America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 881 How Oscar Overcame His Decline

By the time Martin returned from his overseas promotional tour, the 87th Academy Awards nomination luncheon had already ended.

The list is somewhat surprising; Christopher Nolan was surprisingly not nominated for Best Director!

In contrast, Martin, who was closer to the Academy than much, easily received a Best Actor nomination, even though he didn't put in much effort.

In addition, Interstellar did not receive a Best Picture nomination.

The polarized reviews, coupled with Nolan's illustrious track record as a superhero film director, severely impacted Interstellar's chances of winning awards.

Nolan had high ambitions to make a run for the Oscar for Best Director, but the Academy poured cold water on his ambitions.

Besides Martin Scorsese's Best Actor nomination, Interstellar also received a host of technical award nominations, including Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects.

"I didn't expect this outcome."

In the Davis Studios office, Nolan picked up his teacup, took a sip of black tea, and said to Martin, "I thought we could at least get nominations for Best Director and Best Picture."

Martin frankly admitted, "I thought so too, and I haven't been paying much attention to Oscar PR lately."

Nolan put down his teacup and said, "I didn't pay much attention to Oscar before, but when I started to care, I found that Oscar didn't care about me either."

Having little experience with the Oscars, he humbly asked Martin for advice: "Are there any special things to pay attention to when aiming for the Oscars?"

Martin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he thought about it seriously for a while and said, "First of all, we can't rush it. There are indeed a few lucky people who win an Oscar very quickly, but it's best to ignore such low-probability events."

Nolan knew that this situation was no longer suitable for him: "Hollywood commercial directors are my biggest asset."

"But this kind of reputation easily attracts Oscar bias." Before the Oscar nominations were announced, Martin, even with his good relationship with Nolan, wouldn't have said these things, but the situation is different now: "For example, Spielberg took more than ten years to win his first Best Director award. George Lucas, needless to say, has already left the Directors Guild and it's impossible for him to win an Oscar again."

There are many such examples, and Nolan could easily recall a whole host without Martin listing them all.

Martin said, "My personal advice, Chris, is not to focus on which year you're aiming for the Oscars. It's best to develop a long-term plan, consider the film's context, and then decide whether to really put in the effort. The core members of the Academy don't like people ignoring the Oscars, but they also don't like seeing people single-mindedly pursuing awards. They are an exceptionally sensitive group."

Nolan was reminded of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese from a few years ago, whose film "The Aviator" was criticized by countless people.

He said, "We should value the Oscars, but we can't just aim for awards for the sake of aiming for awards."

Martin said earnestly, "This attitude is very important."

Nolan then asked, "Is there anything special about the Oscar race?"

Martin thought for a moment. After all, he had collaborated with Nolan many times and their relationship was very amicable. He simply said, "Whether you can win an award depends not only on yourself, but also on your competitors in that year."

"Competitors," Nolan repeated, quickly grasping the essence as a director skilled in marketing: "I know what to do."

Martin said, "Chris, you'd better come up with a ten-year plan."

Nolan replied, "I will."

Martin has said all he can say; how Nolan actually does it is up to him.

As is well known, there is a hierarchy of discrimination in the Oscars, and Nolan's level of discrimination is only one level lower than Leonardo DiCaprio's.

According to Martin, Nolan's chances of winning awards will only increase if he makes films that are not so much in his style.

There's something Martin didn't tell Nolan, but both of them knew it: Nolan didn't have a good relationship with the Jewish influence in Hollywood.

During the filming of "Inception," a kidnapping incident occurred in Morocco, which strained relations between the two sides. Nolan developed a strong grudge against Jews and even switched from the CAA to the WMA.

Martin also didn't know if this had anything to do with Interstellar not receiving nominations for Best Director and Best Picture.

The two talked for nearly three hours before Nolan took his leave.

Martin also started thinking about the Oscars. He won the Best Actor Oscar for "The Martian" the previous time, and it was impossible for him to win another one this year for "Interstellar," which was of the same genre.

The mental illness type of character in "Split" is quite to the liking of the academy.

