‘The Great Gatsby’ is among the films nominated for 2013 Art Directors Guild Honors

Following the flurry of awards related events that have taken place in the past week, including the announcements of the BAFTA, DGA and WGA nominations of the best of filmmaking in 2013, comes a smaller but still vital announcement from the Art Directors Guild.  They feature three film categories, separating between period, contemporary and fantasy films.  Many of the seasons most lauded films received a nomination including American Hustle, Gravity and 12 Years a Slave, but the wiggle room in the categories allowed for films like August: Osage County and Blue Jasmine, films of subtler production design that are unlikely to crossover into Oscar race, to be recognized as well.

One film perhaps, or hopefully, teetering on the bubble of a potential Oscar nomination that was acknowledged by the Art Directors Guild is Her which earned a slot in the contemporary film category (perhaps somewhat ironically considering the film is set in the future).  Spike Jonze’s melancholic romantic comedy has received praise, as well as a Los Angeles Film Critics mention for K.K. Barrett’s immaculate production design, craftsmanship that the Academy sometimes fails to acknowledge due to its smaller, more limited scope.  Other Oscar hopefuls honored include The Great Gatsby and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, two films for which a nomination here bodes well for further recognition within the technical branches of the Academy. The nominees are:

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN (Period Film)

• 12 Years a Slave – Adam Stockhausen
• American Hustle – Judy Becker
• The Great Gatsby – Catherine Martin
• Inside Llewyn Davis – Jess Gonchor
• Saving Mr. Banks – Michael Corenblith

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN (Contemporary Film)

• August: Osage County – David Gropman
• Blue Jasmine – Santo Loquasto
• Captain Phillips – Paul Kirby
• Her – K.K. Barrett
• The Wolf of Wall Street – Bob Shaw

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN (Fantasy Film)

• Elysium – Philip Ivey
• Gravity – Andy Nicholson
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Dan Hennah
• Oblivion – Darren Gilford
• Star Trek Into Darkness – Scott Chambliss