This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Time once again for The Cricket to put his prognosticating talents to the test, by predicting the winners to the 87th Academy Awards.
Today, it's the technical categories. Wednesday, the craft categories are on the docket; and on Thursday, it's the specialty categories (animation, foreign-language, documentary and shorts). On Friday, in this space and in the print edition of The Salt Lake Tribune, the major categories — directing, screenwriting, acting and best picture — will be analyzed. (The Oscars will be televised live Sunday, starting at 6:30 p.m. Mountain time, on ABC, KTVX Ch. 4.)
Film Editing
The nominees are • Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach, "American Sniper"; Sandra Adair, "Boyhood"; Barney Pilling, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"; William Goldenberg, "The Imitation Game"; Tom Cross, "Whiplash."
Who will win • Putting together bits of a film over 12 years is a unique challenge, one "Boyhood's" Sandra Adair handled elegantly.
Who should win • Tom Cross's stunning work in "Whiplash" captures the kinetic energy of the young drummer's struggle.
Sound Mixing
The nominees are • "American Sniper," John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin; "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga; "Interstellar," Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten; "Unbroken," Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee; "Whiplash," Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley.
Who will win • A Best Picture favorite, "Birdman" will likely take this category, too.
Who should win • "Whiplash," where sound was practically another character.
Sound Editing
The nominees are • "American Sniper," Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman; "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock; "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," Brent Burge and Jason Canovas; "Interstellar," Richard King; "Unbroken," Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro
Who will win • "American Sniper" might take this one, for its layering of gunfire and wartime sounds.
Who should win • The mix of reality and surreality in "Birdman."
Visual effects
The nominees are • "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick; "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist; "Guardians of the Galaxy," Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould; "Interstellar," Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher; "X-Men: Days of Future Past," Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer.
Who will win • The arty black hole of "Interstellar."
Who should win • The realistic and emotionally accessible primates in "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes."