TORONTO — Visual effects producer Adam O'Brien-Locke wasn't going to let another potential "La La Land" mix-up dampen his neighbourhood Oscar party in Montreal.
When "Blade Runner 2049" was announced as the winner in the visual effects category on Sunday night, O'Brien-Locke said he paused for a moment to make sure it wasn't a mistake.
"I was worried maybe they got the name wrong like they did last year," he said in a phone interview Monday, pointing to the mistake that briefly kept "Moonlight" from winning best picture in 2017.
"I was happy to find out it was, in fact, 'Blade Runner 2049.'"
O'Brien-Locke is part of a group of 80 people at Montreal effects studio RodeoFX who played a major role in crafting the imagery of Quebec director Denis Villeneuve's vivid sci-fi fantasy.
Many of the film's establishing shots and backgrounds, including the memorable Coca-Cola can hologram, were created by his team.
But he isn't technically an Oscar winner, since only studio supervisors are named in the nominations. The award went to visual effects supervisors John Nelson, Paul Lambert, and Richard R. Hoover, plus special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer.
During the acceptance speech, Hoover thanked their "friends in Montreal,'' saying: "Merci beaucoup, this is for you.''
O'Brien-Locke said the moment gave him a sense of pride in everything RodeoFX accomplished on the film.
"There were a lot of people that contributed visual effects ... and put their heart onto the screen," he said.
Even though he wasn't invited to the Hollywood ceremony, O'Brien-Locke said Sunday was still a memorable night spent with his family and friends.
"Sure there's snow on the ground, and I was probably in sweat pants and not a tuxedo," he said.
"But we were still able to make it our own party, and our own celebration, here in Canada."