On the contrary, "Joker" will be a bit troublesome, after all, it is a superhero movie, and he has already won a Best Supporting Actor award for this role.

This film requires some special preparations, and these preparations need to be made so that the whole society, especially the academy, can pay attention to them.

Martin thought of The Dark Knight, and many of the things he and Nolan did back then could still be used.

He needed someone to accompany him and someone to film him. Martin immediately found suitable candidates, called Nicholson and Lorraine respectively, and also asked Leonardo a question.

All three said it was fine and that they could take action after the Oscars ceremony.

As the North American awards season draws to a close, Martin Scorsese has received numerous Best Actor nominations, but has won very few awards.

In particular, at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, a leading indicator of success, the Best Actor award went to British actor Eddie Redmayne for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking.

With this, the result for this year's Best Actor award is basically a done deal.

Although he was certain he wouldn't receive any awards at the ceremony, Martin still actively participated in various Oscar events, expressing his admiration and appreciation for the Oscars.

This is an attitude.

Tom Hanks, the vice chairman of the college's executive committee, called and visited in person.

Accompanying him was Hamilton, the producer and director of the 87th Academy Awards.

Martin prepared to receive them at the studio.

…………

Tom Hanks and Hamilton left South Boway Street in their car, and Tom Hanks hung up the phone with Martin.

After he finished speaking, Hamilton said, "Think back to more than ten years ago, when I first directed the Oscars, I didn't need to go door-to-door to invite people like I do now. Back then, all the top Hollywood stars considered it an honor to appear on the Oscars."

Tom Hanks felt it very clearly: "Times have changed. There are more and more forms of entertainment, and celebrities have more and more platforms to promote themselves. The Oscars have been declining in appeal."

Hamilton said, "It's Martin Davis's first time presenting Best Picture, hopefully it will generate some buzz."

"Yes, hopefully his appeal will continue to the Oscars." There are some things Tom Hanks wouldn't say to director Hamilton.

For example, Martin Scorsese hasn't really put in much effort in public relations and publicity during the awards season in the past two years, resulting in less competition and a lack of highlights. Even though the Academy hinted last year that the rules would be loosened a bit, there are still relatively few big-budget productions.

Tom Hanks understands where the problem lies. After Harvey Weinstein's downfall, the Weinstein Company's finances were exposed. Previously, everyone in and outside the industry believed that with so many Oscars and a large number of films shrouded in the aura of Oscar awards, the company must have made a fortune.

The results showed that, with the exception of a few, the other Oscar-winning films did not generate much profit, and the Weinstein Company had a staggering amount of debt due to various reasons, including high investment in the pursuit of awards.

Even if Harvey Weinstein doesn't go under, the Weinstein Company's debt crisis will erupt in a few years.

Film companies aim for Oscars for commercial gain. If Oscar revenue falls short of expectations, the budget for films aiming for the Oscars will naturally be reduced.

With lower investment, the impact will naturally be smaller.

"I kind of miss Harvey Weinstein," Hamilton suddenly said. "Harvey was a complete jerk, but when he was around, awards season would get exciting starting in November, and every Oscar would be controversial and attract nationwide attention."

Tom Hanks said, "There will be another Harvey."

The academy also misses people like Harvey.

Ultimately, it all comes down to funding.

The car then stopped in front of Davis's studio. The two went inside, where Martin was waiting in the lobby. He led them directly to the VIP lounge.

After shaking hands and exchanging a few pleasantries, Tom Hanks said directly, "Martin, the main reason I invited you here is about the Oscars ceremony."

Martin said with a smile, "Catherine Kennedy greeted me yesterday."

Compared to Hanks, he has collaborated with Kathleen Kennedy several times, and the two have a good relationship.

Hamilton then chimed in, "We plan to invite you to be a presenter for Best Picture."

Martin carefully considered the list of nominees for this year's Oscars, confirmed that there was no disappointing film like "Moonlight," and replied, "It's my pleasure."

Tom Hanks said, "The Academy has always been aware of your support for the Oscars, and among Hollywood's young actors born in the 80s, no one is more suitable to present this award than you."

