WhatisanOscar?

OscarsaregivenbytheAmericanAcademyofMotionPictureArtsandSciences(AMPA)AMPAmembersvoteforOscarwinners

youmustbechosenbyothermembersthemajorityarewhite,agingmenwholiveinL.A.HowcanIbecomeanAMPAmember?第一頁第二頁，共29頁。TheOscarsasaMediaEvent33%ofallCanadianswatchallorpartoftheOscars

(48%adultwomen,40%adultmen,12%children)第二頁第三頁，共29頁。TheOscarsasaCommodityAnOscarisjustatinandcopper,gold-platedstatuetteofanakedmanholdingaswordandstandingonareeloffilmAnOscaronlycosts$200tomakeSowhat’sthebigdeal?Who’smakin’thebigbucks?第三頁第四頁，共29頁。OscarMoney-Maker#1:

THEACADEMY(AMPA)earns$2millionperyearonOscarsAMPAisanon-profitorganization-sotheyspendtheprofitonfilm-relatedcauses(eg.filmrestoration)第四頁第五頁，共29頁。OscarMoney–Maker#2:

TVNetworkthatbroadcaststheshowABCmakesmillionssellingads

($10thousandpersecond)AreTheOscarsrelativelycheaporexpensivetomake?

expensivestarsappearonTVforfreecheapertoproducethanmovieormini-series.

第五頁第六頁，共29頁。OscarMoney-Maker#3:TheMovieIndustrypromotesHollywoodmoviesentirebroadcastisvirtuallyacommercial第六頁第七頁，共29頁。OscarMoney-Maker#4:TheWinners!Alongwithprestigecomestrulyinternationalstardomandeconomicbenefits第七頁第八頁，共29頁。OscarMoney-Maker#5:TheMovieStudiosWhenaremostOscarpotentialsreleased?Why?

December,tocatchtheholidayrush,andtoensurethatmoviesarestillintheatres.Whichwinningmoviesdon’tmakemuchofftheOscars?MoviesnolongerinthetheatreWinnersotherthanBestPicture第八頁第九頁，共29頁。TheOscarsasaContestAMPASmembersnominate5andpick1winnerNominationsmadebythosewhoworkinsamecategory(eg.Directorsvoteforotherdirectors)Once5nomineesarechosenthenallmembersvoteforallcategoriesIsthereanycheating?muchpoliticking,backstabbing,influencepeddlingetc.duringvoting第九頁第十頁，共29頁。Whowinsthecontest?

Whattypesofactors/characterstendtowin?

olderstarsoveryoungerstarsmovieswithlong-famousstarsbiographiesofremarkable

individualsportrayalsofthementallyill第十頁第十一頁，共29頁。moviesstillplayingdocu-dramas(basedonrealeventsorpeople)actorswhosecharacterdiesduringthemovies

genresotherthanhorror,

youth,adventure,sciencefictions,actionfilmsseriousdramasratherthan“l(fā)ight”filmsWhowinsthecontest?

Whattypesofmoviestendtowin?

第十一頁第十二頁，共29頁。HowaretheOscarssimilartoaRITUAL?Oscaritselfhasbecomeasacrediconwithintheindustry,prominentlydisplayedabovethe"altar"duringtheceremonyOscarsoccureveryyearatthesametimewithstricttimeline第十二頁第十三頁，共29頁。TheOscarsasRITUALSeatingplaniscarefullycontrolled-starsseatedina"goldenhorseshoe”professionalsittershiredtofillseats第十三頁第十四頁，共29頁。TheOscarsasRITUALparticipantsMUSTNOTmakeoverlongacceptancespeechesorreadfromascriptlectureaboutpoliticalcausesmakeafuss-500policeandciviliansenforcesecurityduringthetelecast-AMPASwantstheawardstobeseenasidealized,non-controversialandnon-ideologicalThereareSTRICTrules:第十四頁第十五頁，共29頁。TheOscarsasRITUALParticipantsMUSTDressupandarriveinalimousine -everymaleconnectedwiththeceremony,fromstartotruckdriver,wearsatuxedo

