Production designer Sarah Greenwood, set decorator Katie Spencer, costume designer Jacqueline Durran and sound pros Ren Klyce and Julian Slater have all hit the milestone of becoming double nominees in this year’s Oscar race.
Greenwood and Spencer are twice nominated for production design, for Disney’s fantasy Beauty and the Beast and Focus Features’ Winston Churchill drama Darkest Hour. Similarly, Durran is twice nominated for the costume design on those two films.
"It's fantastic," Greenwood said Tuesday. "And they couldn't be more different [in terms of creative, budget and schedule]. Beauty and the Beast was completely build on a backlot, and Darkest Hour was mostly shot on location. What I love about this job is you are in this amazing 18th century France and then London in the middle of the awful war. To bring these worlds to life is fantastic. And working with [Darkest Hour director and longtime collaborator] Joe Wright is like coming home. And it was my first time working with [Beauty and the Beast helmer] Bill Condon."
Skywalker Sound’s Klyce was nominated for both sound editing and mixing for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, while sound editor and mixer Julian Slater was twice shortlisted for Baby Driver.
"It’s wonderful,” Klyce said. “It’s my inner 13-year-old boy’s dream come true. It was my first Star Wars experience, along with [director] Rian Johnson. I think it hindsight maybe that’s why we connected so well.”
He added that he was also very excited to see composer John Williams nominated. “I had the honor of mixing his music for the film and it was really an honor to have been able to enjoy John Williams’ music and help craft it into the mix,” said Klyce.
“I can’t quite believe it. It’s incredible. I’m honored, flattered and humbled to be in such highly esteemed company,” said Slater of his first, and second, Oscar nominations. “As soon as I calmed down I spoke with [Baby Driver’s nominated editors Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss] to send my congratulations. I’m so proud of my crew, and [the editors] totally deserve it."
He added that director Edgar Wright phoned him at 5:30 this morning “to say how happy and proud he was. I reminded him that in 2015 he said, ‘My next film is going to be Baby Driver, and I think it’s going to be your sound Oscar nomination.’”
