[Ziryab Ben Brahem]

Hi Guys

As you probably know, this years Academy Awards nominations has been announced for a couple of weeks ago (http://www.imdb.com/features/rto/2009/oscars)

The five nominees for "Best Cinematography" are:

Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle


In desperation of trying to see all the movies, before the show goes off, I have tried to give my own opinion on who will win this prestigious award will go to.

Without any doubt, they are all great nominees although, I think Wally Pfister has a great chance with "The Dark Knight". Also Anthony Dod Mantle's work on Slumdog Millionaires is defently worth winning an oscar. It's rare thing to see Anthony Dod Mantle not working on the digital media, but on 35mm instead.

I think it's pity because I am pretty sure that Roger Deakins will have to be watching, somebody else getting getting statue, as he did the last 6 times he went to the oscars. Maybe he should have been nominated for Revolutionary Road instead...then he might had a better chance.



Anyway, who do you think, this years Cinematography oscar award will go to?

This post has been edited by Ziryab Ben Brahem: 07 February 2009 - 06:48 AM

[Steve McBride]

I still think it will go to Wally Pfister for The Dark Knight because of the use of IMAX and just the overall complexity of a lot of the setups that they had.

[Henry Weidemann]

Well, I haven't seen all of the nominated movies but I would think that Miranda is going to be the favorite, he did a wonderful job on "Benjamin Button". I truly admire Deakins - he is overdue for an Oscar, but the fact that he has shot "The Reader" together with Chris Menges who has already won two Oscars combined with the fact that the Academy members have their own mind in such cases will possibly let his chances melt down.

[Rich Steel]

Henry Weidemann, on Feb 7 2009, 02:44 PM, said:

Well, I haven't seen all of the nominated movies but I would think that Miranda is going to be the favorite, he did a wonderful job on "Benjamin Button". I truly admire Deakins - he is overdue for an Oscar, but the fact that he has shot "The Reader" together with Chris Menges who has already won two Oscars combined with the fact that the Academy members have their own mind in such cases will possibly let his chances melt down.

Didn't Deakins win last years Cinematography Oscar?

I'd like to think Anthony Dod Mantle would get it for the fantastic images on SlumDog but hey we'll just have to wait a while to find out.

[David Mullen ASC]

Rich Steel, on Feb 7 2009, 05:03 PM, said:

Didn't Deakins win last years Cinematography Oscar?

He was nominated for both "No Country for Old Men" and "The Assassination of Jesse James"... but the award went to "There Will Be Blood" (Robert Elswit).

[Marcus Joseph]

Anthony did shoot digitally with Slumdog, using both the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Sl-2k Mini.

Then they shot other parts in 35mm which looked nice together.

[Felipe A Malheiros]

This will be a Wally Pfister x Claudio Miranda competition.

I like the Moranda's work in "BB" very much

[Daniel Carruthers]

I think Wally Pfister will win it for The Dark Knight

[F Bulgarelli]

Slumdog all the way!

[Joseph Arch]

I really want Benjamin Button to win. The cinematography is out standing.

[Ram Shani]

would say Wally Pfister
not just for the imax
but also and most important he created new visual language to the movie. more real and gritter
which is reflection of batmen inner world

[mariano monti]

x my the winner arrrrrrrrrrr:

claudio miranda and Wally Pfister boths masters dop, but i prefer claudio miranda and the dark side .

[Xavier Plaza]

Agree with you guys, Caludio Miranda works was sublime and exquisite...

[Tim Fabrizio]

I think either Pfister or Stern. Miranda has only shot 3 features and I think Dark Knight was so dynamic and Pfister has such a great resume already. Stern does too. His films are visually stunning.

[Xavier Plaza]

Tim Fabrizio, on Feb 13 2009, 01:55 PM, said:

I think either Pfister or Stern. Miranda has only shot 3 features and I think Dark Knight was so dynamic and Pfister has such a great resume already. Stern does too. His films are visually stunning.

Agree with you Dark Knight has a great DP, but I think ASC awards is about just a movie, not a entire career it doesn't matter how much features you do, if you have a great DP'ing feature that's... or I'm wrong... That's why the ASC have a Life time achievement award... no?

[Rajavel Mohan]

I strongly believe 'Slumdog millioinaire'......Dod Anthony will get the Oscar!
this is not yielding to the hype around it.......but truly the Cinematography
is fantastic ....
if u read the personal letters that th director has sent to Dod right from
the pro-prod stages.....u will tend to feel that the cinematographer should share this oscar
with his Director... to such level was the contribution from the director for
cinematography of this film.....technically as well as organically!
refer December issue of AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER....it was
absolutely brilliant to read where and how it all started!!
thanks to those wonderful technicians...and american cinematographer mag!

[Tim Fabrizio]

Xavier Plaza, on Feb 13 2009, 02:08 PM, said:

Agree with you Dark Knight has a great DP, but I think ASC awards is about just a movie, not a entire career it doesn't matter how much features you do, if you have a great DP'ing feature that's... or I'm wrong... That's why the ASC have a Life time achievement award... no?

We are talking about The Academy Awards not The ASC awards. And I do believe that career does have a lot to do with it.

[Juan Pablo Ramirez]

Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog, brilliant cinematography, loved the camera work

[Tom Lowe]

meh...

i really don't care this year. slumdog was nothing special at all in terms of photography, imo.

this is probably the worst field for cinematography Oscar in the last decade at least.

[Karl Borowski]

Tom Lowe, on Feb 20 2009, 06:13 PM, said:

meh...

i really don't care this year. slumdog was nothing special at all in terms of photography, imo.

this is probably the worst field for cinematography Oscar in the last decade at least.

I don't believe you Tom. Surely you want to see the first non-film (even non-Kodak) winner for cinematography, no? Or does it have to be RED that takes that honor?

When is the Academy Award Ceremony by the way? Personally, I plan on getting drunk if "Dark Knight" wins to celebrate, and drinking half-to-death if "BB" wins.

Still haven't seen "BB;" it's probably very well done.

I want to see the first IMAX winner ever, and the first 70mm winner since, what, "Patton?" This is probably the showdown of the best that film has to offer vs. the best of digital. I was hoping that this showdown was further down the road.



This is more about the "best" looking film in the eyes of Joe Q. Public. Frankly, it is frustrating to see digital movies made with no innovation, no motivation in mind.

I mean it'd be like if someone didn't validate "Wizard of Oz" with the cinematography nod, or if a movie won instead that wasn't in color.

Sure, showmanship is part gimmick, but if the public and the Academy don't validate one of the few real firsts of improvement in filmmaking since 70mm went out in the '70s, or at the very least since high-speed stock, I feel it is a decline in the appreciation for what cinematography is.

Too often nowadays we hear how cinematography should be subtle, not distracting from the story. Try telling me that cinematography didn't MAKE the story in "2001," "Lawrence of Arabia," "American Beauty."

I truly hope that the academy will speak and realize that new, original, NOTICEABLE cinematography doesn't steal the show, but rather emboldens the story, is a platform or pedestal upon which a good story can only be raised higher in the minds and imaginations of its audience. Powerful, innovative cinematography doesn't steal the spotlight from the story, it really makes the story better.

Here's hoping that the Academy continues to recognize cinematography that elevates the story, not digital cost-cutting and trickery that shies away from the scrutiny of the lime-light. One day I hope we do see a digital movie that wins best cinematography. I hope it is as innovative and ground-breaking as "Wizard of Oz" something so new and different that we wouldn't have it any other way.