Squire Reflects on Nominees

The Richmond Times-Dispatch quoted Instructor of Cinema Practice Jason Squire about the Academy Award nomination process.

“The nominees reflect the taste of the members of the academy,” Squire said. “They reflect what the membership believes is the best in every area. That can be different from what the mass audience believes is the best. The idea of making a movie that will be held in higher esteem than other movies, that will be a critical success that will also make money, is always an objective. This is where the fascinating convergence of art and business occurs... The miracle of Hollywood is that they manage to make so many wonderful movies while also making profitable ones. This is a much more speculative industry than people appreciate. The average studio cost is $65 million. Marketing costs on average are about $35 million in the U.S. Put those numbers together and it's a crazy number for what is essentially a prototype."

Associated Person:

Jason E. Squire