How Come "In Consideration" ads for Cinematography...

[Joe Taylor]

This is especially true in American Cinematography. There is an image in an ad for "Jar Head" that credits Roger Deakins' cinematography for a shot of soldiers marching through the desert with oil rig fires blazing in the B.G. What makes this shot what it is is the digital F/X, not the cinematography. Why do they think they can fool the academy. It's almost insulting. I'm sure they didn't build their own oil rigs to burn in the desert. I don't think you can even legally burn a tire in America.

 

I can recall other examples. "A.I"s ad for cinematography consideration is all digital. I can also remember a image for a giant moon married in the image for another film that was supposed to be credited to the cinematographer.

 

Why does this happen?

[Chance Shirley]

Shots with digital elements can be trickier for the DP than "plain" shots, because the DP has to make the in-camera elements of the shot work with whatever digital elements will be added later. Which obviously requires a good bit of foresight on the DPs part to get the highlights/shadows/colors correct.

 

Also, the way I understand it, the director of photography is in charge of the entire visual department, which would include visual effects. So to say a DP can't take credit for a nice-looking effects shot doesn't make much sense to me.

[Stuart Brereton]

Those 'For your consideration...' ads generally features the same images as are used in the films' posters and other publicity. The Academy is being asked to consider the film as a whole, not just a few stills.

[Joe Taylor]

Those 'For your consideration...' ads generally features the same images as are used in the films' posters and other publicity. The Academy is being asked to consider the film as a whole, not just a few stills.

 

 

Yes, but these types of ads are often misleading. I've read that more than a few academy members will often vote without actually seeing the film or watching their screeners. Could an academy member actually base their judgement of someone's work by glancing at a glossy in a magazine. I'd be outraged but not surprised by a truthful answer.

[David Mullen ASC]

Yes, but remember that the people doing the nominating for Best Cinematography are part of a nominating committee for that category, not the general Academy membership. Since they tend to be cinematography-saavy (often working and retired cinematographers, and other technical types), odds are low that they can't really make a mental distinction between an efx shot and a live action shot.