-femalesmustwearformaleveninggownswhichhavebeenapprovedinadvancebyAMPAS'officialfashioncoordinator第十五頁第十六頁，共29頁。TheOscarsasRITUALParticipantsMUSTParadedownaredcarpetbetweentwoblocksofbleacherscrammedwithfans,TVcameras&photographers(itcantakethebiggerstarsalmostanhourtowalkthiscarpet)第十六頁第十七頁，共29頁。TheOscarsasRITUALAwardpresenters

MUSTNOTSAY

“…andthewinneris…”or“…theenvelopeplease…”

MUSTSAY

“..andtheOscargoesto…”(thischangeisasubtleattemptatBRANDING)第十七頁第十八頁，共29頁。democracy

(thefamouspeoplearereallyjustpeople)equality

(anyonecanwin...)hardwork

(...aslongastheyworkhardenough)individuality

(aren’tthosestarsoriginalandfunky?)competitivenessupwardmobilityoccupationalachievementmonetarysuccessWhichvaluesdotheOscarsREALLYpromote?????Oscarsoutwardlypromote:第十八頁第十九頁，共29頁。THEBIGBUCKPLAYERS第十九頁第二十頁，共29頁。TOMCRUISE

Firstbigpayday:$75,000for"RiskyBusiness"(1983)

CurrentAskingPrice:$25million(pluspoints)

Worththemoney?Yes!Cruise's26filmshavegrossed$2.5billionworldwide.Heknowshisstarvehicleswillhittheessential$100millionmarkinAmericaalone,andhiscontractsnowalwaysincludepoints:Hemade$75millionfrom"Mission:Impossible2."第二十頁第二十一頁，共29頁。TOMHANKSFIRSTBIGPAYDAY:$70,000for"Splash"(1984)

CURRENTASKINGPRICE:$25million(pluspoints)

WORTHTHEMONEY?Yes!Hecandonowrong.He'llbehard-pressed,though,tomatchthe$70millionhemadefor"ForrestGump"orthe$40millionhepocketedfor"SavingPrivateRyan."第二十一頁第二十二頁，共29頁。JIMCARREYFIRSTBIGPAYDAY:$350,000for"AceVentura"(1994)CURRENTASKINGPRICE:$25million

WORTHTHEMONEY?Yes!Allthatandmore.Hisfilmscontinuetohitpaydirt.Hetookapaycutfor"EternalSunshineoftheSpotlessMind,”inhopesofanOscarnod.第二十二頁第二十三頁，共29頁。MIKEMYERSAGE:40FIRSTBIGPAYDAY:$1millionfor"Wayne'sWorld"(1992)CURRENTASKINGPRICE:$25million(or21%ofthegross)

WORTHTHEMONEY?Sofar!Thebottomlinecounts.Though"CatintheHat"receivedbadreviewsitstillpassedthe$100millionbarrier.Myersisbeingpaidawhopping$10millionforhisvoicealonein"Shrek2."第二十三頁第二十四頁，共29頁。JULIAROBERTSAGE:36FIRSTBIGPAYDAY:$50,000for"MysticPizza"(1988)CURRENTASKINGPRICE:$25million.

WORTHTHEMONEY?No!"MonaLisaSmile's"pooropeningweekendsuggestsherdaysasabox-officedrawarenumbered.Since2000's"ErinBrockovich,"Robertshaslostherbox-officemagic.Nowmarried,she'snolongerAmerica'ssweetheart.SherecentlyswitchedfromtheICMagencytoCAAinabidtogetbackontrackbeforehitting40.第二十四頁第二十五頁，共29頁。WILLSMITHFIRSTBIGPAYDAY:$500,000for"SixDegreesofSeparation"(1993)CURRENTASKINGPRICE:$20-$25million(plus20%ofthegross)WORTHTHEMONEY?Maybe.Smith'sbreadandbuttercomesfromfanswholovetoseehimmixhumor