Oscars expand Best Pic to 10 nominations

Blondchen · Jun 24, 2009

Other than trying to bolster ticket sales, I can't think of one reason why this is a good idea.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005322.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2854

alleycat · Jun 24, 2009

Hey, free advertising on the night of the awards! Just about the time the movies will be coming out on DVD.

Exir · Jun 24, 2009

maybe...

Blondchen said:
Other than trying to bolster ticket sales, I can't think of one reason why this is a good idea.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005322.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2854

Playing the devil's advocate: perhaps since more films are produced, it is natural for more spots to be opened up.

ETA: I do agree 10 is too much, and too sudden a change.

Fokker Aeroplanbau · Jun 24, 2009

There are to many award shows as it is.

Only Hollywood would spend so many nights rewarding itself.

eyeblink · Jun 24, 2009

Not actually new. They had twelve nominations in some years in the 30s.

dclary · Jun 24, 2009

There so few years when five films are serious contenders for best picture. How many fewer would there be when there are ten?

katiemac · Jun 24, 2009

dclary said:
There so few years when five films are serious contenders for best picture. How many fewer would there be when there are ten?

My thoughts exactly. Sounds like they're trying to increase viewers - if they have the room to include more popular movies (a la Dark Knight), there's more of a chance people will tune in to see if they win. I hardly doubt this will make a difference in the actual voting, though.

It will, however, wreak havoc on people's office Oscar pools.

maestrowork · Jun 24, 2009

It's all about ratings.

But it will dilute the votes, making the outcome less predictable, and the offsite gambling more exciting. Again, it's all about ratings.

Brilliant, actually. Because at the end, it doesn't really matter. The same group of elites are going to vote and they will continue to vote based on certain criteria (they're not going to vote for, say, Transformers). But the more popular films they include, the more people will tune in rooting for their favorite films (and pissed of when they don't win). It's also good for the studios to boast that they, too, have an Oscar Best Picture nominee.

What I'd like to see is for them to allow animated features to be nominated for best picture, instead of their own little category.

jst5150 · Jun 24, 2009

This means Year One IS IN! YESSSSSS!!

Just a WAG: low ratings for the Oscars. The event comes off a year in a budget crunch. Need to get the brand back in the news. Ho harm no foul since the best pic is usually a lock around January or February. Decorate it the usual four contenders, and throw in some fan favorites. Cause debate like that of AP/USA College Football poll. Keeps Oscars on the lips of everyone until the ceremony.

Great PR move. Meaningless to the art of film. Great boost for resumes of 5 other filmmakers and crews who can put "Oscar nominated" on their resumes.

Win win all around.

Blondchen · Jun 24, 2009

I think it's less about the TV ratings for the broadcast and more about box office numbers. Now 10 films will get a bump in ticket sales/rerelease dates in February instead of 5. Silly, but considering the state of the industry right now, I can see why.

katiemac · Jun 24, 2009

Blondchen said:
I think it's less about the TV ratings for the broadcast and more about box office numbers. Now 10 films will get a bump in ticket sales/rerelease dates in February instead of 5. Silly, but considering the state of the industry right now, I can see why.

True, it helps that, but it's not like the Academy has a big stake in the box office numbers for the movies. They don't effect the Academy as immediately as the ratings do. It's up to the studio to decide if they want to re-release the movie, and frankly, most of the studios are still doing pretty well.

dgiharris · Jun 24, 2009

maestrowork said:
What I'd like to see is for them to allow animated features to be nominated for best picture, instead of their own little category.

Completely agree. I could easily see some of Pixar's stuff winning best picture.

Blondchen said:
I think it's less about the TV ratings for the broadcast and more about box office numbers. Now 10 films will get a bump in ticket sales/rerelease dates in February instead of 5. Silly, but considering the state of the industry right now, I can see why.

You are a smart, cute cookie

Mel...

Blondchen · Jun 24, 2009

katiemac said:
True, it helps that, but it's not like the Academy has a big stake in the box office numbers for the movies. They don't effect the Academy as immediately as the ratings do. It's up to the studio to decide if they want to re-release the movie, and frankly, most of the studios are still doing pretty well.

I have to disagree. Ratings for Oscars broadcasts go way down proportionally to length and there's no way they get next year's in under 4 hours. Impossible. Plus, it's not the AMPAS that cares about the ratings for their broadcast necessarily - it does very little to effect what the network will pay for the rights to carry it. The network, on the other hand, desperately wants the ratings as they equate directly into advertising dollars.

As for the studios doing well, that's in the perception. No one who lives and works in this town, in this industry, is going to tell you that business is good.

katiemac · Jun 24, 2009

Blondchen said:
As for the studios doing well, that's in the perception. No one who lives and works in this town, in this industry, is going to tell you that business is good.

That's true - I forgot you are in the area. I was basing on the info that ticket sales are up from the last couple of years.

ChunkyC · Jun 24, 2009

I agree with the general consensus. Ten is way too many and will make the telecast ridiculously long if they do the same format for giving us a look at each nominee throughout the show before the winner is revealed. But in the grand scheme of things, it's very likely the winner will be the same whether there are three or thirty nominees.

katiemac said:
True, it helps that, but it's not like the Academy has a big stake in the box office numbers for the movies.

Well, considering all the members of the Academy work in the industry and increased box office = job security, perhaps they do have a big stake in the box office numbers.

Blondchen · Jun 24, 2009

katiemac said:
That's true - I forgot you are in the area. I was basing on the info that ticket sales are up from the last couple of years.

But profits are still down. Plus nothing was being bought for the longest time between the SAG threat and the economic toilet flush. It's hard out here for a pimp.

Enzo · Jun 24, 2009

Having 10 nominees is good for years when there are many good movies about.
Otherwise, it'll just stretch the awards show out, which I can't see as good for ratings. But I don't watch the whole thing anyway.

jodiodi · Jun 24, 2009

I'm for anything that gives the movies people actually watch a chance. I'm tired of boring (IMHO) movies being nominated for, and winning Best Picture. Sure, they may have 'artistic merit' to somebody, but not, apparently, to the people who plop down their $20/ticket.

I haven't watched the Oscars since 2004 (or whenever ROTK won). No movies of any interest whatsoever were in the running. The whole process is like group Hollywood masturbation.

Oscars expand Best Pic to 10 nominations

Blondchen

Honey Badger don't give a shit.

alleycat

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Exir

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eyeblink

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Blondchen

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Blondchen

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Blondchen

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