LOS ANGELES — Technicolor’s (www.technicolor.com) MPC scored two Oscar nominations in the Visual Effects category for the studio’s work on The Lion King and
1917.
The Lion King, from director Jon Favreau and Walt Disney Pictures, was the second highest-grossing film of 2019 with over $1.6 billion in theatrical sales. In addition to the VFX nomination from the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,
The Lion King also received nominations for the film’s visual effects from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the Visual Effects Society (VES).
The Lion King was imbued with a live-action aesthetic that featured animated yet photo-real performances of the beloved Disney creatures, played against diverse African locations and environments. The studio created nearly 1,600 shots in all employing the company’s virtual production pipeline. The Lion King followed Favreau’s earlier smash-hit The Jungle Book, which garnered Oscars for the film’s VFX supervisors Rob Legato, ASC, and MPC’s Adam Valdez, along with animation supervisor Andrew Jones. MPC’s co-VFX supervisor Elliott Newman joined Legato, Valdez, and Jones with a nomination for The Lion King, marking his first such honor.
Director Sam Mendes’ 1917 was also nominated by the Academy, BAFTA and VES for its visual effects. The visual effects produced by MPC Film fostered the film’s ‘single-shot’ presentation captured by cinematographer Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, and the production. MPC’s Guillaume Rocheron and Greg Butler led visual effects teams in Montreal and London. Rocheron was the recipient of an Oscar for his VFX work on director Ang Lee’s The Life of Pi. Butler was the recipient of a BAFTA Award for his work on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Both films showcase the creative range of MPC Film talent, artistry and innovative techniques, including its virtual production pipeline and methodology, character/creature animation, and photo-realism.
“We’re so proud of our teams at MPC Film that continue to produce such stunning results for our theatrical clients,” says Technicolor president of production services, Tim Sarnoff. “MPC’s work on The Lion King was nothing short of breathtaking. The film set an industry standard for virtual production methodologies, animation and artistry alike. The work performed for 1917 couldn’t be more different in nature but was crucial to Sam Mendes in creating the illusion of one continuous shot across the World War I battlefield he so wonderfully presented.”