Idea: BD.com Community Academy Awards. Discussion/Suggestions/Etc

[Romulus]

Okay, I'm probably best known for doing the monthly "Blu-ray Community Top 25 X Films". If you don't know, for the month of February I planned on doing the Top 25 films of 2009 (and maybe we still will), but after reading through the Rotten Tomatoes forum (I'm not a member there) I came across what I thought was a pretty unique thread. Basically they have their own version of the Academy Awards in which members nominate films for Best Picture, actors for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and so on and so forth. I quite liked the idea, although I thought there were some flaws.

Regardless, I created this thread because I wanted to get feedback from everybody on this. I feel that this would be a community effort, and frankly if I came up with all the rules and guidelines I feel like that would be a little totalitarian. Before I get into my concerns and what you guys can suggest, I'll show you how it's set up:

Best Film (10)
Best Actor (5)
Best Actress (5)
Best Supporting Actor (5)
Best Supporting Actress (5)
Best Original Screenplay (5)
Best Adapted Screenplay (5)
Best Musical Score (5)
Best Cinematography (5)
Best Documentary (5)
Best Foreign Film (5)
Best Visual Effects (3)

That's how RottenTomatoes does their version, but I immediately had some concerns:

1st - How many people would like to participate? RottenTomatoes community is a LOT bigger than ours, and turnout was pretty mediocre for their size. Please let me know. For the lists I usually create we usually have around 50 people submit a list. This would be a lot more expansive and I feel that could drive some people away. If you have concerns/suggestions that would make this easier, see my 2 following inputs or gladly add onto them.

2nd - I suggest that 'Best Film' be cut down to 5. I think it's a shame that the Academy expanded the Best Picture field to 10. I think it would be better suited to 5, it's more of an honor that way.

3rd - Making certain fields optional for filling out. I can see people having a really hard time filling out Best Documentary, Best Foreign Film or even Best Screenplays (Original/Adopted). I think it would be easier if we made the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor/Actress, and Best Supporting Actress/Actor fields required, while making all others optional.

I've got a pretty good list of other concerns that I could write but basically I just want to see how many people would like this to be done in the first place. There's plenty of stuff that I feel needs to be worked out, I don't plan on actually getting the ball on this project rolling until mid-January and having the awards at the end of February (a week before Oscars). I created this thread early so we can work on the details and a few other things.


Suggestions? Comments? Violent objections?

[GLaDOS]

I think this is a fantastic idea, Romulus! It'd be nice to have our version of the Oscars without the snubbing.

[Gamma_Winstead]

Yep, I would love to participate. I dont have anything for documentary or Foreign film.

Best Picture:

Inglourious Basterds
Up
District 9
(Spot Reserved)
(Spot Reserved)

Best Actor:
Sharlto Copley- District 9

Best Actress:
Melanie Laurent- Inglourious Basterds


Best supporting Actor:
Christopher Waltz- Inglourious Basterds
Jim Broadbent- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Best Supporting Actress:
Diane Kruger- Inglourious Basterds
Maggie Gyllenhaal- Away We Go

Best Director:
Neil Blomkamp
Quentin Tarantino

Best Screenplay:
Inglourious Basterds
Up
District 9


Best Adapted Screenplay:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Best Score:
Up
Star Trek
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince


Best Cinematography:
Inglourious Basterds


Best Special Effects:
(Spot Reserved)


I'm going to fill this in as time goes on. There are a couple films I have yet to see.

[jhiggy23]

I think it's a great idea, but I will unfortunately not be participating. I reserve the first few months of the year to view the films from the previous year, since I rarely go to the theater.

[Secretagentnumber6]

I think it is a great idea. However, I do not think it would be a good idea to do this until all the movies that would possibly be nominated are released on blu/dvd. That way anyone voting in the awards would be well informed. For the nominations I see no reason we cannot go ahead and get those based on peoples favorites. As for the final vote it should be done later.

