LOS ANGELES - Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards were announced on Tueday, January 23rd, and pros from throughout the post production industry are giving thanks for the recognition. Here's a look at what nominees are saying about the recent honors.
Montreal's Rodeo FX contributed to three films that are nominated in the Visual Effects category. The studio's work can be seen in Blade Runner: 2049; Kong: Skull Island; and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Weta Digital's Joe Letteri and Dan Lemmon - Visual Effects - War for the Planet of the Apes:
"We are immensely proud of this work and grateful to the Academy for recognizing War for the Planet of the Apes with a nomination today," says senior VFX supervisor Joe Letteri. "This is the final film in the trilogy, and we've been really happy to see how audiences have been swept up by the emotional story of Caesar and his fellow ape characters."
"We are thrilled with the recognition this film's visual effects have received, and this morning's nomination is truly an honor," notes VFX supervisor Dan Lemmon. "We pushed the limits of our technology and our artists as we worked to create characters that were visually realistic and emotionally authentic."
Note: Weta Digital is also part of the team that contributed to Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, and extends congratulations to Guy Williams and the rest of the team on the nomination.
Bruno Delbonnel - Cinematography - Darkest Hour:
"I am really happy about this nomination, especially being among such great cinematographers with different styles of cinematography. I was fortunate to work with director, Joe Wright, who had a very visual approach for Darkest Hour. I cannot thank him enough for letting me translate his ideas into cinematography. I have a special appreciation for the crew on this film. They did a fantastic job. All of them."
Alexandre Desplat - Music/Original Score - The Shape of Water:
"This is fantastic news! I am grateful to the music branch of the Academy for voting for me as well as all the magnificent musicians who performed on the score. I am also thrilled for Miles Dale, for the cast and for the crew with so many nominations. I am so thankful to Guillermo for his humanity and his artistic passion; he truly inspired all of us."
Brad Zoern - Sound Mixing - The Shape of Water:
"This nomination is a real honor and I couldn't be more thrilled. The Shape of Water is a really special film, and it's been amazing to work with Guillermo to bring his vision to life."
Christian Cooke - Sound Mixing - The Shape of Water:
"I'm so humbled and excited to be recognized by the Academy. Collaborating with Guillermo on The Shape of Water has been a once in a lifetime experience, and I'm very grateful to have been a part of the creative team."
Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira - Sound Editing - The Shape of Water:
"What an incredible honour it is to be recognized alongside such an inspiring group of nominees! The opportunity to bring sound to Guillermo's vision was a privilege. Our entire team of editors is thrilled to stand with Guillermo, Miles, Fox searchlight and all of the other brilliantly talented department in the face of such a humbling compliment from the Academy."
Directors Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter - Animated Short - Negative Space:
"Thank you so much! We're very honored to be nominated. Our entire team poured love and passion into this project, stitch-by-stitch and frame-by-frame. We could not have created this film without them and we're overwhelmed with gratitude. It's been a fantastic journey and we're excited that more people will get to watch our film."
Producers Nidia Santiago and Edwina Liard - Animated Short - Negative Space:
"We are overwhelmed. This is such an honour, we want to thank all the wonderful Negative Space team and the Academy, thanks for all the support!"
ILM visual effects supervisor Mike Mulholland - Visual Effects - Star Wars: The Last Jedi:
"Working on Star Wars: The Last Jedi was a dream come true for me and being nominated by the Academy is a massive compliment. Visual effects is a real team effort and I feel privileged to have worked with such a talented and skilled crew at ILM."
Skywalker Sound co-supervising sound editor Matthew Wood - Sound Editing - Star Wars: The Last Jedi:
"I'm working on Solo: A Star Wars Story at Pinewood in the UK, and in between voice over recordings, Ron Howard mentioned to me that The Last Jedi was nominated. I'm so thrilled to be part of such a unique track crafted by the best team a supervisor could dream of having. Rian Johnson and Ren Kylce, both first time Star Wars artists, have brought their passion to their craft and it shows in the film, I can't wait to get back to Skywalker Sound and celebrate with the home crew."