By Lois Moncrief
Since this is a blog on management, assume for the sake of a good argument that:
Actors, actresses, directors, etc. are employees.
Movies are products.
People who go to movies and watch the Academy Awards are customers.
I have some suggestions for changes to the Academy Awards and the Oscars that would result in better management and probably better results.
Some of these concerns have resulted in reading USA Today newspaper for today, Friday, March 5, 2010. In this addition, USA Today has the usual listing of Who Should Win and Who Will Win and the reasons for the choices.
Here are Some of My Personal Concerns That Have Resulted in Me Offering These Suggestions
Assumption: I am assuming that the Academy has published criteria in each category for voting.
This year they have changed the rules for voting for the Best Picture. I like the changes. Each person voting ranks all the movies – first place movie, second place movie, and so on till they have ranked all 10 movies that are candidates for Best Picture. According to USA Today, if the original vote for best picture does not produce a winner with more than 51% of the vote then “PricewaterhouseCoopers will divide the movies into 10 stacks. The movie with the fewest no. 1 votes is eliminated, and that stack’s No. 2 votes go to the remaining corresponding films.” If there is not a movie getting 51% of the votes at that point, then the process is repeated until there is a movie with 51% of the votes. There is a possibility that a movie with more No. 2 and No. 3 votes could beat a movie with the most No. 1 votes. That might not be as bad as it seems. Abraham Lincoln was elected in a similar fashion i n an election and became one of America’s greatest Presidents. He was not the majority’s first choice. That was split. He was the second choice of the majority.
Best Actress Category (Employees) – the front runners appear to be Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock
Meryl Streep – has won twice. Once for best supporting actress in Kramer vs Kramer and once as best actress for Sophie’s Choice. These awards were both over 27 years ago. Meryl Streep has been nominated 16 times. She has been nominated this year for her portrayal of Julia Child in Julie & Julia. According to USA Today, “Streep played Julia Child with pitch-perfect brio. She nailed Child’s loping gait, voluble enthusiasm, and distinctive voice without ever resorting to caricature.”
Sandra Bullock – most people would agree is likable. She frequently appears in “fluffy” romantic comedies. The Blind Side was a serious dramatic role for her and the movie did better than expected in the box office. She has already won the Screen Actors Guild award for her role in The Blind Side.
My Comments as a Customer:
First, I love both of these actresses. I count both among my favorites. I have seen many of Sandra Bullock‘s romantic comedies and thought she was great in every one of them for making me laugh and really enjoy the movie. I did not see The Blind Side.
I am always amazed at Meryl Streep‘s performances. I have seen many of her movies as well. I did see Julie & Julia. I used to catch parts of Julia Child’s TV Show by accident as I would channel surf and found her interesting and unique. When I heard that the movie Julie and Julia was going to be made I wondered who could possible capture Julia Child enough to make her real. Meryl Streep nailed her. I became fooled into believing I was actually watching Julia Child and could not believe that even Meryl Streep could pull that off so well.You would be hard pressed to find any actress who could come close to playing Julia Child as authentically as Meryl Streep did. I was mesmerized as was my husband by Meryl Streep’s performance.
My Comments as a Manager Looking at Each as an Employee and Deciding Whom to Give One Award to:
Managers in choosing an employee for an award want to award the employee who has the best performance and qualifications for that particular award. Here we are talking about acting. The employee hired to do their acting part who is the most convincing should receive the award. Isn’t that what acting is about?
Frequently in years past I have heard statements like she has received recognition before. This person over here needs to be recognized. Sometimes it sounds like we must pass the one award around so more can enjoy it.
As a manager if it were my decision I first would also view The Blind Side so I could have seen both actual performances. I confess not having seen The Blind Side but having seen the incredible portrayal of Julia Child by Meryl Streep I am decidedly biased toward Meryl Streep and her incredible portrayal of Julia Child.
After watching both movies and looking at the criteria set up to determine who should receive the award, I would do my best to give it to the best performance and not let my personal opinions influence my decision.
Best Picture (Product) : the top contenders appear to be Hurt Locker and Avatar
Avatar – is a ground breaking 3D movie which has the largest box office earnings of all time.
Hurt Locker – is by some accounts the best war movie ever made.
My Comments as a Customer:
I have not seen Hurt Locker. War movies, in general, do not interest me. There have been many war movies made. I have seen Avatar 3 times in 3D. I was fully involved each time I saw Avatar. The time seemed to go by very quickly, too quickly until it was over. I was incredibly impressed by what I saw as a new and different movie – very creative. It is the best movie I have ever seen. I chose to see Avatar again rather than going to other movies. I am a member of the older population and I have never gone to the movie theatre to see a movie more than once and have usually only seen a few movies a year. The last time I went to see Avatar there were 2 elderly women sitting close to my husband and I. Based on their conversation, it was clear they had both seen Avatar before. I rarely see older people at movies and was impressed to hear them talking about having seen it before.
My Comments as a Manager:
Making movies can be compared to a company making products and services for customers (people who go to movies). Obviously, the more customers that buy the service or product, the more money and more successful the company will be. By that criteria, a movie that has been a runaway success at the box office should take the award as it has been the product that the most customers would buy. That would be Avatar.