[assydingo]

Originally Posted by Secretagentnumber6

I think it is a great idea. However, I do not think it would be a good idea to do this until all the movies that would possibly be nominated are released on blu/dvd.That way anyone voting in the awards would be well informed. For the nominations I see no reason we cannot go ahead and get those based on peoples favorites. As for the final vote it should be done later.

I second this sentiment. I miss a lot of movies in theater.

[surfdude12]

yeah, who needs the theater when our blu theaters are better?

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by assydingo

I second this sentiment. I miss a lot of movies in theater.

I 3rd that sentiment as I have only been to theater 3 times all year and non of those films would even be on my nomination list! Good idea but I would do this later next year after we all have had a chance to digest all these movies from 2009! I still want top 25 action films myself! Got Em!!

[master_8ball]

If you build they will come.

[Romulus]

You guys are touching on another big issue I have. I know a bunch of you guys don't go to the theaters that much, so that's why I wouldn't unveil anything until the end of February or the beginning of March. Or do we need to push that back a little bit more? Let me know what you guys think.


Also, I thought that whenever we do the nomination thread or info thread, I would list out all of the films and performances that have been getting attention. That I think would help out people a lot.

[Secretagentnumber6]

Originally Posted by Romulus

You guys are touching on another big issue I have. I know a bunch of you guys don't go to the theaters that much, so that's why I wouldn't unveil anything until the end of February or the beginning of March. Or do we need to push that back a little bit more? Let me know what you guys think.


Also, I thought that whenever we do the nomination thread or info thread, I would list out all of the films and performances that have been getting attention. That I think would help out people a lot.

Sounds like a good timeframe. And the list I think would be hugely helpful.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Romulus

You guys are touching on another big issue I have. I know a bunch of you guys don't go to the theaters that much, so that's why I wouldn't unveil anything until the end of February or the beginning of March. Or do we need to push that back a little bit more? Let me know what you guys think.


Also, I thought that whenever we do the nomination thread or info thread, I would list out all of the films and performances that have been getting attention. That I think would help out people a lot.

Yea I would say march or april actually at the earliest! Got Em!!

[Romulus]

Tenative:

Information Thread (I'll explain this later): Mid-February
Nomination Thread: Last Week of February through Mid-March
Voting Thread: Mid-March through Last week of March
Results: Beginning of April

That work?

[Q?]

DAMN YOU ROMULUS!!!!!!!!!!
I'm getting tired of yo..........


What was that about? Of course this is a wonderful idea.
I like the timeframe given here and I personally don't care if not that many chimed in, it'll still be fun.

[MarkJ801]

This sounds like a great idea. I think we should still do a top 25 or whatever movies of 2009 in February, because favorite movies, and ones we think should win awards can be totally different. Then maybe do this idea in March when many of those movies will be out on blu, or at least more available.

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I think it's a great idea, but I will unfortunately not be participating. I reserve the first few months of the year to view the films from the previous year, since I rarely go to the theater.

This got me thinking, what films that have come out this year have you seen?

[Gamma_Winstead]

I suggest best director and best sound be optional as well. And maybe condense the two screenplay one into a single category.

[Romulus]

Late bump.

Originally Posted by gamma626

I suggest best director and best sound be optional as well. And maybe condense the two screenplay one into a single category.

I'm definitely fine with making Best sound optional. I do want Best Director to be required though. It shouldn't be that hard, most of the time Best Director correlates to Best Picture.


Also here is something I thought of: A Private ballot. No hear me out on this before you object it. The Private ballot would only apply in choosing the winners, not the nominations. I think this would actually make the results more interesting, because you have no idea how people are voting. However, after the results are revealed I would then show how everyone voted in a separate post.

[Q?]

Originally Posted by Romulus

Late bump.



I'm definitely fine with making Best sound optional. I do want Best Director to be required though. It shouldn't be that hard, most of the time Best Director correlates to Best Director.


Also here is something I thought of: A Private ballot. No hear me out on this before you object it. The Private ballot would only apply in choosing the winners, not the nominations. I think this would actually make the results more interesting, because you have no idea how people are voting. However, after the results are revealed I would then show how everyone voted in a separate post.

[Romulus]

I meant Best Picture.