The Academy Awards®, known as the Oscars®, are the oldest, best known and famous film awards. The awards have been presented annually (the first ceremony was held in May, 1929) by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), based in Beverly Hills, California (founded in 1927).
"Except for the early years of the institution, the awards honored films made during the previous 12-month calendar year. Films also had to be over 40 minutes long to qualify as feature-length. Until 1954, the Oscars were presented mostly on a Thursday evening. From 1955 to 1958, they were presented on a Wednesday. From 1959 until 1998 the Oscars were, with a few exceptions, presented on a Monday night. Only since 1999 has the Awards ceremony taken place on a Sunday (traditionally in March). In 2004, the ceremony was moved even earlier (thus the February date) to improve ratings and to be more relevant to the awards 'season'.
Comments About the Awards Themselves:
The establishment of the Academy (and its awards system) has had a major effect and influence upon the film industry, due to the enormous boost a nomination or award (for a film, designer, or actor) creates, by giving prestige and bottom-line profits to a studio or performer.
Studios have often engaged in expensive marketing and advertising campaigns to sway votes. The Academy has, with limited success, tried to limit the influences of pressure groups and promotion, box office gross receipts, and studio public relations and marketing on voting results. It has also attempted to limit votes for melodramatic sentimentality, atonement for past mistakes, personal popularity, and "prestige" or epic scale, but those influences have often had a decided effect upon the outcome of some of the poll results.
Unfortunately, the critical worth, artistic vision, cultural influence, and innovative qualities of many films are not given the same voting weight. Especially since the 80s, moneymaking 'formula-made' blockbusters with glossy production values have often been crowd-pleasing titans (and Best Picture winners), but they haven't necessarily been great films with depth or critical acclaim by any measure." See Tim Dirk's site for "The Worst Academy Awards Oscars" for more information.
"Like any other awards, recognitions, or "best" lists, the top nominees and winners do not necessarily reflect or objectively measure the greatest that cinematic history has to offer. Many of the most Deserving Films of All Time (see Films Without Awards) did not win Academy Awards® (and in some cases were not even included in the nominees). In addition, Top Box-Office Films aren't always guaranteed awards success either. And certain Film Genres (notably westerns, science fiction, and comedy) as well as independent films are not represented in balanced numbers throughout Oscar history." - Tim Dirks
For information about the 2015 Oscars, check out this site!
LAB WORK: Post your comments here (below) on this post about the award winners for 2015. In your opinion did the Academy pick the best films? Which films were left out? Which ones should have won? Which films should you see now? How do these awards affect the way you view these or other films? Discuss.
After commenting, please read the following article from Tim Dirks: History of Early Film: Part 3-5. Start here and use the article to answer the questions. Hand in your notes by end of class.
If you did not complete your film script review and/or rewrite or take the test from last class (due to absences) please complete this work as well. Several of you did not turn in the scene project (see previous posts). Any work you have not completed, please complete and turn in late so you can pass this lovely class.
HOMEWORK: Please read the handout article: "The Edison Monopoly Decision" & "The Hollywood Studio System". As you read, please take notes in your journal on key and important events, people, and concepts. Remember those Cornell Notes? Yep. Thought so.
"Except for the early years of the institution, the awards honored films made during the previous 12-month calendar year. Films also had to be over 40 minutes long to qualify as feature-length. Until 1954, the Oscars were presented mostly on a Thursday evening. From 1955 to 1958, they were presented on a Wednesday. From 1959 until 1998 the Oscars were, with a few exceptions, presented on a Monday night. Only since 1999 has the Awards ceremony taken place on a Sunday (traditionally in March). In 2004, the ceremony was moved even earlier (thus the February date) to improve ratings and to be more relevant to the awards 'season'.
Comments About the Awards Themselves:
The establishment of the Academy (and its awards system) has had a major effect and influence upon the film industry, due to the enormous boost a nomination or award (for a film, designer, or actor) creates, by giving prestige and bottom-line profits to a studio or performer.
Studios have often engaged in expensive marketing and advertising campaigns to sway votes. The Academy has, with limited success, tried to limit the influences of pressure groups and promotion, box office gross receipts, and studio public relations and marketing on voting results. It has also attempted to limit votes for melodramatic sentimentality, atonement for past mistakes, personal popularity, and "prestige" or epic scale, but those influences have often had a decided effect upon the outcome of some of the poll results.
Unfortunately, the critical worth, artistic vision, cultural influence, and innovative qualities of many films are not given the same voting weight. Especially since the 80s, moneymaking 'formula-made' blockbusters with glossy production values have often been crowd-pleasing titans (and Best Picture winners), but they haven't necessarily been great films with depth or critical acclaim by any measure." See Tim Dirk's site for "The Worst Academy Awards Oscars" for more information.
"Like any other awards, recognitions, or "best" lists, the top nominees and winners do not necessarily reflect or objectively measure the greatest that cinematic history has to offer. Many of the most Deserving Films of All Time (see Films Without Awards) did not win Academy Awards® (and in some cases were not even included in the nominees). In addition, Top Box-Office Films aren't always guaranteed awards success either. And certain Film Genres (notably westerns, science fiction, and comedy) as well as independent films are not represented in balanced numbers throughout Oscar history." - Tim Dirks
For information about the 2015 Oscars, check out this site!
LAB WORK: Post your comments here (below) on this post about the award winners for 2015. In your opinion did the Academy pick the best films? Which films were left out? Which ones should have won? Which films should you see now? How do these awards affect the way you view these or other films? Discuss.
After commenting, please read the following article from Tim Dirks: History of Early Film: Part 3-5. Start here and use the article to answer the questions. Hand in your notes by end of class.
