From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Last year, Hollywood's hottest and most anticipated actor regrettably missed the Oscars ceremony, causing an uproar in all news media. Later, news of an off-site boycott of the awards ceremony stole the spotlight, quietly shifting attention and successfully allowing the Academy to escape a crisis.

However, this year, they were not so lucky.

Things were slightly different from what was imagined; surprises always deviate from plans—

Two years ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a significant reform:

The Oscars ceremony, traditionally held in April, would be moved to late February or early March, shortening the awards season cycle.

This change not only altered the awards season cycle but also required adjustments to the Academy's public relations strategy, as well as those of other film festivals and awards ceremonies. The Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival, both held in January, were the first to be affected.

At that time, Hollywood superstars and top producers, who were fully focused on Academy public relations, might all stay in Los Angeles, and the attendance of important figures at the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals would significantly decline.

It would also change the entire North American film schedule. Previously, the summer blockbuster season would not kick off until late May, mainly to avoid the post-Oscars surge in box office revenue for award-winning films. Now, it might be brought forward to late April or early May, lengthening the entire summer season.

Some might wonder, if the summer season is lengthened, doesn't that just mean a few more films are released? What's the direct impact?

Lengthening the summer season means that film companies need to adjust their release schedule strategies. Because the summer season is brought forward, but the market capacity doesn't significantly change, box office numbers in May might increase, while box office numbers in August might decrease.

At the same time, with two or three extra weeks in the summer season, major film companies need to compete for release dates, increasing both the number of projects with budgets exceeding $100 million and the budget for summer season publicity and distribution. This easily involves adjustments of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Additionally, lengthening the summer season also means shortening the spring season. Film companies need to consider how to arrange their spring release strategies and pay attention to attracting audiences in advance for the summer season. Publicity strategies also need to be adjusted accordingly.

Everything is interconnected.

This year marks the first time the Oscars are being held earlier. The awards ceremony will take place on February 29th for the second consecutive year at the new Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

It is conceivable that the entire film market will undergo drastic changes this year; at the same time, this is the first awards ceremony after the awards season has been shortened by five weeks, and no one can be 100% certain whether the Academy's public relations will lead to a completely different outcome.

The focus of attention is all on this year's Oscars ceremony—

This is the Academy's plan, and they have made thorough preparations to cope with the ensuing frenzy.

However, they didn't expect that with a turn, the "Anson" issue would be thrown over, directly hitting the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the face.

Academy: ???

Wait, who? Why? What's going on? What's the situation? This wasn't in the plan, what is this?

Amidst the bustling scene, the time for thinking and adjusting was compressed, and the Academy itself was caught off guard, unsure how to respond for a moment.

In the Academy's view, the Oscars ceremony is bigger than any individual. Regardless of who is missing, the awards ceremony will continue, as seen last year.

A mere Anson is nothing to worry about. Anyway, the Academy will send Anson an invitation, change some wording, pretend nothing happened last year, exchange a few polite pleasantries, and when Anson smoothly attends the awards ceremony, those terrible memories will be wiped away—

How could Anson refuse the Oscars for the second year in a row?

Does Anson think he's Woody Allen? Heh heh.

In the Academy's eyes, this isn't even an issue.

The matter isn't complicated at all; does it need to be reconsidered?

No, the Academy doesn't think so.

However, the summer season began.

"The Butterfly Effect" emerged as a dark horse, and then "Elephant" closely followed, making a kindhearted debut with the halo of the Palme d'Or from the cracks in the stone.

The situation suddenly became complex and developed exceptionally quickly.

Before the Academy could react, the Oscar nominations were released, the news media exploded, and Anson's issue was laid bare—

For the second year in a row, Anson was absent from the nominations. So, will Anson be willing to attend the Oscars ceremony this year?

This…

The Academy was dizzy and confused. The situation that they thought wasn't a problem actually became a problem, adding to the burden in the chaotic situation.

Academy: Uh, this… Let me think.

What attitude should they take towards Anson?

Be calm and confident, treat Anson no differently, just Anson Wood? But how to explain Johnny Depp?

Johnny won an Oscar nomination for Best Actor with "Pirates of the Caribbean", while Anson had no splash with the triple play of "Spider-Man", "Catch Me If You Can", and "The Butterfly Effect". So, is the Academy clearly looking down on Anson?

Academy: … Yes, that's true. But we can't say it directly, right? No one wants the Leonardo DiCaprio public opinion storm of that year to happen again.

Then, should they send an invitation solemnly? Treat Anson with special status, the Academy kneeling and licking the shoes of a box office superstar?

Humph, wishful thinking!

In a flash, various thoughts surged quickly, different viewpoints and positions continued to collide, a burst of dizziness—

"The Academy" is just a collective term. In addition to the more than six thousand industry insiders such as actors, directors, and producers who make up the jury, the Academy also has a team that manages daily activities, led by the chairman.

Within this management team, there are conservatives, reformers, centrists, and so on. Breaking down the name "Academy" and looking closely at the members, it is not difficult to understand the internal disagreements within the Academy, especially regarding "pretty faces" and "idols", where the debate is particularly fierce.

As it stands, the Academy's mainstream view is still relatively conservative, refusing to open its arms to welcome "pretty faces"; but at the same time, they have to start compromising with the market and the audience. After all, the entire economic industry chain surrounding the Oscars still needs to complete the final closed loop through ratings and mass appeal.

So, what to do?

Wanting both reputation and profit, the Academy's internal divisions and debates have failed to find a foothold in the whirlpool of public opinion, and the storm has already spread mightily.

Then.

The Recording Academy—the organizers of the Grammys—intervened, confirming that Anson would attend the awards ceremony in the most solemn, formal, and sincere manner.

Not only attend, but also be nominated!

In an instant, before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences could even make a sound, the entire focus of Hollywood flocked to the Grammys with great fanfare.

Oscars: Something's not right, is it?