Guilty Pleasure: 20 Weeks to Oscar
Filed under Movie Marketing Library
Okay, so the staff at the Movie Marketing Blog are admitted Oscar junkies. We can't deny that we slog through the entire telecast year after year, stuffing our face with dainty cucumber sandwiches while our dog-eared copy of Oscar Fever lays an arm's reach away. In line with our obsession, David Poland of Movie City News has crafted a must read feature that disects the Oscar race with incredible wit and foresight. Here's a little sample nugget of Poland's Oscar marketing insight:
Harvey Weinstein is known for his relentless selling, no matter how good, bad or mediocre the product. Focus consultant Michelle Robertson is known for figuring out the keys to their films and just riding the wave of the movie in a very laid back way, slow and steady. Universal/Disney Animation's Tony Angellotti is known for his patter, selling journalists and everyone else on his idea of the big picture, which his films just happen to fit perfectly into. Some studios use big stars as cudgels. And many use rolled eyes and sharp knives to try to slow the competition.
Poland skillfilly ruminates on the intense date-jockeying by all the run-up awards (like the HFPA and Independent Spirit Awards.) Equally vital are his "handicapping" charts, which truly flesh out the emerging race in the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay Categories.