If you did not complete your film script review and/or rewrite or take the test from last class (due to absences) please complete this work as well. Several of you did not turn in the scene project (see previous posts). Any work you have not completed, please complete and turn in late so you can pass this lovely class.
HOMEWORK: Please read the handout article: "The Edison Monopoly Decision" & "The Hollywood Studio System". As you read, please take notes in your journal on key and important events, people, and concepts. Remember those Cornell Notes? Yep. Thought so.
14 comments:
I'm super upset for two reasons, 1. I haven't seen any of the movies that were nominated besides like two of them (Guardians of the Galaxy, Gravity) 2. Maleficent DIDN'T win best costume design. I'm very happy for The Grand Budapest Hotel and the other 30 Oscars it won however Maleficent definitely shold've won
i think they picked the right actors and actresses; they picked unpopular movies for the most part. i have never watched "still alice,"but ploaying a part of someone with early on set Alzheimer wouldn't be as easy for someone without it. i hear the theory of everything was good.
From the given pool of nominees, I don't think that there was a single winner that I felt didn't deserve it. Birdman was an incredible film and I very much agree with it being chosen as the best picture, and certianly the best screenplay. However, I was disappointed to see that Babadook didn't make it into the running. It was an interesting psychological horror film that plays with the fears that lay dormant inside every person, and the overall moral was one that I felt could resonate within a person's mind for decades. Beyond that, a fare number of the nominees I hadn't seen, especially in the short film area. I aim to see Big Hero 6 and The Tale of Princess Kaygua, mostly due to my lack of exposure in animated films as of the past years. Overall, the awards and the show itself were rather enjoyable. The opening skit with Jack Black and Neil Patrick Harris was by far the most enjoyable part of it for me. Each nominee I felt deserved whatever award they received, as they set the model and baseline for all future films to aspire to replicate, not just in technique, but in the feelings and messages they etch into each individual mind.
This was the first year I've actually paid attention to the Oscars, and I was not as bored as I expected. I am very happy that Alejandro G. Innarritu won best director as well as three other Oscars, including best picture for his film Birdman. Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) was an amazing film and fully deserved to win the Best Picture award. I also enjoyed that J.K. Simmons won for best supporting actor. His work in Whiplash was incredibly good and stole the spotlight in the movie. There were a few weird things that happened during the show however. John Travolta returned to the show as awkward as ever. He creeped on Idina Menzel and Scarlet Johannsen. Just a weird guy in general. Another strange thing was Neil Patrick Harris' "homage" to Birdman where he ran through crowds and on stage in his underwear. Other than that he was a decent host. He had several good jokes and few that just flew over everyone's head. The most awkward part of the whole night was when Sean Penn made an illegal immigrant joke about Innarritu. It was very strange until Innarritu explained that it was just an inside joke between the two. Overall, it was an interesting show, and I'm happy with the winners.
I think that for the most part, the best movies of the year did win the awards. I have seen The Imitation Game, which won for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay. I also saw Boyhood and Selma. One thing that did irritate me about the awards was the dig about the Oscars being a whites only club. Harris said, “Tonight, we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest — sorry, brightest.” It was true because there is definitely a bias that exists in the industry, but not necessarily something to made light of. There are people of many different backgrounds creating meaningful art in this medium and they deserve more recognition. I think for that remark to be the first joke of the night says a lot. There was no elaboration or call to change that at all throughout the show, that was all that was said about race, besides when Birdman won Best Picture and Sean Penn presented the award to the Mexican director Penn said “Who gave this sonofabitch a green card?”. Overall, some really good actors and films did take home awards I feel like more representation is needed.
In 2002 a crime musical called Chicago, that I've never heard anyone ever speak about, beat out Adrien Brody in The Pianist for best picture. I've never seen pain more visible in a acting man's face than Adrien Brody's. That had to be biggest upset in the last 15 years.
My viewpoints towards the films that "deserved" to win are a little biased due to only viewing one movie which was The American Sniper. I felt that movie was amazing and seeing as how it grossed half of the money that all of the nominated movies in "best picture" accumulated I think it should've won a few more Oscars. After watching the Academy Awards I'm now intrigued by the movies Boyhood and Birdman, due to the storylines and backgrounds of these films.
I haven't seen many of the movies that were nominated but after seeing the results, I'd really like to see Birdman and American Sniper. It would be interesting to watch Maleficent as well as The Grand Budapest Hotel to compare the costume design. I'm unable to comment on the winners as I haven't seen the movies they stared in.
I'm so lost but what I adapted to was that American Sniper was a good movie. Even though I didn't see it, I know that its based off the CNN highlight a year and a half ago. Its really sad because he was a arrogant soilder who fought for our country but was very vain.
I believe mainly everyone deserved an award at the Oscars last Sunday but Patricia Arquette did an amazing job in the drama film, Boyhood. I personal enjoyed the film. And some of her other films like, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and the TV show, Medium, in which she stared in. Unfortunately I didn't get to watch the Oscars but when I heard that Patricia won, I wasn't surprised.
Most of the movies on the Oscars, I have never seen before. However, I have heard good reviews about them. Based on reviews, I think they chose good films, but I think they left some out such as Maleficent. I, however, am happy that Big Hero 6 won best animation film. It deserved the award. I think they should have chosen it because it taught a good message in a fun way. After watching, I want to see Boyhood, Still Alice, and Birdman. This award affects my view because now I realize and appreciate everyone who is a part of creating a film such as costume design, editing, makeup, and music.
All of the people who were nominated and won an oscar deserved it, they all have worked hard. I don't have much to say though because i haven't watched any of the movies that were nominated.
I thought the American Sniper film definitely deserved to be credited and broadcasted as an award winning film. The morals, actuality, and realistic morals the film provides leaves critics and viewers with a perspective of how life really Is as a solider in war, during and after.
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