Oscars 2014 Analysis & Predictions: Part 3

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
Her

Will Win:  The Great Gatsby
Dark Horse:  12 Years a Slave
Should Win:  12 Years a Slave
What's Shocking:  -

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
American Hustle
The Great Gatsby
12 Years a Slave
The Grandmaster
The Invisible Woman

Will Win:  The Great Gatsby
Dark Horse:  American Hustle
Should Win:  The Grandmaster
What's Shocking:  -

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
Dallas Buyers Club
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
The Lone Ranger

Will Win:  Dallas Buyers Club
Dark Horse:  Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
Should Win:  Dallas Buyers Club
What's Shocking:  A win for The Lone Ranger

Let's talk about Makeup & Hairstyling first.  Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa actually features some outstanding work in this field, but an Oscar winner?  Still, it is a dark horse, and it actually stands a better chance over the awful The Lone Ranger.  Dallas Buyers Club is the one to beat though, and voters will probably feel redeemed rewarding a serious movie about Aids. 

For Production Design and Costume Design, I shall go for The Great Gatsby.  I am simply placing my bets strategically.  I am sure the film will pick up one of the Oscars for the reason that it is a Baz Luhrmann picture of incredible excess.  

As for dark horses, I think 12 Years a Slave is strong for Production Design.  This category has gone to period films (Lincoln, 2012;  Hugo, 2011) in the last two years, so contemporary movies Gravity and Her are unlikely to cause an upset.

I would like to see The Grandmaster pick up Best Costume Design because William Chang is a genius at what he does.  And there is that small matter of Asian pride.  But my dark horse goes to American Hustle, in case the Academy is bedazzled by the sparkling parade show.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Book Thief (John Williams)
Gravity (Steven Price)
Her (William Butler & Andy Koyama)
Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman)
Philomena (Alexandre Desplat)

Will Win:  Gravity
Dark Horse:  Her
Should Win:  Her
What's Shocking:  -

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Despicable Me 2 ("Happy")
Frozen ("Let It Go")
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom ("Ordinary Love")
Her ("The Moon Song")

Will Win:  Frozen
Dark Horse:  Her
Should Win:  Her
What's Shocking:  If Despicable Me 2 wins

The frontrunner for Best Original Song is "Let It Go".  But I would like to see the soulful and melancholic "The Moon Song" upset this category, so it will be my dark horse.  "Ordinary Love" sounds too conventional, and "Happy" simply doesn't make the cut for me.

I don't think there's a clear winner for Best Original Score, though I suspect Gravity will sweep this category in its tide.  It is not the strongest score though, more of a sound-effects electronic atmospheric score.  Her's surprise nomination for Arcade Fire is a delight, and if it wins, I don't think anyone will protest because it is a fantastic score.  And because The Social Network (2010) has set the precedent that contemporary electronic scores can actually win an Oscar, Her is a strong dark horse.  Also for Gravity.

BEST SOUND MIXING
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Captain Phillips
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lone Survivor

Will Win:  Gravity
Dark Horse:  Captain Phillips
Should Win:  Gravity
What's Shocking:  No Pacific Rim?!  

BEST SOUND EDITING
All Is Lost
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lone Survivor

Will Win:  Gravity
Dark Horse:  Captain Phillips
Should Win:  Gravity
What's Shocking:  No Pacific Rim?!

What is Sound Mixing?  What is Sound Editing?  Very simply, Sound Editing is sound effects and the creation and recording of sounds (e.g. creaking of a door, a horse galloping).  Sound Mixing, on the other hand, is how dialogue, sound effects, music, ambient sounds etc. are mixed in a way that they don't collectively resemble... noise.  

Once again, I predict Gravity will sweep these technical categories.  Paul Greengrass' films tend to do well in sound as well, so I will pick Captain Phillips as dark horse for both.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
The Lone Ranger
Star Trek Into Darkness

Will Win:  Gravity
Dark Horse:  The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Should Win:  Gravity
What's Shocking:  No Pacific Rim?!

This is the fanboy's favourite category.  I am surprised that Iron Man 3 and The Lone Ranger got the nod over Pacific Rim.  The visual effects were merely serviceable to the narrative, but Pacific Rim's is one of awe and mega-wow.  That should have merited itself a nomination.

Anyway, Gravity is a solid lock for the Oscar.  Even a fire-breathing dragon of gigantic proportions cannot survive in space.  Smaug is out to prove an unlikely triumph, but Gravity is too good not to be rewarded.


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