It’s that time of the year again. It’s Oscar season. Time to root for your favorite actor and his/her shot at winning Best Actor/Actress of the Year.
The media thrives during Oscar week. Thousands of articles about “what she’s wearing” or “who made his tux” circulate the internet. All these articles seem pointless to me, but hey, gotta pay the bills any way you can, right?
Hollywood’s biggest night can’t exist without extensive preparation. The Academy has a total of 300 employees, but that number doesn’t include the hired companies that help ensure the award ceremony runs fluidly. These jobs range from chefs to security on and off the red carpet, even to Jimmy Kimmel’s personal assistant; the list of people who make this night magical so that others may enjoy the experience goes on and on.
The Oscars consist of 24 categories. This gives the viewers 24 different areas in which they can pick a favorite to support. The categories of Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture tend to bring in the most viewership, as they are the categories that contain the most recognized films and stars of the past year. Still, that leaves 20 categories that stand proudly in a difficult industry. Notable categories such as Sound Design, Film Editing and Makeup and Hairstyle, to name a few, often don’t receive the credit they deserve.
In 1929, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences organized a gala ceremony to celebrate accomplishments within the film industry. To this day, the voting system has barely changed for the Oscar nominees. The Academy features 6,000 voting members, all of whom get to voice their opinions in what films the Academy should recognize for that year. Before becoming a member of the Academy, those interested must first possess credits and ties to two projects within the film industry. This allows for the Academy to be built by filmmakers, for filmmakers. Members of the Academy belong to certain branches; for instance, Academy members who are directors belong to the branch for directors. When the time to nominate and vote comes around, the director branch may only vote for the category of Best Director and Best Picture. The same applies to the other branches only being able to vote within their respective categories. This adds a certain level of professionalism to the nominees, and the recipients of nominations should be honored based off of the voter’s credentials.
The Oscars are a chance for up-and-coming actors/actresses to make their imprint on the movie industry. Take, for example, Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio has acted in six Oscar-nominated films, from which he has won one Oscar. DiCaprio’s first nomination was heralded by his performance as an actor in a supporting role in the film, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” (1994). DiCaprio’s talent was seen during the early stages of his career, and 21 years later DiCaprio humbly accepted his first Oscar for his performance in the film “The Revenant” (2015). DiCaprio’s timeline, as well as many others, can be traced through an early Oscar nomination. His talent is what shone throughout his career, but with the early boost of a nomination, DiCaprio’s career was heavily examined as directors pondered what roles he could fill. In the 2017 Oscars, be sure to look out for Lucas Hedges and his nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the film “Manchester by the Sea.” His career, just like DiCaprio’s, could receive the attention it needs through these Oscar awards, based off of one outstanding performance.
Academy Awards are not given to just any movie. In fact, the opportunity for a movie to even be considered for an award is very low. The Academy seeks to bring these masterpieces to attention, and their coveted Oscar statues have brought them the credibility they have sought. Through the people’s eyes, there is no greater accomplishment as an actor than receiving an Oscar statue. This statue is extremely significant and represents the best achievement of a year, but many actors act for the joy and life that they find in becoming these characters for the entertainment of the common man. They drive the need for the next Oscars, and the next, with their incredible work and the industrious opportunities they receive.
As a conclusion to a fantastic year for film, the 89th Academy Awards will be one of great competition, but more so one of great talent. Tune in on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. to ABC and watch the live coverage of the biggest night in Hollywood.
– By Will Blase, staff writer
