Hollywood Oscar campaigns - A civil affair in a wide-open field

In an industry known for its boundless self-promotion, campaigning for this year’s Oscars has been a relatively civil affair, compared with the bare-knuckled sparring of years past.

But that does not mean studios have toned down the campaigns around their films and nominees. In fact, Oscar watchers believe this awards season has been the most feverishly contested in recent memory.

“I feel that this year is more exhausting than ever,” said Tim Gray, the awards editor at trade publication Variety, noting the number of high-quality films among the best picture nominees.

“It is more intense partly because there are more movies in contention. But in every race, there are very few shoo-ins, and so people are seeing an opportunity,” he added.

This year, nine films will compete for the best picture Oscar, which will be handed out on March 2 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. Oscar voting ends on Tuesday.

Although, slavery drama ‘12 Years a Slave‘ and outer space thriller ‘Gravity‘ appear to be the favorites for the top prize, winning the statuette could come down to a handful of votes, Gray said.

“I think it works on the supposition, ‘Leave no stone unturned,’” he said, noting how stars and directors have been attending screenings and question-and-answer sessions, sometimes more than one per day, to reach some 6,000 Oscar voters.

An emphasis on voter outreach could play a bigger role this year, when ’12 Years a Slave’ and ‘Gravity’ tied for the top award from the Producers Guild of America last month out of thousands of votes. The award is one of the top predictors of Oscar success.

And in the acting races, some old-school tactics appear to be paying off. Last week, best actor hopeful Leonardo DiCaprio sat with media for interviews about ‘The Wolf of Wall Street‘, also a best picture nominee, went on late night TV and did an online question-and-answer session billed as a “career Q&A.” His chances to win his first Oscar seem to have grown.

‘American Hustle‘ director David O. Russell took the time to appear on local morning television in Los Angeles, perhaps in a bid to catch the eyes of the mostly L.A.-based Academy members as they sat down with their oatmeal and coffee.

Source: MSN

Hollywood Oscar campaigns - A civil affair in a wide-open field