The 21st Annual Art Directors Guild Awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 11, 2017.
As I have been doing for a few years, as we get into the awards season, I’ll post the fictional ballots for some of the guild awards, showing what my vote would be if I had one. I will, as a rule, abstain from my fictional vote if I haven’t seen at least half of the nominees. And to be perfectly clear, I’m not a member of any of these guilds and organizations.
The list of nominees can be seen here.
Here it goes.
Excellence in Production Design for a Feature Film – Period: Jess Gonchor for Hail, Caesar!
The production design of Hail, Caesar! is rich because it needs to cover so much ground: the time period itself, the environment of a film studio with all its paraphernalia, and the film sets for many different films. It does so with great care and detail. (Not seen: Fences.)
Excellence in Production Design for a Feature Film – Fantasy: Stuart Craig for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
This was a particularly tough category to choose from the candidates, but the work of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the most memorable one. The (sort of) recreation of 1920’s New York, with magical elements thrown in, is a beauty.
Excellence in Production Design for a Feature Film – Contemporary: David Wasco for La La Land
Colorful, bubbly, almost in the realm of fantasy, La La Land‘s production design is the perfect fit for a musical. Particularly inspired are the sets of the last musical number. (Not seen: Lion.)