There are no shortages of opinions out there about the films in contention, the way campaigns are run, the value of the award for filmmakers, and even the relevance of the Academy itself. But this is not about that.
I decided to do some counter programming to awards punditry by asking Tom Oyer, the former Senior Vice President of Member Relations and Awards at the Academy, to break down how the path to Oscar glory actually works.
In this video, we talk through the process from the rules for qualifying a film to how the winners are picked. Along the way, not only does Tom explain the Byzantine process but also offers practical information that will make your campaign (whether you spent $1 or $1 million) more effective.
Submit your film to the Academy as early as you can in the year! Watch to learn more, but in a nutshell Tom explains how films are not all uploaded at once to the voters’ online screening platform, but instead in the order they are received. The early bird catches the worm.
Yes, you can find plenty of people who say it isn’t worth it to even try for an Oscar. You can even find me saying that! But at the end of the day, a smart awards campaign is one and the same as your impact campaign. A good campaign should raise the profile of your film so more people get to see it, not just so people in the doc branch can see it. For example, by submitting your film to as many festivals as possible your film’s profile grows organically and that just happens to help with your campaign too.
My experience on campaigns with new directors is that it’s also a way to get the film team out into the community to meet other filmmakers. A campaign can be a way for a new director to network and raise their profile in a way that is super valuable, even if you don’t make the shortlist. You know the best (most cynical) advice I have ever gotten?
It’s not who you know- it’s who knows you.
Decide if the work and money of a campaign will help you meet goals BESIDES winning an Oscar. Be smart about a campaign so even if you don’t make the it, you will feel it was worth it. But do not hire a publicist for $40,000 to get your short documentary on the shortlist. Oh no no no no.
Question for y’all: Should I write about how to decide if you should do an Oscar campaign or not? Hit me up in the comments and let me know….
Thank you Ted Hope, Ben Stillerman, Ivan Abreu Luciano, Real Talk Cuts, Antonella Ciancio, and many others for tuning into my live video with Tom Oyer!
P.S.
Tom is now working as an awards consultant. If you want to talk to him about your film, you can reach out here.
Can Media Coverage Buy an Oscar?
“The lesson for Oscar contenders and the teams that guide their campaigns is pretty simple: Do press if you want, but press alone is not gonna win you that Oscar.”
This headline is a perfect snapshot of where this is all heading: Oscars Bolts From ABC to YouTube Starting in 2029
The D-Word is the original online hub for the documentary community, founded by Doug Block 26 years ago, it now has 24,680 members from 164 countries. I joined in 2009! The D-Word offers so many services such as Discussion Forum with 40+ topics, the weekly F2Fs on Zoom and YouTube, a WhatsApp chat groups for members to connect at festivals, and they led the DocuMentality initiative. Please consider supporting this organization that’s steadfastly supported all of us for the last 26 years! I just made a donation myself.
This podcast came out in September, but as an avid consumer of media on the media, Malcolm Gladwell’s theories on podcasting, America, and Joe Rogan, stands out. His takes—from the fact that he has made very little money off his IP in Hollywood to how to reuse your ideas to maximize your own success—are chock full of great intel for all of us trying to tell stories AND make a living in 2025.
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