Visual Effects Society gets claws out over James Corden and Rebel Wilson’s Cats joke at the Oscars

The Society said the Oscars presented VFX as an "all-too-convenient scapegoat in service for a laugh"
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The Visual Effects Society has become embroiled in a catfight with the Academy over a joke made by James Corden and Rebel Wilson at the Oscars.

Corden, 41, and Wilson, 39, starred in the critically maligned screen adaptation of Cats and poked fun at the film’s use of CGI while on stage on Sunday night.

Dressed in furry cat costumes, the stars quipped that “as cast members of the motion picture Cats, nobody more than us understands the importance of good visual effects” before presenting the visual effects award to 1917.

The gag prompted laughter on the night but did not impress the Visual Effects Society, who released a statement condemning the Academy for making “visual effects the butt of a joke” and “demean[ing] the global community of expert VFX practitioners.”

Academy Awards 2020: Oscars James Corden & Rebel Wilson as Cats

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“Last night, in presenting the Academy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects, the producers chose to make visual effects the punchline and suggested that bad VFX were to blame for the poor performance of the movie Cats,” the statement read.

“The best visual effects in the world will not compensate for a story told badly. On a night that is all about honouring the work of talented artists, it is immensely disappointing that The Academy made visual effects the butt of a joke.

“It demeaned the global community of expert VFX practitioners doing outstanding, challenging and visually stunning work to achieve the film-makers’ vision.

Cats' bizarre visual effects attracted some derision from viewers and critics alike

“Our artists, technicians and innovators deserve respect for their remarkable contributions to filmed entertainment, and should not be presented as the all-too-convenient scapegoat in service for a laugh.”

The Society concluded by sharing their hopes that the Academy will “properly honour the craft of visual effects - and all of the crafts, including cinematography and film editing” going forward “because we all deserve it.”

Speaking ahead of the release of Cats, director Tom Hooper admitted that he finished the film just one day before the premiere “after 36 hours in a row.”

It was later reported that film studio Universal had sent a new version of the film with “some improved visual effects” into cinemas after viewers spotted errors, with Judi Dench’s feline character famously seen with human hands wearing a wedding ring.

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