Monday, March 05, 2018

Explaining the Academy Awards Voting . . . Process



Were you upset by last night's The Shape of Water win over the likes of LadyBird or Get Out?

We'll I'm sure a bit of internet surfing will reveal that you are not alone in that. (And, for the record, I am with you.)

But . . . do you know WHY it happened? As I only recently learned, I think it has a lot to do with the system of Preferential Balloting that places emphasis on a move that garners lots of support across the whole industry--because the movie industry insiders support films that are the most "movie-like movies". (And that is why . . . side note . . . the 2017 win of Moonlight over La La Land was--despite the dramatic televised mistake--so unexpected. Because no other movie in 2017 was more "a celebration of the movieness of movies" that La La Land.)

ANDBUTSO . . . what is Preferential Balloting?

I've placed a video above that helps outline the mechanics of the system. This was especially important to understand in terms of the expanded number of possible Best Picture nominees when that video was first created.

Unfortunately, I don't the video itself is terribly clear. So, I'm putting another one below here. Unfortunately, most of this second video is focused on the earlier nomination process. But the way that Best Picture is sorted out comes at the end.



Viewed together, I think you can understand how a movie about Fish Sex won.