“…AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…”

1. “…AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…” Deconstructing the Academy Awards

2. What is an Oscar? • Oscars are given by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPA) • AMPA members vote for Oscar winners How can I become an AMPA member? • you must be chosen by other members • the majority are white, aging men who live in L.A.

3. The Oscars as a Media Event • 33% of all Canadians watch all or part of the Oscars(48% adult women, 40% adult men, 12% children)

4. The Oscars as a Commodity • An Oscar is just a tin and copper, gold-plated statuette of a naked man holding a sword and standing on a reel of film • An Oscar only costs $200 to make So what’s the big deal? Who’s makin’ the big bucks?

5. Oscar Money-Maker #1: THE ACADEMY (AMPA) • earns $2 million per year on Oscars • AMPA is a non-profit organization - so they spend the profit on film-related causes (eg. film restoration)

6. Oscar Money–Maker #2: TV Network that broadcasts the show • ABC makes millions selling ads ($10 thousand per second) • Are The Oscars relatively cheap or expensive to make? • expensive stars appear on TV for free • cheaper to produce than movie or mini-series. 

7. Oscar Money-Maker #3: The Movie Industry • promotes Hollywood movies • entire broadcast is virtually a commercial

8. Oscar Money-Maker #4: The Winners! • Along with prestige comes truly international stardom and economic benefits

9. Oscar Money-Maker #5: The Movie Studios • When are most Oscar potentials released? Why? • December, to catch the holiday rush, and to ensure that movies are still in theatres. • Which winning movies don’t make much off the Oscars? • Movies no longer in the theatre • Winners other than Best Picture

10. The Oscars as a Contest • AMPAS members nominate 5 and pick 1 winner • Nominations made by those who work in same category (eg. Directors vote for other directors) • Once 5 nominees are chosen then all members vote for all categories • Is there any cheating? • much politicking, back stabbing, influence peddling etc. during voting

11. Who wins the contest? What types of actors / characters tend to win? • older stars over younger stars • movies with long-famous stars • biographies of remarkable individuals • portrayals of the mentally ill

12. Who wins the contest? What types of movies tend to win? • movies still playing • docu-dramas (based on real events or people) • actors whose character dies during the movies • genres other than horror, youth, adventure, science fictions, action films • serious dramas rather than “light” films

13. How are the Oscars similar to a RITUAL? • Oscar itself has become a sacred icon within the industry, prominently displayed above the "altar" during the ceremony • Oscars occur every year at the same time with strict timeline

14. The Oscars as RITUAL • Seating plan is carefully controlled - stars seated in a "golden horseshoe” • professional sitters hired to fill seats

15. The Oscars as RITUAL There are STRICT rules: • participants MUST NOT • make overlong acceptance speeches or read from a script • lecture about political causes • make a fuss - 500 police and civilians enforce security during the telecast - AMPAS wants the awards to be seen as idealized, non-controversial and non-ideological

16. The Oscars as RITUAL • Participants MUST • Dress up and arrive in a limousine - every male connected with the ceremony, from star to truck driver, wears a tuxedo- females must wear formal evening gowns which have been approved in advance by AMPAS' official fashion coordinator

17. The Oscars as RITUAL • Participants MUST • Parade down a red carpet between two blocks of bleachers crammed with fans, TV cameras & photographers (it can take the bigger stars almost an hour to walk this carpet)

18. The Oscars as RITUAL • Award presentersMUST NOT SAY“…and the winner is…” or “…the envelope please…”MUST SAY “..and the Oscar goes to…” (this change is a subtle attempt at BRANDING)

19. Oscars outwardly promote: • democracy(the famous people are really just people) • equality(anyone can win...) • hard work(...as long as they work hard enough) • individuality(aren’t those stars original and funky?) • competitiveness • upward mobility • occupational achievement • monetary success • Which values do the Oscars REALLY promote ?????

20. THE BIG BUCK PLAYERS

21. TOM CRUISE • First big payday: $75,000 for "Risky Business" (1983)Current Asking Price: $25 million (plus points)Worth the money? Yes! Cruise's 26 films have grossed $2.5 billion worldwide. He knows his star vehicles will hit the essential $100 million mark in America alone, and his contracts now always include points: He made $75 million from "Mission: Impossible 2."

22. TOM HANKS • FIRST BIG PAYDAY: $70,000 for "Splash" (1984)CURRENT ASKING PRICE: $25 million (plus points)WORTH THE MONEY? Yes! He can do no wrong. He'll be hard-pressed, though, to match the $70 million he made for "Forrest Gump" or the $40 million he pocketed for "Saving Private Ryan."

23. JIM CARREY • FIRST BIG PAYDAY: $350,000 for "Ace Ventura" (1994) • CURRENT ASKING PRICE: $25 millionWORTH THE MONEY? Yes! All that and more. His films continue to hit pay dirt. He took a pay cut for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” in hopes of an Oscar nod.

24. MIKE MYERS • AGE: 40 • FIRST BIG PAYDAY: $1 million for "Wayne's World" (1992) • CURRENT ASKING PRICE: $25 million (or 21% of the gross)WORTH THE MONEY? So far! The bottom line counts. Though "Cat in the Hat" received bad reviews it still passed the $100 million barrier. Myers is being paid a whopping $10 million for his voice alone in "Shrek 2."

25. JULIA ROBERTS • AGE: 36 • FIRST BIG PAYDAY: $50,000 for "Mystic Pizza" (1988) • CURRENT ASKING PRICE: $25 million.WORTH THE MONEY? No! "Mona Lisa Smile's" poor opening weekend suggests her days as a box-office draw are numbered. Since 2000's "Erin Brockovich," Roberts has lost her box-office magic. Now married, she's no longer America's sweetheart. She recently switched from the ICM agency to CAA in a bid to get back on track before hitting 40.

26. WILL SMITH • FIRST BIG PAYDAY: $500,000 for "Six Degrees of Separation" (1993) • CURRENT ASKING PRICE: $20 - $25 million (plus 20% of the gross) • WORTH THE MONEY? Maybe. Smith's bread and butter comes from fans who love to see him mix humor with action, as in "Independence Day" and the "Men in Black" and "Bad Boys" films. He fares less well when he strays from that formula, as he did in "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and "Ali."

27. $20 millionaires • Russell Crowe • Leonardo DiCaprio • Eddie Murphy • Denzel Washington • Nicolas Cage • George Clooney • Brad Pitt • Vin Diesel • Johnny Depp (might be closer to 25 now)

28. Tobey McGuire 17 mil for Spidey 2 • Ben Affleck gets $17.5 million - but for how much longer? • Cameron Diaz from 15 - 25 million $14 million-$15 million • Drew Barrymore • Nicole Kidman • Reese Witherspoon • Halle Berry - could have been top, thanks Catwoman • Sandra Bullock • Angelina Jolie • Jodie Foster

29. So…where do we go from here? • Emergence of Chinese cinema • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon • Hollywood Monopoly - Time Warner, Viacom, Fox, Sony, NBC Universal, and Disney. • Cheap horror adaptations • Computer generated animation • Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within • Rise in popularity of documentary • Combining efforts of Film & Video games • Piracy • Low attendance - greater targeting to older audiences