The BAFTA Awards 2012
The BAFTAs are creeping up on us and the nominees have been announced. Before the awards are announced this Sunday,here at Skwigly we’ve decided to look into the categories of Short Animation, Animated Film, and Special Visual Effects.
If it ever had to be proven that animation was not just for kids then there is no better example than the works of multi-award winning animation director Robert Morgan. His latest stop motion animation is the story of a hoodlum called Bobby Yeah, who finds himself in a predicament when he steals from the wrong people. Expect to be thrilled and horrified. Conversely, Abuelas explains how an elderly woman tragically loses her granddaughter when living under military dictatorship in Argentina. This emotive short utilizes a variety of techniques and employs real life testimonies to tell us of the horrors that so many women had to endure. Abuelas has already won many awards; will it win Best Short Animation at this year’s BAFTAs? Well, don’t count your chickens before they hatch! A Morning Stroll is the 3rd nominee for the animated shorts category by the studio that brought us the highly acclaimed ‘Jo Jo in the Stars’; studio aka. This sidesplitting short features a wandering chicken and quite innovatively explores the development of animation through time.
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Gore Verbinski’s imaginative western stars the unlikely hero, Rango, a chameleon who only knows how to blend in. But now, Sherriff of the town of Dirt, Rango stands out and embarks on a mission to rescue the town and it’s resident critters. After a very positive reception Rango has amassed an astonishing 12 awards for Best Animated Film. Will it win Best Animated Film at BAFTA? Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Entertainment have brought us their first film Arthur Christmas since establishing their feature film partnership back in 2007. This refreshing take of the Santa Claus story explains how Santa can really deliver all those presents in just one night, but when something goes wrong, Arthur (Santa’s youngest son) must step in to save the day. Director, Sarah Smith blends old with new and reinforces the importance of family values in her first Aardman film. Spielberg is certainly no stranger to the BAFTAs and The Adventures of Tintin has already won best animated feature at the Golden Globes this year, beating Pixar’s ‘Cars 2’ to the finish line. Doubling their chances of taking home an award the team behind Tintin have also been nominated for the special effects BAFTA. Perhaps at the Oscars Pixar will take the gold with ‘La Luna’ in the animated shorts category.
Aiming for an award alongside Weta’s motion capture efforts, Tim Burke and his team of visual effects wizards have cast another spell over the wizarding world of Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2 is the final chapter of the fantastical saga and has already won countless awards including Outstanding Visual Effects (Visual Effects Society Awards – Prisoner of Azkaban). Martin Scorsese’s epic adventure tells the story of Hugo, a young boy who finds himself unravelling a mystery after the death of his father, the watchmaker. This is Scorsese’s first stereoscopic film and quite interestingly explores the arrival of early cinema. It has already acquired countless awards and nominations. Today, Andy Serkis is better known now for his roles directing and performing in motion capture. Rise of the Planet of the Apes certainly blurs the divide between motion capture and live action in a film where the VFX can make or break it. This science fiction drama tells the story of Caesar, a chimpanzee in a testing laboratory who becomes more intelligent after being subjected to a new gene therapy drug. Rise of the Planet of the Apes has already won awards for its Visual Effects, but how will it fair at BAFTA? The final nominee for this category is Spielberg’s War Horse, a compelling film that tells the story of a cavalry horse, Joey, and his pre-war owner, Albert. Although set during World War I, this 21st Century rendition of the children’s novel and it’s stage adaptation is very much a character film rather than a war movie. With already countless nominations under its belt as well as awards for Best Cinematography, can it take the VFX gold?
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It will be an exciting year given such deserving contenders in these three categories. The nominated animated shorts will be screening with the short film nominees on Friday 10th February. Then, on Sunday 12th February Stephen Fry will host the 2012 BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Opera House in London.