists and/or hairdressers — however big the crew) then there is only one that matters: Rule Fifteen: Makeup Award.

The nominations will be announced on 22 January; the Oscars ceremony will take place on 22 February. The Academy will probably release a long-list of seven movies under consideration during the next week.

80th Oscars: the winners

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held the 80th Oscars ceremony last night (long after my bedtime).

The winners for Best Makeup were:
La Môme / La Vie en Rose
Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald.

Great result; as I said in an earlier posting, I was cheering for La Môme — and for Marion Cotillard who inhabited Piaf’s personna. It’s just a shame that the nomination rules did not allow the work of David White and Altered States FX on Marion’s prosthetics to be recognised as well. I’d have voted for the other acting award winners too, and the Best Picture and Best Director winners. I’m glad Juno got something too — and justifiably well done at the Spirit Awards.

The full list of winners and nominees is on the Oscars website.