Oscar 2015 Predictions: Interstellar,The Hunger Games, Guardians of the Galaxy Could Lead Tech Awards
The technical awards are always some of the most unpredictable categories in the Academy Awards, as audiences are never really interested in the categories when they are presented.
However, they make up the majority of the awards that films are nominated for. This year a number of films have a lot of potential of making it into these categories.
Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" is likely to lead these categories. Many of the director's films have obtained nominations in the two sound, cinematography, Visual Effects, Production Design, Score and Editing categories. Based on the talent involved in the trailer that premiered, "Interstellar" could be up for these categories if it lives up to its promise.
"Gone Girl" is another film that could get nominated for multiple tech categories. David Fincher's last features have been shortlisted in the editing, sound and cinematography categories. "Gone Girl" will open the New York Film Festival and is generating Oscar buzz. If the thriller is liked by the Academy, it could be a leader in these categories.
Meanwhile, Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" is perhaps a lock in the Costume Design and Production Design Category. Costume designer Colleen Atwood is a favorite of the Academy as she has been nominated 10 times and has won three Oscars.
Additionally, his production designer Rick Heinrichs is an Academy veteran. Burton's films are always showy and eccentric, which is something the Academy prefers when nominating films in these categories. If "Big Eyes" lives up to the promise, it could also be nominated for makeup and even Cinematography for Bruno Delbonnel.
Speaking of Atwood, the costume designer could be up for a second if she also gets nominated for "Into the Woods." The movie is directed by Rob Marshall, whose films "Chicago," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Nine" have been nominated for costume design, production design, cinematography and sound.
Disney is campaigning the musical and, if it becomes a box office success and beloved by the Academy, it will be a lock in most of these categories.
"Birdman" could be nominated for cinematography as Emmanuel Lubezki is an Oscar favorite, while "Belle" is likely the favorite to win Best Costume Design as it features period wardrobe. The Academy usually awards those types of films in the Costume Design category.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins could be up for his 12th nomination for "Unbroken" while costume designer Milena Canonero could receive her ninth Oscar nomination for "The Grand Budapest Hotel."
The underappreciated production designer Marija Durjovic, who works on "The Imitation Game," could get her first nomination after being snubbed for "Billy Elliot" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." "The Imitation Game" is receiving a lot of buzz and with a good campaign from The Weinstein Company, it will gain a production design nomination.
The blockbusters "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," "Godzilla," "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" and "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" could be candidates for Visual Effects, as well as "Transformers: Age of Extinction," "Maleficent" and "Captain America: The Winter Solider."
The war drama "Fury" will get buzz for the sound categories as well as the music drama "Get On Up."
A couple of long shots in these categories include "The Immigrant," "Inherent Vice," "The Homesman," "Selma," "Exodus: Gods and Kings" and "Foxcatcher."
"Boyhood," "Theory of Everything," "Wild," and "Rosewater" are also unlikely to receive nominations in these categories.