Yesterday the Art Directors Guild (ADG) announced the nominations for the current edition and for a huge change there are no surprises as truth is that guild's category classification doesn't allow much confusions. For the ADG Awards, live-action features are divided into three (3) categories: period, fantasy and contemporary. Non-confusing and easy, isn't?
On the contrary, there is no clear correlation between guild's and Oscars winners as for the past five (5) years three (3) Oscar winners came from Period Film, one (1) from Fantasy Film and one (1) from Contemporary Film ADG's categories. So in theory, this year Oscar winner could come from any category.
Know it's too early as this is only the fourth guild I do BUT have to mention that I'm extremely pleased to see Roma being honored by the guilds, especially when many guild members are AMPAS members who can -and hopefully will- vote for Oscar nominations and winners. This is another tech category where Roma is outstanding but here has strong competition as have to admit that Black Panther, The Favourite, and perhaps also Mary Poppins Returns have great production design. It is an open race that surely when Oscars names its nominees will narrow the participants to maybe these four plus one more (Crazy Rich Asians?) to fill the five slots.
Will share here some thoughts about a nominated period film that even do has some remarkable production design is a film that either you like it or you hate it, extremes. First, let me be clear I am a fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury (I'm so crazy that even like Queen with Adam Lambert but that's a different story) so anything related to the band will call my interest. My true problem with the film is not the music, not the songs, not the period they chose to portrait, not Rami Malek performance (love him in I Robot), it is Rami Malek's make-up and prosthetics which I found hideous and absolutely bother and distract me (a lot) when trying to watch film. So, I said it. Sigh.
So, let's go back to the businesses of the ADG. These are the Nominees
Period Film
Aaron Haye for Bohemian Rhapsody
Nathan Crowley for First Man
Eugenio Caballero for Roma
Jess Gonchor for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Fiona Crombie for The Favorite
Fantasy Film
Hannah Beachler for Black Panther
Stuart Craig for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
John Myhre for Mary Poppins Returns
Adam Stockhausen for Ready Player One
Jon Hutman for The House With A Clock in Its Walls
Contemporary Film
Jeffrey Beecroft for A Quiet Place
Karen Murphy for A Star is Born
Nelson Coates for Crazy Rich Asians
Peter Wenham for Mission: Impossible-Fallout
Stefan Dechant for Welcome to Marwen
Animated Feature Film
Colin Stimpson for Dr. Seuss' The Grinch
Ralph Eggleston for Incredibles 2
Paul Harrod and Adam Stockhausen for Isle of Dogs
Cory Loftis for Ralph Breaks the Internet
Justin K. Thompson for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
To check nominees in all categories, including TV and others, go to official site here. Awards ceremony will be at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on February 2nd.