Should the Oscars Add a "Best Digital Performance" Category?

[The Panda]

It's getting to a point in cinema were motion capture roles (or voice overs for CGI characters) are becoming more and more common, and many of these actors have been doing phenomenal jobs playing these roles where their own face isn't seen. (Such as ScarJo's voice over in Her, Andy Serkis in Planet of the Apes, etc.)

 

Since motion capture isn't in popular use yet for there to be separate motion capture and voice over categories, would it be fair to add a Best Digital Performance category for actors who play a role that is either a voice over or a motion capture.  This could even give credit to Animation voice actors, since they would technically be giving a voice over.

 

This also wouldn't necessarily disqualify them from a best actor/actress nod, but that has never happened for a motion capture or voice over performance anyways.

 

Here is an example of what it could possibly of looked like this year

 

2014

Andy Serkis for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Bradley Cooper for Guardians of the Galaxy

Cate Blanchett for How to Train Your Dragon 2

Chris Pratt for The LEGO Movie

Tony Keba for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

 

 

 

[CoolioD1]

no.

[AniNate]

A category that broad would be too controversial. Some would probably argue that a mocap performance is inherently more involved than a VO performance, so they would/should automatically be favored.

[The Panda]

no.

 

Any reasons why not?  Given that there have been more and more acclaimed digital performances lately.

[Ethan Hunt]

No they should be included in the main catagory, they should have a best blockbuster of the year catagory though.

[AniNate]

No they should be included in the main catagory, they should have a best blockbuster of the year catagory though.

 

No, they shouldn't. You can't make a solid distinction between "Oscar bait" and "Blockbuster".

[SchumacherFTW]

No they should be included in the main catagory, they should have a best blockbuster of the year catagory though.

This isn't the Golden Globes or People's Choice Awards. Say what you want about the Oscars, but there give a reasonable depiction of what the quality films of the year were (We all know the BOF awards are much better than that though), so it made sense when a film such as Inception or Up made it. Having a separare category for blockbusters would dilute the achievement of them and future blockbusters *cough*Interstellar*cough*.

[Blankments]

I think a simple voice-over category would be nice. Mocap performances should be included in actual categories IMO, and the issue is that even though Serkis and Kebbel are amazing in their roles, the oldies at the Academy won't recognize them as acting

[CoolioD1]

I recognise them as acting, but the performances in the Apes movies aren't even close to being awards worthy.

[BadAtGender]

If this was going to happen, it would have been after an outcry that Serkis didn't get a supporting actor nom for The Two Towers. That didn't happen, and I don't think there's been a performance since that has gotten any similar critical acclaim.

 

I haven't seen Apes yet, so I can't say whether there's anything comparable, but it would have to be at least Gollum vs. Smeagol good to get any feeling of a snub at the end of the year.

[4815162342]

No.

 

 

Stunt Ensemble or something similar is more worthy of a new category than this.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

No there is not enough worthy nominees and not enough films.

[dashrendar44]

I think a simple voice-over category would be nice. Mocap performances should be included in actual categories IMO, and the issue is that even though Serkis and Kebbel are amazing in their roles, the oldies at the Academy won't recognize them as acting

 

It's a shame there is no Oscar for acting voice-over in an animated movie.

 

PerfCap should be put in the same category as Best Actor/Actress.

[The Panda]

If this was going to happen, it would have been after an outcry that Serkis didn't get a supporting actor nom for The Two Towers. That didn't happen, and I don't think there's been a performance since that has gotten any similar critical acclaim.

 

I haven't seen Apes yet, so I can't say whether there's anything comparable, but it would have to be at least Gollum vs. Smeagol good to get any feeling of a snub at the end of the year.

 

I think Serkis' performance as Caesar in Dawn is more impressive than Gollum.

[Blankments]

It's a shame there is no Oscar for acting voice-over in an animated movie.

 

PerfCap should be put in the same category as Best Actor/Actress.

The saddest thing about it is that if there had been a Voice Acting Oscar added in with Animated Movie, Peter O'Toole would've been an Oscar winner.

 

I mean, he was still a phenomenal actor obviously, but it would've been nice

[Blankments]

I recognise them as acting, but the performances in the Apes movies aren't even close to being awards worthy.

Eh. Kebbell and Serkis are easily in the top five best performances I've seen this year so far... but I agree, come awards time, I doubt they'll be worthy

[John Marston]

no no. Voice acting is movies is clearly not that hard or requires much effort since the actors are just using their real voices. Also, digital performances can be hard to determine. Andy Serkis no doubt played Gollum pretty much exactly the way you see him on screen but in Apes he probably just provided an initial template and they later change a lot when doing the animation since Apes don't move exactly like humans

[dashrendar44]

no no. Voice acting is movies is clearly not that hard or requires much effort since the actors are just using their real voices. Also, digital performances can be hard to determine. Andy Serkis no doubt played Gollum pretty much exactly the way you see him on screen but in Apes he probably just provided an initial template and they later change a lot when doing the animation since Apes don't move exactly like humans

 

That's really narrow-minded and not accurate at all. Do you think Bradley Cooper speaks naturally like he does when he dubbed Rocket Racoon or Mark Hamill when he does his Joker's voice? That's acting.

 

And that doesn't change the fact that they hired an actual actor and not Joe Schmo the janitor of the animation studio to provide the performance template.

Edited July 18, 2014 by dashrendar44

[John Marston]

That's really narrow-minded and not accurate at all. Do you think Bradley Cooper speaks naturally like he does when he dubbed Rocket Racoon or Mark Hamill when he does his Joker's voice? That's acting.

 

 

Oh don't get me wrong. I have respect for a lot of voice actors like Mark Hamill, Corey Burton, Jim Cummings, Peter Cullen, Rob Paulsen, Jeff Bennett etc. who have a crazy amount of range and can do a wide variety of voices but the celebrity actors in movies? They're just using their real voice. I am pretty sure even they would acknowledge it is just an easy, fun little  gig that pays well and doesn't take much effort. 

Edited July 18, 2014 by John Marston

[filmlover]

Andy Serkis really needs to win honorary Oscar someday for all of the phenomenal mo-cap work he has delivered throughout his career.