There is just over a month left to find out the name of the winners of the Oscars, which will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles (California). But before this important date for the film industry arrives, the previous events have already begun that confirm that the awards season is about to reach its peak. The nominees of the 98th edition met this Tuesday, February 10 at the Beverly Hilton hotel at the traditional annual lunch, the first for Lynette Howell Taylor, British producer and president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since she took office last July.
It was she who was in charge yesterday of giving the welcome speech to all the candidates for a statuette, underlining both the importance of the lunch and the community spirit of the meeting. Among the attendees were actors Emma Stone, Timothée Chalamet, Jacob Elordi and Leonardo DiCaprio, among others. Oliver Laxe, director of the film, was also present. Crywhich has two Oscar nominations. During her words, the president of the Academy wanted to give some advice to all of them before the big day, to those who are in the race to obtain their first statuette and to those who could repeat and get on stage again.
Howell Taylor gave them six tips when collecting their Oscar that were received with knowing laughter, as stated Varietyan American media specialized in film and entertainment. The first of them was to prepare the speech that was going to be given: “Don’t say you didn’t expect it. You have a one in five chance of winning the award for best film,” he said. The second was to get on stage quickly: “You have 45 seconds to finish your speech. A countdown will help you keep the pace. The producers signed a contract with ABC and will test you. You can still say a lot in 45 seconds. Plus, extending your speech is unfair to the other nominees when air time is limited.”
The third tip for giving a good speech was one of the most important: “Do it with feeling. Make it authentic.” “Instinct tells you to list all the people who have contributed to your success up to this point and thank them publicly. But the truth is that you will forget someone, you will feel terrible, and that person will feel terrible. Or someone you didn’t even intend to thank will wonder why you didn’t give it to them. Instead, think about what it means to you and try to communicate that.” A piece of advice that remains to be seen if the next winners will have internalized.
It is usually common for the entire team present in the Dolby theater to take the stage in the most important categories, such as best film. That’s allowed, but Howell Taylor also had something to say about it: “Have one voice. If you’re a group, decide in advance who will speak.” It is a way to prevent them from stepping on each other and that, amid so much gratitude and names, the message they want to convey when collecting the Oscar is not diluted, he assured.
Going up with a small chop is not prohibited; In fact, it is important to carry it to avoid going blank. Of course, “don’t use mobile phones, use paper, it looks better on television,” said the director of the Academy. And his sixth and final tip is probably one of the most useful: “Don’t lean into the microphone. It will pick you up no matter where you stand.” On March 15, Howell Taylor will surely take note of whether these suggestions have been accepted and put into practice.