Best Director (Employees) : the front runners appear to be Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron who happen to be formerly married to each other
Kathryn Bigelow – she won the Director’s Guild Award. She would be the first woman to win the award. She is greatly admired for her work in directing Hurt Locker. USA Today newspaper says, “Bigelow’s direction is flawless. She fashioned a film that is taut, fascinating and emotional.”
James Cameron – has made many good movies included the former reigning box office giant, Titanic. In Avatar, he has created a unique, ground breaking movie that has become the new reigning box office giant. USA Today says,” James Cameron whose direction of Avatar included the invention of new technology in a move that is widely regarded as both a dazzling feat of film making and an important industry game-changer. But Cameron’s move is overlong and hampered by unoriginal storytelling.
My Comments as a Customer:
This is a difficult one.
It is true I have not seen Hurt Locker. As a woman, I would like to see high achieving women rewarded and recognized for their efforts. I think it is long overdue. I am intrigued that a women director apparently made a war movie that has been proclaimed by some to be the best war movie made. It would be easier to understand that achievement if it had been accomplished by a man. Not because women are not just as capable but generally speaking women don’t identify with battle and war like men do. So in my mind that is an incredible achievement for a woman director.
James Cameron has raised the bar high for future movie making with Avatar. As a customer I am thrilled because I think more directors will take the risk to do ground breaking movies in the future rather than churning out the same old ordinary stuff. As for USA Today’s comments above regarding the movie is overlong and hampered by unoriginal storytelling. I totally disagree. I have watched the movie 3 times and was totally mesmerized and unaware of the time and surprised when it seemed to be over so quickly. In regards to unoriginal storytelling. There have been many war movies made that seem to be the same old story. Technically speaking it would probably be hard to find a movie that did not have some elements that had been seen somewhere and sometime in some other work. Overall, Avatar is very unique in its story compared to anything else I have seen for as long as I can remember.
My Comments as a Manager:
If I only have one award, I would probably give it to James Cameron because, in my opinion, the impact of the changes he has made as a director has been more important to the future of movie making.
This Brings Me to My Suggestions for Changes for the Academy Awards and Oscars
It is really simple. Why have only a winner take all award? I have seen multiple years where more than one contender should have received the recognition and being nominated is not the same as getting an award.
Why Not Be Like the Olympics?
Have a first place Gold Oscar, a second place, Silver Oscar, and a third place, Bronze Oscar. That is just good management. Award your high achievers so that more than one can be recognized and more feel motivated because there is more opportunity to be recognized.
Give more high achieving individuals a chance to win.
Take the case of each of the above – best picture, best actress, and best director. One candidate gets the Gold Oscar and the other gets the Silver Oscar and a third candidate gets the bronze Oscar. Isn’t that more motivating for all employees ( be they actors, actresses, directors, etc), if more can be recognized rather than one winner takes all?
That gives all future contenders more opportunity to be recognized for their achievements. More contenders would probably be willing to work harder and smarter knowing there are 3 possible awards in their category so the quality of all the work would go up.
With a winner take all, the losers leave demotivated. Some are just as deserving and may have missed the award by a very small amount.
With a winner take all, it is easier for “politics” and other factors such as “let’s pass around the award to someone who has achieved something this year and may not again” and “that person has already had the award so let’s honor someone else this year.
The “Customers Who are Watching the Academy Awards and Who Go to the Movies do not Want to Hear Long Acceptance Speeches Thanking a Lot of People They (the Customers) do not Know
You don’t see Olympic athletes going to the Podium and making acceptance speeches when they receive their award.
Why not allow the Academy Award winners to make just a 30 or less second thank you acceptance speech to the customers?
After the winner walks off stage, he/she can record a 5-10 minute acceptance speech thanking everyone and making whatever comments he/she wants to make about making the movie, etc. and post it online with all the other acceptance speeches for everyone to access.
Copies of acceptance speeches could be sent to those the winners want to thank most.
Another Suggestion to Shorten the Length of the Academy Awards Show
Have nominees waiting in a room back stage together right before the awards are announced so they can quickly move on stage to receive their awards. This would save the time it takes them to get to the stage after they have hugged several people on the way.
You don’t see winners emerging from a crowd of Olympic competitors to make their way up stage hugging and being congratulated by many on their way up to the stage to receive the awards.
In Conclusion
The Academy is full of creative artistic minds. Let’s encourage more to strive to accomplish higher level of achievements by offering more recognition. Offer a Gold Oscar for first place, a Silver Oscar for second place, and a Bronze Oscar for third place. This will encourage more actors, actresses, directors, etc (employees) to achieve more knowing there are 3 possible chances to be recognized not just a winner take all -single award. With 3 awards possible, better products (movies) would be created as more directors and producers and others associated with making the movie would have more opportunities to be recognized.
Shorten the Academy Awards Show and Make it Less Boring to Attract More Viewers (Customers).
Yes, there are other awards but this is THE AWARD that is remembered and valued the most. It could be improved and have more impact on the quality of the work and the show itself.
Copyright (c) 2010 Lois Moncrief Globebic LLC All Rights Reserved
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