To celebrate the Academy Awards Sunday, here are some quick
facts and trivia about the annual event
Who votes for the Awards?
The more than 6,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences vote for the winners. A little more about the vaunted academy: It was originally made up of 36 members when it was organized in May 1927. Membership has grown over the years, and now academy members represent 14 branches: actors, art directors, cinematographers, directors, documentary, executives, film editors, music, producers, public relations, short films and feature animation, sound, visual effects and writers.
Do studios campaign for awards?
Studios and publicists campaign vigorously for the nominees, though the academy has clamped down in recent years on gifts and gimmicks. Now, the campaigns consist mainly of efforts to make sure voters see the nominated films. So-called “for your consideration” ads in trade publications are also de rigueur, and have been for quite a while. In 1935, MGM was the first studio to campaign with ads in the press touting its film, “Ah, Wilderness!” It didn’t work – the movie didn’t earn a single nomination.
How does one become a member?
To become a member, a candidate must be sponsored by two members of the branch for which he or she qualifies. (For example, an actor must be sponsored by two member actors.) The application then must be approved by the branch’s executive committee before it goes before the academy’s Board of Governors. The board can also invite members-at-large – members whose craft does not fall into one of the 14 established branches.
How long does it take to count ballots?
PriceWaterhouseCooper (PWC) says it takes about 1,700 “person-hours” to count and verify the ballots.
Does PWC count each ballot by hand?
Yes – that’s why it takes so long. Once the winners are chosen, the company brings two complete sets of envelopes to the ceremony by separate, secret routes. The company’s balloting partners also memorize the list of winners as a precautionary measure – they are the only people who know the winners before they are announced on the Oscars telecast. PWC partners hand the sealed envelope to the presenters just before they walk onstage. (The partners used to hand-deliver the envelopes onstage, originating the phrase, “The envelope, please …”)
Who designed the Oscar statuette?
It was designed by MGM art director Cedric Gibbons before the first awards were presented in 1929. George Stanley, a Los Angeles sculptor, brought it to life. The statuette features a knight standing on a reel of film, gripping a sword in his hands. It hasn’t changed much over the years, except when the pedestal was made higher in 1945. The statuette stands 13 1/2 inches tall and weighs 8 1/2 pounds.
What is an Oscar statuette made of?
Today, it’s made of gold-plated britannium, a pewter-like alloy. The original statues were made of gold-plated bronze, but that was abandoned after a few years in favor of the smoother britannium. For three years during World War II, the statues were painted plaster, but wartime winners were given gold-plated metal awards when the war ended. In 1949, the statuettes began to be numbered behind Oscar’s heels, beginning with No. 501.
Where are the Oscar statuettes made?
Since 1983, they’ve been cast, molded, polished and buffed by R.S. Owens and Company, a Chicago awards specialty company. It takes a dozen people 20 hours to make one Oscar statuette. A few extra awards are created each year to account for the possibility of ties or multiple recipients.
How do the statuettes make the trip from Chicago to Los Angeles?
Believe it or not, they traveled by common carrier for many years. But in 2000, the Oscars were stolen from the loading dock. They were recovered a week later, but the academy changed its ways. Now, the statuettes travel by air with United Air Lines, accompanied by an R.S. Owens representative.
Is ‘Oscar’ the statuette’s official name?
No – it’s actually called the Academy Award of Merit. There are several theories about how it got its nickname, including that an academy librarian thought the award resembled her Uncle Oscar, and starting calling it by his name. The name was first used by a Hollywood columnist in 1934 in reference to Katharine Hepburn’s Best Actress win. The academy officially adopted the name in 1939.
Can anyone attend the Oscars presentation?
Yes and no. The academy offers a few hundred bleacher seats to fans who want to gawk at the stars on the red carpet. Starting with the 74th Academy Awards in 2002, the academy began requiring interested showgoers to submit applications to get one of the coveted seats. Applications are available in the fall, and a random drawing determines which lucky fans will get carpet-side access.
Getting inside the Kodak Theatre to see the Oscars presented isn’t as easy; attendance at the awards is by invitation only. No tickets are available to the public.
What year was the longest Oscar show?
The 74th Academy Awards, which aired March 24, 2002, hold the record for the longest show at four hours and 23 minutes. That year “A Beautiful Mind” won Best Picture, and Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won the top acting awards.
The Oscars have changed considerably since the first ceremony, held May 16, 1929, when it took just five minutes to present the statuettes.
Have the Oscars ever been canceled?
No, but they have been postponed three times:
In 1938, the show was delayed for a week due to flooding in Los Angeles.
The 1968 ceremony was rescheduled after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1981, the show was postponed a day after the assassination attempt on President Reagan.
The war in Iraq began only days before the 2003 ceremony, but the show went on, albeit a more scaled-down version. The red carpet was shortened to the area outside the Kodak Theatre’s entrance, and the bleacher seats were removed.
Who has hosted the most Oscar shows?
Bob Hope hosted or co-hosted the show a record 18 times. Billy Crystal comes in second with eight hosting gigs.
When was the awards ceremony first broadcast on television?
The 25th Academy Awards, on March 19, 1953, were the first to be televised. Before that, all the ceremonies except the first one were broadcast on the radio. The 16th Academy Awards were even broadcast overseas to American soldiers.
When did the Academy Awards stop being a banquet affair?
For the first 15 years, the Oscars were presented at banquets held in Hollywood hotels. The 16th Academy Awards were held at Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and subsequent ceremonies were held at various theaters, including the Shrine Auditorium, the RKO Pantages Theater, the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Since 2002, the ceremony has been held at the Kodak Theatre, and it will be for the foreseeable future.
