Oscars Boards

ellen setterfield ougd505 design practice 2 study task 1

i started out by brainstorming a few ideas of what to research. i wanted to research something which i was really interested in. i also wanted to research something current which would change constantly over the period of time i was researching it.

1

ellen setterfield ougd505 design practice 2 study task 1

i decided to look into the academy awards (the oscars) because it overlapped with some of my other interests. i also chose it because the ceremony is upcoming and there is a lot of press around it at the moment.

This year is the 86th ceremony of the Oscars The first ceremony was held on 16th May 1929 It was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and had 270 guests The ceremony lasted 15 minutes and 15 statuettes were handed out The admission price was $5 When the Oscars first started the winners were announced 3 months before the ceremony, this was changed in 1930 when the results were given to the newspapers at 11pm on the night of the awards.

The Los Angeles Times published the results before the ceremony which then resulted in the results being given in a sealed envelope (1941) The awards were given for films over a 2 year period but in 1935 it changed to 1 year. From 1st Jan - 31st December Emil Jennings was the first Academy Award winner ever Actors were honoured with an Oscar for multiple films they had starred in that year 302 actors have won an Oscar

2

Since the 4th ceremony it changed to a singular award for one performance At the 29th ceremony on March 27th 1957 the Best Foreign Language category was introduced. Until then the foreign language films were honoured with a Special Achievement Award For a film to qualify for an Oscar it must be released between the 1st Jan - 31st December in Los Angeles. Any film which does not do this will be carried across to the next year.

The Hurt Locker did not qualify for the 2008 Oscars so it was carried across to the 2009 ceremony.

The voters all are part of the film industry. There are approx 6000 members of the Academy with actors making up the largest voting bloc. (1311 members) Members are invited to the Academy by a board of governors, on behalf of the Academy Branch Executive Committees.

Votes are certified by Pricewaterhousecoopers and have been for the past 73 awards

ellen setterfield ougd505 design practice 2 study task 1

the statuette first designed by mgm art director cedric gibbons and sculptured by george stanley. gibbons had actor, director and screenwriter emilio fernadez pose naked to inspire the design. the statuette is gold plated britannium on a black metal base, it is 13.5 inches tall, weighs 8.5lb. the statue depicts a knight holding a crusader sword and standing on a reel of film with five spokes. each of these spokes is said to represent the 5 areas of film. actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers. the official name for the award is the academy award of merit. it was nicknamed the oscar by Margaret Herrick who said that it resembled her uncle oscar.

The Academy didn’t adopt the nickname officially until 1939, but it was widely known enough by 1934 that Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used it in a piece referring to Katharine Hepburn’s first Best Actress win.

3

ellen setterfield ougd505 design practice 2 study task 1 the most successful academy award winners.

11 academy awards won ben hur titanic the lord of the rings: the return of the king

the most nominated actors and directors/ screenwriters meryl streep

(17)

jack nickelson (12) woody allen (24)

films that have the big five.

won

picture director actor actress screenplay it happened one night (1934) one flew over the cuckoos nest (1975) the silence of the lambs (1991)

4

ellen setterfield ougd505 design practice 2 study task 1 an exhibition of the... best moments of the academy awards.

5

it happened one night wins big five

12 minute standing ovation for charlie chaplin

martin scorsese wins for best director

hugh jackman and anne hathaway opening number

titanic wins 11 academy awards. james cameron asks for a moments silence.

adrien brody kisses halle berry

katehrine bigelow is first woman to win best director

sandra bullock wins oscar after winning worst actress at razzies

lord of the rings sweeps the awards

heath ledger wins best supporting actor

marlon brando rejects award

barbra striesand and katherine hepburn tie for best actress