The studios do not hesitate to hire press relations specialists to place their film in the race for the prestigious statuette. If this process is framed by rules defined by the American Film Academy, suspicions of drift exist.
“I want to thank God, Harvey Weinstein.” Like Meryl Streep, many stars have uttered this name when receiving their Oscar . Because before being condemned nearly 40 years in prison for rape and sexual assault in New York in 2020, then in Los Angeles in 2022, the famous producer reigned over Hollywood. His name in the credits of a film was even a quasi-guarantee of being among the nominees. Harvey Weinstein’s secret? Promotional campaigns orchestrated with millions of dollars.
But a few days before the 95th edition of the Oscars, which takes place on the night of Sunday March 12 to Monday March 13 in Los Angeles, this practice has caused controversy, due to the surprise nomination of Andrea Riseborough in the best actress category, for his performance in To Leslie. With the main role of this film passed under the radar – only 31,000 dollars at the box office – the British actress, seen in oblivion (with Tom Cruise) or birdman (alongside Michael Keaton), slipped among the contenders for the famous statuette, along with Michelle Williams ( The Fabelmans), Cate Blanchet ( Tar), Ana de Armas ( Blonde hair) and Michelle Yeoh ( Everything Everywhere All at Once).
A presence that amazed, and compelled the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas), which awards the Oscars, led “a review of campaign procedures”. After investigation, she did not rescind the appointment and concluded that “the activity in question has not reached a level requiring the cancellation of the film’s nomination”. But this controversy has brought to the fore a common practice, adopted by the major studios, and which has often borne fruit.
A practice as old as the Oscars
In Hollywood, putting the odds on your side to win the Oscar is part of the game . “But, in the case of Andrea Riseborough, it is the first time that the campaign has taken place on social networks, with public visibility, where usually it is rather behind the scenes”analyzes Alex Masson, critic for Cinemateaser. Actor Edward Norton promoted the actress on Twitter while actress Frances Fisher pushed, on Instagram*, for her nomination to the detriment of that of her colleague Viola Davis.
Michelle Yeoh also defended her chances on Instagram, in particular against Cate Blanchett, already holder of two Oscars. “A third would perhaps confirm his status as an industry titan, but given his vast and unparalleled body of work, do we still need further confirmation? In the meantime, for Yeoh, an Oscar would change his life: his name would forever be preceded by the words ‘Academy Award Winner'”she wrote in a post, since deleted.
The emergence of new communication channels has forced the Academy to react, ensuring that these “social media campaign tactics … have raised concerns. These tactics are discussed directly with the responsible parties.” .
But Hollywood Studios Didn’t Wait for a Bluebird or a Geek from Harvard to campaign. “We have known for years that there are agents, press relations people hired by the studios to campaign for films to be nominated”recalls Alex Masson. The first advertisement of its kind was thus placed in… 1935 by MGM, for the film Ah, Wilderness!reported in 1999 the New YorkMagazine*.
Commercials, screenings, parties…
Nearly a century later, this first attempt is now commonplace when Oscar season looms. Advertising campaigns in magazines, emails to some 10,000 voters, screenings organized in Los Angeles or New York, evenings for the promotion of nominated films… The studios are not lacking in options or ideas to convince.
Winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for Indochina in 1993, Régis Wargnier remembers having “does the job” upstream, with Catherine Deneuve, nominated in the best actress category, chaining the iinterviews in major American newspapers and magazines (variety, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter).
“Sony Pictures Classics, which distributed ‘Indochine’ in the United States, had played our card and organized a major lobbying, including a special screening at the American Film Institute, followed by a cocktail at the French consulate.”
Director Régis Wargnier, winner of the Oscar for best foreign film in 1993at franceinfo
The filmmaker had a second chance seven years later with Is Weststill distributed by the same producers, who had a second feature film in the running, all about my motherby Pedro Almodóvar. “There was no unhealthy competition between us, but, even though I was not told officially, I felt that Sony had rather bet on its film”, assures the French director. And the Spanish filmmaker finally got the Oscar.
Harvey Weinstein ‘stepped up this system’
At that time, Harvey Weinstein, at the head of Miramax, had made a reputation as an Oscar winner. The coronations of English patient (1997), Chicago (2003), No Country for Old Men (2008) or even The Artist (2012) bear his mark. Before being expelled from the Academy, the producer had gleaned no less than 81 Oscars, for more than 300 nominations.
