It was inevitable that somebody on Oscars night would make fun of Cats, a critically panned movie which performed dismally at the box office. Decked out in full Cats costumes, James Corden and Rebel Wilson did just that in presenting the Academy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects. But their attempted humor cited the visual effects as contributing to Cats failure, eliciting pushback from the Visual Effects Society (VES).
On stage, Wilson said, "As cast members of the motion picture Cats, nobody more than us understands the importance of…”
“Good visual effects,” Wilson and Corden uttered in unison.
In response to the Sunday night bit, the Visual Effects Society (VES) issued the following statement today:
“The Visual Effects Society is focused on recognizing, advancing and honoring visual effects as an art form–and ensuring that the men and women working in VFX are properly valued.
“Last night, in presenting the Academy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects, the producers chose to make visual effects the punchline, and suggested that bad VFX were to blame for the poor performance of the movie Cats. The best visual effects in the world will not compensate for a story told badly.
“On a night that is all about honoring the work of talented artists, it is immensely disappointing that The Academy made visual effects the butt of a joke. It demeaned the global community of expert VFX practitioners doing outstanding, challenging and visually stunning work to achieve the filmmakers’ vision.
“Our artists, technicians and innovators deserve respect for their remarkable contributions to filmed entertainment, and should not be presented as the all-too-convenient scapegoat in service for a laugh.
“Moving forward, we hope that The Academy will properly honor the craft of visual effects–and all of the crafts, including cinematography and film editing–because we all deserve it.”
American Society of Cinematographers presents 2024 Student Heritage Award winners
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced winners in the 2024 Student Heritage Awards competition. Three student filmmakers were selected for demonstrating outstanding cinematography skills in their submitted work. The Awards ceremony, presided over by ASC president Shelly Johnson and held at the historic ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood, also celebrated the lasting memory of three legendary ASC members whose work inspired generations.
Ellen Kuras, ASC presented the John Bailey Heritage Award (Graduate Category) to Joewi Verhoeven of the American Film Institute for “Taha.”
The George Spiro Dibie Heritage Award (Undergraduate Category) was presented by Michael Goi, ASC, ISC to Isabelle Leonard of the University of Southern California for “Amos' Bride.”
Patrick Cady, ASC presented The Haskell Wexler Documentary Award to Meg Weck of the University of Southern California for “Danceable.”
The Student Awards, sponsored by Sony, are one of several educational programs designed by the organization to support a new generation of talent in the early stages of their cinematography careers. To qualify, a student’s undergraduate, graduate or documentary project is submitted and judged by an ASC blue-ribbon panel for demonstrating exceptional cinematographic skill.
Many of the ASC Student Heritage Award winners have gone on to have successful careers in filmmaking, including the Student Awards Committee co-chairs Craig Kief and Armando Salas, alongside other ASC members Nelson Cragg, Masanobu Takayanagi, and Lisa Wiegand.
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