 Dennis Muren and Industrial Light & Magic 's visual effects department won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 57th Academy Awards . Soundtrack composer John Williams was , as he had been for his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark , again nominated for Original Music Score . The visual effects crew won the same category at the 38th British Academy Film Awards . Cinematographer Douglas Slocombe , editor Michael Kahn , Ben Burtt and other sound designers at Skywalker Sound received nominations . Spielberg , the writers , Harrison Ford , Jonathan Ke Quan , Anthony Powell and makeup designer Tom Smith were nominated for their work at the Saturn Awards . Temple of Doom was nominated for Best Fantasy Film but lost to Ghostbusters . 
