It’s not so much that the Oscars have lost their relevance in the film world as it is that the film world has lost its relevance when it comes to the art of filmmaking.
The Oscars nominated some interesting, deserving films.
The problem was, almost no one had seen them.
“American Sniper” got buzz, but a good deal of that was due to the controversy. Fox News jumped on board and brought the film to the attention of a sector that generally isn’t courted by the Academy.
Since very few had seen the nominated films, interest in the event itself waned.
This year’s Academy Awards viewership dropped by 16%. Not an insubstantial drop.
Whereas independent filmmakers certainly don’t live or die depending on what happens at the Oscars. It does help if the Oscars remain relevant by keeping the public involved and casting a wide web. From my perspective the trouble isn’t that there weren’t Oscar worthy films, although to be completely honest this year I saw fewer contenders than ever (I’m a good illustration of the current problem). The problem is that what is known as Hollywood, or the studios, or the film system, are no longer an integral part of the marketing, PR and promotion of the nominated films and therefore of the awards themselves. They are busy turning comic books into films and building, or trying to build franchises that attract throngs of teenage males.
Let’s go back in time to the mid ‘70s and review what the Oscars were up to then:
“The Godfather Part II,” won over nominees which included “Chinatown” and “The Conversation.”
You had “One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest,” beating “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Jaws,” among others.
“Rocky” beat out “Network,” “All the President’s Men” and yes, “Taxi Driver.”
“Annie Hall,” which beat out “Star Wars.”
I’m not comparing the merits of these films to those nominated in 2015, my point is that the public new of the films and they saw them. Nearly everyone had seen or new of “The Godfather Part II,” “Chinatown,” “One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest,” “Jaws,” “Rocky,” “Taxi Driver,” etc.
But something happened in the ensuing years, the studios and filmmaking establishment separated themselves from the process. The problem wasn’t that 2015 offered lackluster projects, but that the muscle of the Hollywood star making machine was nowhere to be seen. The marketing, advertising and public relations campaigns simply weren’t there. Few people knew of the films, and fewer saw them. Therefore the interest wasn’t there. It’s as though the engine has disconnected itself from the train, which lead to the Oscar’s dismal ratings.
Hollywood follows the money, which any savvy business does. It was the franchises that led the way, according to Business Insider, Transformers: Age Of Extinction": over $1 billion 2. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies": $866.6 million and "Guardians Of The Galaxy": $772.8 million.
But the focus on franchises and comic book films is a risky one artistically and, in the long run, economically. When a huge budget film underperforms, the studio takes a much bigger hit. Think of the number of Taxi Driver’s or Annie Halls that could be made for the budget of one of those huge budget projects.
The audience is there. They simply need films that are made for them. Which is where the independent filmmakers can lead the way. As films such as “Birdman” “Boyhood” and “The Theory of Everything” take the honors, maybe the powers that be will, at least in some small way, realize how badly they’ve lost their way and once again return to not only the business of filmmaking, but the art of filmmaking.
Knegt, Peter. "2015 Oscar Predictions". Photo. IndieWire. 17 Feb 2015. 01 Mar 2015. <http://www.indiewire.com/article/2015-oscar-predictions>
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