Oscar Shortlist Highlights Framestore's Epic Work

2021's shortlist for the Best Visual Effects Academy Award includes two titles featuring Framestore’s world-class VFX work, including 'The Midnight Sky' (which sees Framestore VFX supervisor Chris Lawrence and animation supervisor Max Solomon named on the ticket), and 'Mulan'.

Fiona Walkinshaw, global managing director, film, said: “This is a real accomplishment for every single person who’s poured their talent, creativity and technical expertise into these films. Extraordinary stories demand the very best visual effects, whether that means an epic environment, a note-perfect spacewalk or a CG character who lingers with an audience long after the credits have rolled. Framestore brings this level of craft and commitment to every project we work on, so I couldn’t be happier to see the films we’ve worked on recognised like this."

The AMPAS shortlist follows last week’s news that 'The Midnight Sky', 'The Secret Garden', 'Wonder Woman 1984' and 'Mulan' - all of which featured Framestore’s work had been selected for BAFTA’s Special Visual Effects longlist. 'The Midnight Sky' was also nominated for the Hollywood Critics Association Best Visual Effects accolade.

More broadly, two episodic productions that prominently feature Framestore’s work ('The Crown' and 'Lovecraft Country') have been nominated for Golden Globes, while two ('Jingle Jangle' and 'Lovecraft Country') have also been nominated for The NAACP Image Awards. 

Framestore assembled a sci-fi dream team to join production VFX supervisor Matt Kasmir; academy award-winning VFX supervisor Chris Lawrence ('Gravity', 'The Martian'), animation supervisor Max Solomon ('Gravity'), VFX supervisor Shawn Hillier ('Star Wars: Episodes 2 and 3') and Graham Page ('Interstellar'). The team were tasked with high-level CG facial replacements, building the Aether ship inside and out, as well as ‘Sick Earth’ and it’s foreboding environment.

“We had to shoot a pregnant astronaut floating in space!” said director and star, George Clooney. “Framestore did a brilliant job with all of it."

Find out more here.

Working with director Niki Caro, the VFX team’s deft touch and pixel-perfect artistry paid tribute to both the much-loved animated classic and the original 1,500-year-old Chinese ballad on which it was based. VFX supervisor Hubert Maston ('Dumbo') collaborated with Framestore’s Vis Dev, animation and VFX teams across a wide range of scenes and 300+ shots, including the graceful, multi-coloured Phoenix; a truly epic fight sequence and enormous matte-painted volcanic landscapes. Find out more here.