Louis C.K. announces the category for Documentary Short. When referring to whoever becomes the winner of the category he says, “This Oscar is going to be the nicest thing they ever own in their life. It is going to give them anxiety to keep it in their crappy apartment.” Ask yourself: Why is this? Why do we only seem to care about the people who we know, who we’ve heard of? Why don’t we pay attention, sometimes talk over or even walk away during these ‘smaller’ awards? It is still an Oscar. There is still much to be said about the people/ movies in the categories and the winner. What the winner has to say is important. Why don’t we give them the same time of day as, say Leonardo DiCaprio? Side note: the winner of the category for documentary short was, "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness."
Level with me here. How many of you have seen this movie? How many have seen "Stutterer", winner of best live action short film? Or "Bear Story", which won for best-animated short film? Probably being honest, most of you haven’t seen any of these movies. I’m not saying that is a bad thing, I’m not trying to call you out or ‘hate’ on you for not seeing these little movies. I haven’t seen them either. I’m mad at the Academy. Why don’t they get these movies out there more than they are? The Academy takes a bunch of these shorts, combines them on one film and they have the film played at theaters nationwide. Together, they are the length of a feature length film. However, not many theaters pick them up. Why? Probably due to low audience numbers. I can almost guarantee people would go out and see these movies if the Academy allocated money to promote the small names. These small movies don’t have a big budget. The Academy Award is probably the nicest thing the winner will have in their apartment. Why isn’t there promotional help for these small, low budget films? Why aren’t they available in more theaters?
Fans see this idea of acting as glamorous. I'll admit I always saw it as glamourous. Nobody, or very few people see the beginnings of someone great. The hours up until dawn, only to work another full day. The no sleep and barely eating routines. People see the Instagram photos and Tweets. They see the red carpet and the movie itself, but rarely the process from conception, to motion to final product. These people painstakingly have made movies. The people at the 'bottom' tend to make short films, probably drawing in dark basements, barely making ends meet and just hoping someone will like their final product. Consider writing a letter to the Academy to better promote these short, low budget films, or your local theater asking them to take a chance and show these movies.
