Gender Gap in Academy Award Movies

     Our lives can easily, and are, affected by our gender. Kevin Lee addresses gender in Academy nominated films in this article. Consequently  being female or male dictates the role you receive and how often you may appear on screen. For example, "male stars are typically the protagonists in action or goal-oriented narratives that require the viewer to follow the story through the lead’s experiences. Female stars are more typically cast in melodramas that require the lead to serve as a hub connecting different characters and subplots." This correlation should be reflected on how it may affect our daily lives and perception of gender roles in society.  
        "This year’s lead actors average 85 minutes on screen, but lead actresses average only 57 minutes." These are all lead actors yet the difference on screen based on gender is staggering.  One theory proposed by the film scholar Laura Mulvey is that “in a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female, with the male gaze dominating the dynamic." A dominant female presence in films is vital. Yet most films fail the Bechdel Test or the Mo Movie Measure which is a type of litmus test to assess the presence of women in movies.
     Given the widespread viewing, and effects,  of the entertainment industry, and all that it entails beyond simple screen time, these facts support a reality that we as a society should be beyond, or at least changing at this time.  Instead, we continue to see these trends, with little change. With all the progress we are making today, why are we stuck here?

Kevin B. Lee. (February 27, 2014), The Gender Gap in Screen Time.  Retrieved from http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/movies/awardsseason/cinemetrics-extracts-statistical-data-from-movies.html?hpw&rref=arts&_r=1&referrer=

Why Marketing for the Oscars is Vital

    The Oscars is the largest film award show of the year. Even without the trophy, everyone walks home a winner. This article is very informative over why marketing is important and how it affects the film industry. People who market their film "spend from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars promoting their films for an Oscar nomination." It may seem excessive but just getting the nomination boosts their revenues drastically. And if the film wins an award for Best Actress or Actor, " talent agents and managers estimate that their clients will get a 20% boost in pay for their next film" This is extremely important to take note of because if the film has more money for marketing their chances of getting a nomination is far larger than an independent film. 
     But if the film wins the award for Best Picture then it's revenues worldwide can more than double. For instance when "the King’s Speech was initially projected to gross $30 million worldwide. After receiving 12 Academy Award nominations, the revised estimate was over $200 million. After winning the Oscar for best picture, its worldwide box office surpassed $427 million with domestic DVD sales adding nearly another $32 million." This is astounding, no wonder marketing for a film is so excessive. 

Ira Kalb, ( FEB. 13, 2013, 1:54 PM) Here's How Much Hollywood Studios And Stars Can Earn By Winning An Oscar Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/oscarnomics-2013-how-much-is-oscar-really-worth-2013-2

What Influences the Films We see

     Google and Millward Brown Digital conducted a study on what influences the films we see and turned it into a lovely and simple infographic. This study stems from youtube and how it affects moviegoers in drama, comedy, horror, family, action, and some franchise. Interesting facts such as "people who saw horror most cared about convenient showtimes" and "people who watched trailers on youtube on family were more likely to watch content about movie soundtracks" were included in the infographic. 

     In terms of marketing, it is always vital to know what certain moviegoers ask or look for in a film. If a total of 228.7 million people went to the movie theaters last year then companies such as Warner Bros or Disney will alter what they do to get the most viewers. This changes how and where the film is marketed. Because if people who watched youtube trailers about a franchise film also watched videos about comics then movie ads would be placed on the comic book video's page. If people who watched action mostly cared about the director, then a Michael Bay film would excite them unlike drama viewers since they would actually care about the plot. Everything we do affects what we choose to see, which clearly alters what is put in front of us by the people who know this information.  

Google, Millward Brown Digital, (October 2014). Behind the Box Office: What Influences the Films We See. Retrieved from http://think.storage.googleapis.com/docs/behind-the-box-office_infographics.pdf 

How are Oscar Nominees Chosen?

     This article explains the step by step process of how the vote takes place. First a producer or distributor must submit it into consideration by December 2. The film has to fulfill a certain criteria: "The film must be over 40 minutes in length; must be publicly screened for paid admission in Los Angeles County (with the name of a particular theater where it screened included); and must screen for a qualifying run of at least seven straight days. In addition, the film cannot have its premiere outside of a theatrical run." Then each of the 6028 members of the Academy list 5 names and PriceWaterCooper looks for the names that meet a certain number. The number stems from taking “the total number of ballots received for a particular category and divides it by the total possible nominees plus one."

     The Oscars is the most famous award show of the year yet most people don't have a clue to how the process of nominating the countless of movies released that given year are chosen. The article explains the process while noting interesting facts. It's always vital to know who is in charge of choosing the select few to go into running. Most importantly noted is that only those in the business can vote (Hutchison, 2014). And not just in the business but "Aside from requiring an “unusually high level of quality and distinction” in their respective fields, candidates must also meet quantitative standards. Writers, producers, and directors must have at least two screen credits to their names, while actors must have credited roles in at least three films." In a way, this is good because those that fulling understand the film can vote but because its a few elite, some people can bought. As said in the article "the Academy instructs voters to follow their hearts". Yet hearts can easily be 'persuaded'.

Sean Hutchinson, (January 16, 2014 - 9:00am) How are Oscar Nominees Chosen? Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/54560/how-are-oscar-nominees-chosen