Monday, January 24, 2011

Oscar Nominations



Well, tomorrow's the big day – the day I've been waiting for for six years – the day that will make or break my career. On January 25th at 8:30AM EST, they announce the nominations for the Oscars, and my short film, "The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger" is on the shortlist.

The screenings have been going very well, and I've been getting good feedback on the "Cow" film. However, with the Oscars, you take nothing for granted.

A few years ago, Dan O'Shannon and I created and animated short called "The Fan and the Flower". Many people said we were a lock for a nomination, and maybe even an Oscar. But for whatever reason, we failed to get nominated. It's too bad, because it's one of my most popular and favorite films.

And of course my good friend Regina Pessoa made "A Tragic Story with a Happy Ending". It got terrific buzz and I felt it was a sure thing for an Oscar, but alas, it never got a nomination. I've given up trying to guess who will win at any given year, as the only thing predictable about the Academy is its unpredictability.

But having said that, I'll give you my list of shorts that I think will be nominated:

"The Lost Thing", "Let's Pollute", "The Gruffalo", "Madagascar" and "Day and Night" by Pixar.

All these films are computer films.


And now for my picks for animated features:

I'll go with the consensus and say that "Toy Story 3" and "How to Train Your Dragon" are locks for nominations, and rightfully so. But the third choice is the wild card.


Although my heart says "Tangled" should get the 3rd choice, I'm afraid the voters will want to show their anti-corporate stripes and choose "The Ilusionist" from Sylvain Chomet , which I think would be a mistake. It's a beautiful film, but the Jaques Tati script has a lot of problems—there's a reason it was never produced before: there's no suspense, conflict, or emotion. And I believe there are some much better choices.

So be sure to tune in tomorrow to find out who's going to LA on February 27th—keep watching Scribble Junkies for the latest update, for if I do get invited, I'll be posting a frequent blog about my awards travels.


Cross your fingers!

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6 comments:

  1. IvanJanuary 24, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    Bill, Break a leg! We'll be rooting for ya!
    --Ivan

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  2. Katie DangerJanuary 24, 2011 at 5:45 PM

    My heart's racing! Break a leg!

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  3. LucyJanuary 24, 2011 at 7:20 PM

    Good Luck Bill! We're rooting for you down in Australia.

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  4. Rick PickensJanuary 24, 2011 at 10:00 PM

    I'll be listening in Hershey to hear the final nominations. I feel like a part of this production, so I will be in celebration mode waiting to hear that "The Cow Who wanted to be a Hamburger" is moving forward in the Oscar process.
    I wish you ALL the best!

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  5. BrubakerJanuary 25, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    Just saw the nominations list. Alas, your's didn't make it (oh well, there's always another short).

    Although I have to say your predictions were spot on. All of the titles you listed ended up being nominated.

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  6. Eric NobleJanuary 25, 2011 at 4:34 PM

    It's a shame your film or "My Dog Tulip" weren't nominated. I am actually going to see "The Illusionist" this weekend, just to see if it lives up the hype. I hope it does.

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