Short films & Oscars
“Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our life time, we need to keep them alive.”
― Martin Scorsese
First a brief update on Kanashimi - I’ve finally started editing and I’m about a third of the way through assembling the story. It’s satisfying to see it starting to come together as I originally envisioned it. Still a long road ahead though…
When I started this project a lot of people asked why I wanted to do another short film? “Michael, do a feature!” That’s what I should be doing according to so many people. Well let’s be honest, filmmaking is hard, not to mention expensive and that’s just a short. A feature is 10x more difficult to raise funds for not to mention pull off and not come across as low budget. There’s a reason why even the best low budget independent films still cost anywhere from 2-5 million dollars to make. Then you have to get someone to see it and distribute it. That doesn’t mean I won’t do it someday and hopefully I will, but short films is an art form all unto itself. I’d rather make another great short and take it to festivals that try to make a low budget, mediocre feature that does nothing for my career goals. And besides, they give Oscars for short films. Yeah, the odds are slim but it can happen…
Speaking of which, It’s Oscar night! Are you planning to watch? I am, even though I’ve seen exactly three of the films nominated for Best Picture. (Hey I’ve got a five year old obsessed with “Encanto” and a 4 month old baby boy, I’m just a bit tired these days) Anyway, some thoughts and rants on the Academy Awards…which has a lot of problems to solve to stay relevant these days. But before I begin, please remember that the Oscars are about honoring the best in the best in the craft of filmmaking - not outfits or political statements. Actors are a big part, so are writers and also sound designers and cinematographers, composers and editors along with all the other categories, each one integral to the filmmaking process regardless of budget, genre or style. (Aka short films, documentaries and animation) First up, I believe diversity and inclusion within movies are critical to the art form of storytelling and also important to be recognized at award shows. Diversity should not be swept under the red carpet. The Academy has made a lot of changes to fix some of these issues and should be acknowledged for the efforts. At the same time cultural inclusion shouldn’t be put on a pedestal and turned into a gold plated statue that weighs approximately 12 pounds. This is not the image awards or nor is it about recognizing best achievement in cultural representation. The Academy has made some great strides since the #OscarSoWhite but there is still work to be done.
Next up, the films themselves. This art form is subjective and I get that the Oscars have traditionally been about supporting “higher art” and not popular movies. But a lot of these popular movies are made with such attention to detail and the highest level of craft that to overlook it simply because it’s based on a comic book or that it grosses a ridiculous sum of money at the box office is just plain stupid, not to mention alienating from younger audiences. Would “The Dark Knight” have won the year it was now famously excluded from Best Picture? Probably not. But including it would’ve gone a long way. And we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion again 14 years later. I felt “The Power of the Dog” was slow, boring and un-original. All of this was done in a much better Oscar winning film a number of years ago in “Brokeback Mountain”. A film I didn’t love, but appreciated and was far better made in my opinion. The film I’m rooting for is one I still have yet to see, which is CODA and though it has only three nominations, I hope it wins all three. For a brief moment it looked like Spielberg was unstoppable with what he’s done to elevate the story and vision for his remake of “West Side Story”, but aside from Supporting Actress and I hope cinematography, I don’t see it taking much home. The camera work by Janus Kaminski is seriously next level stuff.
Third and final thought is the broadcast itself. It’s time for the Oscars to break up with ABC. The network and its antiquated survival of old fashioned TV ratings is one of the main reasons viewership declines every year. With so many other forms of entertainment out their now - podcasts that are full productions, streaming series that have proven to be some of the best entertainment out there and obviously Covid has forced people out movie theaters for too long. The Oscars need to take after the mythical creature of the Phoenix. The old ashes need to burn and be reinvented as something new while still honoring its timeless tradition of honoring the best in cinematic craft. Ditch ABC, make a deal with a streamer like Amazon or Hulu and stream it live with limited commercials. The viewership may be down but it will allow the Oscars to return to its roots while shedding its misgivings of the past. And by embracing this route, I believe the audiences will rediscover this annual tradition in a whole new way.
Happy Oscar Sunday to all and congrats all the nominees and winners tonight!