History of the Oscars

• The Academy Awards are voted on by members of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)

• Recognizes excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers

• One of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world and is televised live in more than 100 countries annually

History of the Oscars• The first Academy Awards ceremony took place out of the public

eye during an Academy banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

• 275 people attended the May 16, 1929 dinner in the hotel’s Blossom Room– Ticket price was $5

• 15 statuettes were awarded at the first ceremony for cinematic achievements in 1927 and 1928

• The first Best Actor winner was acclaimed German tragedian Emil Jannings

History of the Oscars

• There was little suspense when the awards were presented that night: the recipients had already been announced 3 months earlier

• Until 1940 Academy kept results secret until the ceremony but gave a list in advance to newspapers for publication at 11 pm on the night of the Awards

• Converted to the sealed-envelope system in 1941 when the LA Times published the names of the winners in its evening edition – which was readily available to guests arriving for the ceremony

History of the Oscars• Oscar statuette made of gold-plated britannium on a black metal

base, it is 13.5 “ tall, weighs 8.5 lbs

• It depicts a knight rendered in Art Deco style holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes

• The 5 spokes each represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians

• Since 1983, approximately 50 Oscars are made each year by Chicago company R.S. Owens & Company– Each Oscar costs about $500 to make

History of the Oscars• Since 1950, Oscar winners nor their heirs may sell the statuettes

without first offering to sell them back to the Academy for $1

• If a winner refuses to this stipulation, then the Academy keeps the statuette

• Academy Awards not protected by this agreement have been sold in public auctions and private deals for six-figure sums– Michael Jackson bought the Gone With The Wind Best Picture Oscar at

auction for $1.54M in 1999

• Although Oscar sales transactions have been successful, some buyers have subsequently returned the statuettes to the Academy, which keeps them in its treasury

Current Oscars

• Ceremony costs > $38M– $260,000 nominees’ luncheon– $250,000 security– $100,000 producers fees– $45,000 Oscar statuettes– $25,000 actual red carpet– $15,000 - $25,000 host fees– $14,000 singers/performers

• $75M broadcast rights paid by Walt Disney Company• Generates $130M to LA economy every year

Oscar Fashion

Grace Kelly• 1955 Academy Awards• Best Actress for The Country

Girl• Dress cost $4,000 in 1955,

roughly translates to $35,000 in 2014

• Most expensive dress worn to the Oscars

The Red Carpet

2015 Red Carpet

2015 Highlights

• First-time host, Neil Patrick Harris, in his underwear

• Lady Gaga “Sound of Music” tribute• Emotional acceptance speeches

And the Oscar Goes to…

• Best Supporting Actor Nominees– Robert Duvall, The Judge– Ethan Hawke, Boyhood– Edward Norton, Birdman– Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher– J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

And the Oscar Goes to…

• Best Supporting Actress Nominees– Patricia Arquette, Boyhood– Laura Dern, Wild– Kiera Knightley, The Imitation Game– Emma Stone, Birdman– Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

And the Oscar Goes to…

• Best Actress Nominees– Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night– Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything– Julianne Moore, Still Alice– Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl– Reese Witherspoon, Wild

And the Oscar Goes to…

• Best Actor Nominees– Steve Carell, Foxcatcher– Bradley Cooper, American Sniper– Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game– Michael Keaton, Birdman– Eddie Redmayne, The Theory

of Everything

And the Oscar Goes to…

• Best Director Nominees– Alejandro G. Inarritu, Birdman– Richard Linklater, Boyhood– Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher– Wes Anderson, The Grand

Budapest Hotel– Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

And the Oscar Goes to…

• Best Picture Nominees– American Sniper– Birdman– Boyhood– The Grand Budapest Hotel– The Imitation Game– Selma– The Theory of Everything– Whiplash

Oscar vs. Super Bowl

• Academy Awards touted as the Super Bowl for women

• Number of viewers– Super Bowl 111 Million– Academy Awards 44 Million

• Cost of a 30 second ad– Super Bowl $4.5 Million– Academy Awards $2 Million

Oscar vs. Super Bowl

• Demographics– 60% of viewers were female– Average household income of $100,000– At least 4 years of college

• Advertisements

Oscars and Super Bowl Comparison

Super Bowl• 1st Super Bowl

– Held in 1967– Attendance: 61,946 – Ticket Price: $10– 1st Winner: Green Bay

Packers

Oscars• 1st Oscars

– Held in 1929– Attendance: 250– Ticket Price: $5– 1st Winner: Best Picture -

Wings

Oscars and Super Bowl Comparison

• The Cost of Hype– $4.5M for 30 second ad break even point:• Snickers would have to sell 8,439,208 candy bars• Bridgestone would have to sell 398,208 tires• Sketchers would have to sell 273,787 pair of shoes

– Makes the $2M cost for Oscar ad downright cheap!

Oscars and Super Bowl Comparison

• The Cost of Victory– NFL spends $1,125,000 each year for Super Bowl

championship rings (150 rings per team)• $750,000 to the winning team• $375,000 to the losers

– Academy Award winners will get a 20% boost in pay for their next film

– Oscar Goodie Bags worth $168,000 each• Free Silvercar Audi rentals for a year• $25,000 worth of custom furniture• $20,000 astrology reading• $12,500 glamping vacation• $11,500 Italian vacation• $4,000 liposuction

Oscars and Super Bowl Comparison

• The Cost of Disaster– With so much money spent on events, the cost to

postpone on cancel would be astronomical• Super Bowl never been cancelled• The Oscars have been postponed 3 times

– Flooding– Martin Luther King, Jr assassination– Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan

Oscars and Super Bowl Comparison

• The Cost of Bets– Las Vegas sports books 183 total wagers valued at

$87.5 Million– In 2009, $41 Million was wagered in Vegas on

Slumdog Millionaire winning Best Picture

Oscars and Super Bowl Comparison

• These television events aren’t just about excellence in football or film

• They are multi-million dollar entities that flood the economy with cash

• From modest beginnings, they have definitely become two major financial happenings that we can look forward to every year