Oscars 2023: Did 'Top Gun: Maverick' do enough to win over VFX voters?

'Avatar: The Way of the Water' is too heavy to lose the visual effects Oscar - and senior visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri of Wētā FX has convincingly explained why it's the frontrunner during from Saturday's "bake-off" at the Academy Museum, where members of the visual effects branch watched presentations and Q&A sessions that will help determine the five nominees who will be announced on January 24. Instead, the big question surrounding the category has been whether or not the top-flight "Top Gun: Maverick" has what it takes to be nominated: its VFX team, led by production supervisor Ryan Tudhope , was under a strict press ban until the bake-off.

That's because the marketing campaign (by actor-producer Tom Cruise and director Joseph Kosinski) stayed on message about the incredible aerial photography and stunts featuring Cruise flying in the cockpit of Navy combat aircraft, with real g-force. The intention of Paramount and the "Maverick" team was still to wait for the submission of the shortlist to finally provide the obligatory three-minute behind-the-scenes reel (with before and after comparisons), a clip reel of 10 minutes and effects. descriptions to qualify for the Oscar. This prevented Tudhope from doing interviews explaining the crucial role of additional VFX – which totaled 2,400 shots (mostly from Method, now part of Framestore) – and how it was seamlessly integrated into the thrilling aerial sequences. Any stories reported by the filmmakers about the role of VFX or detailed BTS footage have been highly anticipated, but utterly absent; prior to Tudhope's presentation, the best source for information on the scope of VFX work within "Maverick" - from CG planes to digitally removing pilots from jets - was this Reddit thread.

This type of extended embargo is highly unusual, especially for a summer blockbuster that is aiming to make it onto the visual effects shortlist, and IndieWire has learned that it not only frustrates the "Maverick" VFX team, but also some members of the visual effects industry. to the big one. Of course, immersive photographic work with intimate POV – led by cinematographer Claudio Miranda, and his innovative Sony Rialto camera extension system – should take priority. But this idea that everythingwas behind closed doors and everything was convenient is just a myth.

When the big moment came on Saturday, Tudhope lifted the curtain: he explained the challenges and achievements on BTS's silent reel, which featured aerial photography, air-to-air tests, re-skinning textures digital to give the appearance of a fighter like any other, and digital pyro. This was followed by a well-edited clip reel that encapsulates the high degree of photographic realism and IMAX-level spectacle in the practice maneuvers and seemingly impossible bombing mission.

Then Tudhope and his team answered questions from Visual Effects Branch President Rob Bredow (Senior Vice President, Chief Creative Officer of Industrial Light & Magic), Visual Effects Branch Governor, Brooke Breton (co-producer of "Avatar"), and visual effects branch governor Paul Debevec (director of research at Netflix). They went into more detail about the blueprint design collaboration for "frenzied energy and clarity", camera tracking using GPS, special gimbal work to fill in the gaps, and reference to testing of missiles for CG explosions.

Although the BTS reel was light before/after compared to others, it accomplished its mission. According to one member, "for most photographic photos...