Categories One-by-One: Production Design

[Sabin]

dws1982 wrote
This should be Killers of the Flower Moon. Wild how other, less impressive Scorsese films made runs through the tech awards and this one won't win anything below the line.

Between Barbie and Poor Things, I think it'll be Poor Things. The Barbie stuff is great but some voters may feel like they've seen in other media, in cartoons, in toys, but the Poor Things design is something that hasn't really been seen much before. I don't think it's a very coherent design, and the sets and places shown in the film sometimes seem to exist in completely different universes, but I don't think voters will care.

I think it has a lot to do with competition. If The Aviator was up against Poor Things and Barbie, I'm not sure if it would've won those awards either.

I think Poor Things' design is purposefully incoherent. I've heard some backlash against it (Ari Aster referred to it as looking like a Cheesecake Factory) but I don't think it'll matter either. I'm a big fan of the film and I'd be fine with it winning.

But like you, I want to see Killers win. Some of Scorsese's bigger historic epics (Gangs of New York especially) have a slight theme park feel to them. Jack Fisk's work is more subtle, immersive, and occasionally surreal like the mason lodge. Killers of the Flower Moon has a tricky story and Fisk's production design went a long way towards selling it. Scorsese also really knows how to film his sets. I hope they work together on Scorsese's next project.

[dws1982]

This should be Killers of the Flower Moon. Wild how other, less impressive Scorsese films made runs through the tech awards and this one won't win anything below the line.

Between Barbie and Poor Things, I think it'll be Poor Things. The Barbie stuff is great but some voters may feel like they've seen in other media, in cartoons, in toys, but the Poor Things design is something that hasn't really been seen much before. I don't think it's a very coherent design, and the sets and places shown in the film sometimes seem to exist in completely different universes, but I don't think voters will care.

[anonymous1980]

The nominees:

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

I agree with people here that this is The Favourite v. Black Panther Part 2 when it comes to both design awards. Oppenheimer is firmly in third place. It could win if the Academy decides to give it everything. Killers and Napoleon are the "it's an honor to be nominated" nominees.

Barbie pretty much swept the critics awards that have a Production Design category including Critic's Choice while Poor Things won over Barbie in the Art Directors Guild and the BAFTA's, the two industry awards. For your information: both The Favourite and Black Panther won the ADG in their year since they're in two separate categories. The Favourite won the BAFTA which Black Panther wasn't even nominated for. Black Panther still triumphed at the Oscars. So, I don't know this is a complete toss-up.