An epic sandworm ride across the Arrakis Desert, a thrilling gladiatorial battle involving a unicorn and a display of pure unadulterated anxiety – these are just a few of the scenes and characters that entertained audiences last year, and none of them would have been possible without the craftsmen who make the magic happen behind the scenes.
This year, Variety’s Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards will celebrate visionary artists who help tell stories through their craft. “Since we introduced the award in 2006, we have highlighted the tremendous work that happens behind the scenes and all the passionate people who
“I bring these films to life,” says Hamilton CEO Vivian Stover.
“We are honored to present the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards,” says Dea Lawrence, Variety’s director of operations and marketing. “The people who work behind the scenes play a crucial role in film production, and this event will shine a well-deserved spotlight on them.” The Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards will be presented on November 14 at the Hollywood Sports Club in Hollywood.
Among the artisans to be celebrated are;
Edited by: Joe Walker, ‘Dune: Part 2’ – Presenter: Hans Zimmer
Editor Joe Walker, a favorite Denis Villeneuve collaborator who won an editing Oscar for “Dune,” spent more than 16 months shaping “Dune Two’s” scene in which Austin Butler’s Ved Rotha engages in combat and then celebrates in Gladiator-type arena.
It was a complex scene – one of the first scenes filmed early on – and visual effects were needed.
Stunts: Chris O’Hara, The Fall Guy – Host: David Leitch
Veteran stunt coordinator and head of Stunts Unlimited O’ Hara is the epitome of Hollywood’s unsung hero – his specialty is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Academy Award has not yet been recognized, although the Screen Actors Guild Awards have a stunt category.
However, earlier this year, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Directors Guild of America approved the first-ever “stunt designer” credit. O’Hara had the opening title in The Fall Guy.
Animation: Kelsey Mann, ‘Inside Out 2’ – Presented by: Amy Poehler
The hit animated film “Inside Out 2,” directed by Mann, centers on Riley, a girl who has a mix of conflicting emotions as she reaches puberty. A teenager is at hockey camp for the weekend when her five basic emotions—joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust (joined by boredom, embarrassment, envy, and anxiety)—react strongly. While playing an important game, she is on a mission to impress her hockey coach and make the varsity team. Under tremendous pressure, anxiety, envy and embarrassment take over, with other emotions relegated to the back of her mind, where they are repressed. When Riley is put in a time-out box, it becomes too much for her emotions to handle at once, leading to a panic attack.
Mann says he tells people he’s “making a film about anxiety for a reason.” “You want to make sure it looks real and authentic,” he says of the time-out scene. “Coming up with a look that achieves that is really difficult. It took a lot of different departments all working collaboratively in order to make it happen.”
Voiceover by Stephen Morrow, Eric Adahl, Ethan van der Rijn, Tom Ozanich, Dean A. Zupancic, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’‘- Presenter: Joey Garner
The sound team for “Joker 2” planted radio microphones throughout the film to capture atmospheric sounds during Arthur Fleck/Joker’s trial.
Additionally, they had to explore how Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s live vocals could capture the film’s musical numbers. The team, which could deliver “Maestro” and “A Star is Born” among its many credits, was no stranger to live performances, so early preparation was essential to have a workflow that didn’t sacrifice the rhythm, emotion or energy of the shows. .
Production design: Nora Mendes, Nickel Boys, Host: Daveed Diggs
Production designer Nora Mendes used South Louisiana filming locations that moved to Florida in the 1960s. Mendes built the boxing ring and stands that appear in the film from the ground up. The school was a monastery, and Mendes and his team recreated it to make the time period accurate.
Hair and Make-up: Giulia Floch Carbonell, Simone Levitt, Romain Marietti, “Emilia Pérez” – Presented by: Carla Sofía Gascón
The hair and makeup team joined forces to tell Emilia Perez’s story. Lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldaña) helps the crime boss retire from the cartel business and disappear, and also undergoes sex reassignment surgery to become the titular character, Emilia Perez, played by Carla Sofía Gascón. Their challenge was how to seamlessly tell Emilia’s story. Balancing the different prosthetics and hairstyles was key. When Emilia first meets Rita in London, everything about her becomes softer, right down to her makeup, which reflects her new life.
Cinematography John Matteson, “Wrestler II”
John Matheson steps onto the cinematography scene for “Gladiator 2.” As corruption and power spread, he took a decadent approach to lighting up the world in palaces and the Colosseum. In contrast, this time, the afterlife scenes veered away from golden wheat beds to a darker, darker aesthetic.
Costumes: Ariane Phillips, “Totally Anonymous” – Presented by: Elle Fanning
Costume designer Ariane Phillips’ collection is on display this year as she designed the costumes for the movie “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Next: “Completely anonymous. Phillips traces Bob Dylan’s journey in the early 1960s with jeans, brown and black. Timothée Chalamet goes through 65 outfit changes as he transforms into Bob Dylan.
Directed by: Gia Coppola, The Last Showgirl – Presented by: Pamela Anderson
Gia Coppola’s film is a drama set in Vegas, with Pamela Anderson playing Shelley, a veteran showgirl who faces an uncertain future after being told that her show will be closing permanently after 30 years. Speaking about the project, Coppola said: “There are a lot of similarities between being a woman and how society restricts you and how you deal with being a mother and having a career. And I always wanted to tell the story of a mother and daughter.
Coppola filmed The Last Showgirl and spent only 18 days in Vegas.
Score: Jon Batiste, Saturday Night Host: Jason Reitman
Batiste pulls double duty on “Saturday Night.” The film follows 90 tense minutes on October 11, 1975, as Lorne Michaels and a group of young comedians and writers prepare for the first broadcast and premiere of Saturday Night Live. Batiste plays musician and band leader Billy Preston. Once filming is completed, the makeup and costumes will be removed, and Batiste will record the film’s tense score.
Property Manager: Kendra Ives, “Anora” – Host: Sean Baker
“Anora’s” props expert Kendra Ives worked closely with Sean Baker and production designer Stephen Phelps. With class being the film’s primary theme, Ives helped define the worlds through her work. From Annie’s (Mickey Madison) simple home on Brighton Beach, to the opulent Zakharov mansion filled with artwork, tables, lamps and sumptuous furnishings.
Screenwriters: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells and Shawn Levy, “Deadpool Wolverine”‘ – Presenter: Rob Simonsen
“Deadpool and Wolverine” has cemented itself as the biggest R-rated action movie in history. The writing team is doing their best with Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Action, comedy and drama. The minivan battle and abundance of cameos made this the perfect fantasy escape.
Original song: Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, Josh Greenbaum, Will and Harper – Presented by: Harper Steele
“Will & Harper Go West” is the absolutely upbeat song from the Netflix documentary “Will & Harper.” Kristen Wiig performs the tune in the doc’s end credits. The number honors the enduring friendship between Will Ferrell and Harper Still. Song bonuses are present throughout the doc, there’s a running gag where the duo invite Wiig to write a song for their trip.