12 May Factors Affecting Oscar Nominations

 Factors Affecting Oscar Nominations

Cast your eyes to the infographic below to see how to win an Oscar by looking at the factors that affect the nominations

You don’t get more prestigious than the Oscars. It’s that one night a year that everyone has saved in their calendars-from established film stars, to probing journalists, and even your run of the mill members of the public. If you manage to escape the verbal conversations about it, you definitely won’t be able to miss the millions of tweets about it (#Oscars). In 2016 alone Twitter reported 24.2 million tweets had been sent about the extravagant event, so with that much attention how does one go about getting their film nominated? And what factors could possibly affect your chances?

To begin with you’ve got to think about genre. Do you want to make people LOL with your film or burst into hysterical tears because you’ve killed off the main character? If an Oscar nomination is what you’re after than go with the latter. Statistically the most nominated films are dramas. Those tear jerking, edge of the seat, thrill rides that completely grip you and take you into a different world-think ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’. But if drama really isn’t your thing and you’re still desperate for that Oscar, don’t worry because biography, comedy, and adventure all make it into the top five Oscar nominated genres.

After figuring out your genre the next thing is location. You may be set on making an epic adventure film that rivals The Lord of the Rings, but if you don’t have wide open spaces, or a million dollar budget to make a set, than your film is a flop. It’s no surprise that some of the highest rated films were set in America; from 12 Years A Slave, to The Godfather, if you’re looking to make a box office smash and receive that Oscar nomination America is probably where you should go. BUT, if America is just a little too unrealistic with your budget try places within Europe. Some of the best Oscar nominated films were recorded in Britain, Spain, and Italy, amongst other European countries. Just an excuse for a holiday really isn’t it?

Once you’ve decided on a genre and a location to film its time to look at your cast. A film would be nothing without pretentious actors showing up late to sets and causing a hassle. They may be a pain, but they are what gets the public to watch your masterpiece. You want the perfect actors to play your fictional (0r non fictional) creations and really bring them to life. But the golden rule of film casting: always pick a male lead. Even in the 21st century those old pre-historic values still come into play as 75% of Oscar nominated films have a male lead compared to 25% with a female. Better change that lead character to a male fast.

By manipulating the factors of a classic Oscar nominated film you too will be standing on the podium accepting your little golden man-or practicing your congratulatory smile as you plot your revenge on the winner.