“When you see what he managed to get for movies like Shakespeare in Love Or The speech of a king… Harvey Weinstein didn’t invent anything, but he stepped up this system and managed to get awards for unexpected films”underlines the critic Alex Masson. Oscar winner for best cinematography in 1993 for And in the middle flows a riverby Robert Redford, the chief operator Philippe Rousselot assures that the producer “pushed the cork very far”.
“Harvey Weinstein even organized screenings in nursing homes in Los Angeles, where you could find voters from the Academy.”
Philippe Rousselot, director of photographyat franceinfo
The American site Vulture* also draws up a list of the schemes of the former producer. The documentary The Untouchable, Harvey Weinsteinreleased in 2019, reminded us: “Harvey’s priority was the Oscars. He had understood the financial value that an award could bring to a film. Harvey was the first person to mobilize an entire team of Oscar specialists.”
“Like political campaigns”
Starting with Lisa Taback. This name surely means nothing to you, but it was mainly on her that Miramax’s strategy was based to obtain the precious trophies. This consultant, who started in the company of the Weinstein brothers in press relations, was “a central element of our team, (…) a true visionary”assured Harvey Weinstein in November 2012 to the American media The Wrap*.
Lisa Taback has in particular participated in the victorious campaign of the silent film of Michel Hazanavicius The Artistwhich had notably obtained the support of two of the granddaughters of Charlie Chaplin. “The fact that the film was shot in Los Angeles played a big role. People loved that. I just helped get the message across. I’m still looking for the perfect angle to promote the film.”explained at the time the star consultant to The Wrap, confident that she didn’t have “no secrets”.
“There is no sleight of hand. All the glory goes to the quality of the films. But if you don’t totally commit yourself with zeal and passion to defending a film, you will never succeed.”
Lisa Taback, Hollywood lobbyistat The Wrap
Lisa Taback, as Cynthia Schwartz, another consultant who notably worked for Marvel movie nominations Black Panther, “are personalities known in Hollywood for their expertise”says Alex Masson. “Oscar campaigns have become like political campaigns, and studios are hiring Oscar consultants just like political campaigns are hiring political consultants”summarizes producer Joe Pichirallo with the ABC * channel, broadcaster of the ceremony.
Very (very) expensive lobbying
In this race, “every time seem permitted”testifies Régis Wargnier. “Sony had even managed to have the Uruguayan film excluded A place in the world, because they had discovered that this feature film was 80% financed by Argentina. His nationality was disguised”says the filmmaker. “There is such an obsession with price due to ego and economic fallout that ‘deals’ can come out in a timely mannerabounds Alex Masson. This can be part of a not very classy strategy that comes close, all things considered, to the ‘barbouzeries’ that can be found at the political level.
The proliferation of campaigns has forced the American Academy of Cinema to adapt its rules*. He For example, it is forbidden for voters to publicly mock colleagues. They have the right to go to the organized screenings, but not to go to the evenings dedicated to the nominated films. These measures undoubtedly prevent certain excesses, even if the studios, and now the VOD platforms, do not shrink from the millions of dollars that these campaigns require. THE wall street journal* had for example estimated in 2020 that Netflix had spent 100 million dollars to promote its films for the Oscars.
For the screenings, the studios also take out the checkbook to bring in the voters, take care of transport, accommodation and organize evenings in the presence of “talents”. “Is it corruption though? Hard to say, believes Alex Masson. But that does not prevent suspicion. This kind of private sessions for voters now exist in France or the United Kingdom. In the presence ofhe producers, director or director, members of the cast, they are often organized as part of the promotional tour in Europe.
The end justifies the means
“It is complicated to find official amounts, but tens of millions of dollars spent by a studio for several films, it is not incongruous”, recognizes Alex Masson. The end justifying the means since, for the platforms, a presence at the Oscars, in the major ceremonies or the main festivals is a means of obtaining the credibility and the recognition so much sought after with the American cinema industry.
Some Hollywood personalities have publicly protested against this financial drift in recent years. Like actress Susan Sarandon, Oscar for best actress in 1996, after four unsuccessful nominations.
“To get nominated these days you have to have so much stuff to back you up, so much money… You have to run a six-month campaign to get just one nomination.”
Actress Susan Sarandonat a press conference in 2019 for the film “Blackbird”
But faced with this drift, the Academy cannot do much, estimates Scott Feinberg, specialist in the Oscars for the magazine. The Hollywood Reporter. “In terms of buying ads and running events, as long as you follow the general rules, the Academy stays out of it. Good taste is the main regulator”he assures ABC *. Because for the talents as for the studios, the power of an Oscar remains paramount. “When I won the Oscar, I was obviously happy. But my agent was even happier than meconcludes the chief operator Philippe Rousselot. It made his job easier.”
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