Since Martin had already agreed, he simply said, "Send me a schedule later. Let me know when the rehearsal times are confirmed so I can adjust my schedule accordingly."

Hamilton stood up and said, "We've finalized our plans and will email you immediately."

Martin shook his hand and said, "Okay."

Hamilton took his leave and left the meeting room first, but Tom Hanks did not leave.

Martin was a little curious, as he wasn't particularly close to Hanks and they didn't interact much.

Tom Hanks flashed his signature goofy smile: "On behalf of Tom and Catherine, I invite you and your companion to an informal dinner at the college tomorrow night."

Martin accepted the invitation.

Tom Hanks left the meeting room and departed with Hamilton.

The following afternoon, Martin left work early, went home to change his clothes, and then took Elizabeth Olsen to a business club near the college to attend an informal dinner hosted by the college.

The Academy invited a large number of people, including top directors such as Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, and superstars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise.

No one who isn't a big shot in some Hollywood industry association is qualified to be here.

Elizabeth stayed by Martin's side, helping him socialize gracefully and handling all kinds of relationships in an orderly manner.

There are people or things that Martin can't remember, but Elizabeth is always the first to remind him.

Midway through the dinner, Catherine Kennedy suddenly approached Martin and said that she and Tom Sherac wanted to talk to him.

Martin led Elizabeth into the lounge on one side of the banquet hall.

Tom Sherak and Hanks came up to shake hands with the two.

Martin exchanged a few polite words, then sat down on the sofa and looked curiously at the three people in the lounge.

Tom Sherac is the chair of the college's executive committee, while Kathleen Kennedy and Tom Hanks are the vice chairs.

The three of them went to talk to him, and Martin was also very curious.

Tom Sherac smiled and said, "That's right. The Oscars have been undergoing reforms in recent years, with both successes and difficulties. The executive committee has been seeking opinions from its members."

He knew Martin was familiar with the current state of the Oscars, so he spoke bluntly: "Martin, you're probably aware of the specifics. You've always been adept at publicity and marketing. What are your thoughts on the current state of the Oscars?"

Martin fell into a brief silence, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the three college presidents.

Since taking office, they have taken various measures to try to stem the decline in the influence of the Oscars, and they have had some effect, but it is too difficult to reverse the trend.

Martin was helpless; it was a problem of its time.

To put it bluntly, people have so many entertainment options, why choose the Oscars if they don't suit their taste?

After a while, Martin said, "This year's Oscars didn't have as much pre-holiday publicity and influence as last year."

Tom Hanks chimed in, "There are fewer film crews willing to invest heavily during the promotional period; Hollywood studios have been cutting Oscar budgets in the last two years."

Kathleen Kennedy, who is most familiar with Martin, said, "In the current business environment of the film industry, without sufficient investment, there is no sufficient influence."

Martin nodded: "If you look at it that way, it ultimately comes down to a funding issue."

Tom Sherak acknowledged this: "Funding can't solve all the problems with the Oscars, but it can solve some of them."

The Academy's main revenue comes from Oscars and membership fees, the latter of which is not much, as many members are eligible for lifetime fee waivers.

Oscar earnings are closely linked to his influence.

Martin considered for a moment and said, "As Tommy just mentioned, the Oscars' lack of influence is related to insufficient investment from production teams during the promotional period. The three of you know the overall situation in the industry better than I do. In the current economic climate, it's unrealistic to expect Hollywood companies to increase their investment in this area."

"Disney has been cutting its awards budget." Kathleen Kennedy has served as CEO of Lucasfilm since Walt Disney acquired it.

Tom Hanks said, "The economic downturn has had a huge impact on Hollywood."

Hearing these words, Martin's thoughts became clearer: "We've always attracted international capital for our film projects, both in terms of production and budget. Overseas funding is already a very important source of investment for Hollywood. Shouldn't we also strive in this direction for our Oscar bids?"

Martin remembers clearly that a certain South Korean film, in its quest to win an Oscar, set an unprecedented record for the highest expenditure on a single film during a North American awards season—over $3000 million!

(End of this chapter)