Dmitry Savinov_38080 Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Hi everyone, does anybody have an idea why twelve-times-nominated Roger Deakins stil hasn't got an Oscar? Very strange situation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Tyler Purcell Posted December 12, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted December 12, 2015 Ya know... after the Academy gave Life of PI best cinematography and didn't even nominate Interstellar a few years later... it's clear there is something wrong with their decision making process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KH Martin Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 It's like he is suffering through Gordon Willis syndrome, but without even being political (I've interviewed him several times, and shoot, I feel self-conscious while writing the pieces, thinking, 'is this going to help make the slightest difference in the voting?') Then again, Willis didn't even get NOMINATIONS for most of his great stuff, Deakins at least almost always gets nominated, so maybe his is really Susan Lucci syndrome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Satsuki Murashige Posted December 12, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted December 12, 2015 Deakins's style is very unflashy and aims to serve the story, so it's not the sort of work most Academy voters typically go for. He might even say that this is this is the best compliment his work could ever receive; always nominated by his peers who know what to look for, but functionally invisible to the general audience member. Just like best actor awards, the cinematography that usually get rewarded are either period films, production design and effects-heavy films, or films with lots of long tracking shots, etc. His best chance was probably in 2008 when he was nominated for both "No Country For Old Men" and "The Assassination of Jesse James." If he had only been nominated once (for either film), he probably would have won that year. That said, Deakins works constantly and has been shooting several films a year so it's very likely that he will win one in the next few years. Certainly, he's become one of the most recognized names in the field over the past few years due to a concerted industry push to highlight his work and career. Most film reviewers will mention him in their reviews almost by rote these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin R Probyn Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) He got a gong from the Queen a few years back ! Agree.. if ever there was blazing example of the random way Oscars are decided.. esp for cinematography .. is it he.. but he has won 3 I think ASC awards,a BAFTA.. an some BSC I believe.. Im sure that he knows these are of more value than what the Academy voters decides .. for example .. I haven't even been nominated yet.. idiots.. Edited December 12, 2015 by Robin R Probyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted December 12, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted December 12, 2015 This discussion comes up every year. As an Academy voter, I can tell you there are no cabals, no secret coordination among voters, no internal debates leading to a group decision as to who deserves the Cinematography Oscar... Just keep in mind that it's not just cinematographers voting on the final winner, it's everyone in the Academy. You can try and guess what's in the minds of all the individual Academy members marking down their vote if you want, but it's a bit futile.... I only know what I'm thinking, and we don't discuss with each other what we will vote on, so I don't know what my fellow Academy members are thinking. The nominations are a better indicator of what just the cinematographers in the Academy liked that year, and the ASC Awards winner is also something that just cinematographers vote on, but the Best Cinematography Oscar is voted on by everyone in the Academy, which means that the majority of voters are not cinematographers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Tyler Purcell Posted December 12, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted December 12, 2015 That's right, it's ALL members, so it really means whatever looks pretty wins. Which is REALLY unfortunate because technically, Deakin's films look amazing. But that's to a trained eye, to the average audience, they might not understand or notice. It's just nice to win best cinematography because its your best work, not because the film is the best movie of the year or something silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Savinov_38080 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) I'm not convinced,anyway) Just for a case,The Assassination...is obviously a CINEMATOGRAPHER'S outstanding masterpiece,storytelling through shots,shots make tension,compositions describe relationship between characters even if they don't talk to each other at all...the light is the one of main talents..whatever! You don't need to be a DoP to get it,you just have to be a film professional,an actor or a sound engineer,doesn't matter! Edited December 12, 2015 by Dmitry Savinov_38080 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted December 12, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted December 12, 2015 Yes, "Assassination of Jesse James" is a great achievement. But look at what films were nominated that year for their cinematography: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford -- Roger Deakins Atonement -- Seamus McGarvey The Diving Bell and the Butterfly -- Janusz Kaminski No Country for Old Men -- Roger Deakins There Will Be Blood -- Robert Elswit (winner) Not only was it a very strong year, but Deakins was also competing against himself! I don't think it is hard to imagine Academy voters not all voting on the same movie. You have to stop looking at the movie that gets the most votes as some sort of strong statement of superiority over its competitors. We don't know what the vote breakdown was for each of these movies or by what margin the winner had over whatever came second in voting. Ultimately the long-term value lies in the work itself, not the awards it receives. "There Will Be Blood" is also a great achievement in cinematography. Some years, this happens. "Empire of the Sun" and "The Last Emperor" came out in 1987 and were both deserving of the Best Cinematography Oscar but only one could actually win, but in the long run, what matters is that we have both movies to cherish and re-watch for the cinematography. And in the case of 2007, I've found myself rewatching all five nominees for inspiration at various times, for various reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Savinov_38080 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 Yeah,I DO understand every of your points clearly ,David,but my point is:to nominate 12 times and not to award 12 times is a very strange thing (for me personally) Kind of Leo case...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin R Probyn Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) Also weird.. best film.. and best director are often different.. I dont get that..? Edited December 12, 2015 by Robin R Probyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Stevens Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 The photography in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was so mind blowing I thought for sure it would win when I saw it on da big screen in NYC. And then the film was seen by no one and lost a boatload of cash so I knew it had no chance. Deakins is a gift to cinema. He will be rewarded one day. We hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Dunn Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Also weird.. best film.. and best director are often different.. I dont get that..? Presumably the Academy thinks it can tell the difference between the director's and the producer's contributions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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