3 Unforgettable Lessons from the 2023 Oscar Awards (plus How You can Win an Oscar in Few Years…)

Jimmy Kimmel (Host) at the 95th Academy Awards

If you ever doubt the importance of production excellence, jaw-dropping cinematography, screen-licking picture quality and top-notch scriptwriting, then step into the Dolby Theatre of Los Angeles on March 13, 2023 and watch with awe as excellence, creativity and hard work get celebrated during the 95th Academy Awards popularly known as Oscars.
Beyond the glitz and glam, acceptance speeches, electrifying performances and all of the theatrics of the biggest filmmaking award ceremony in Hollywood, here are a few lessons from the 95th Oscar Awards, and yes, the very first tip can land you an Oscar in the future, if you consistently.

1. Stunning Cinematography can never be ignored:

Oscar-nominated movies in the ‘Best Cinematography’ Category

Most Nigerian Filmmakers are yet to wake up to the reality of the steroid-level effects good cinematography can bring to your story. We often pay too little attention to the almost-mystical power of heightened consciousness the right camera angle, lighting, blocking and framing can bring to our viewers and film critics.
The 5 movies nominated in the ‘Best Cinematography’ category all brought something outstanding to our screens.
For All Quiet on the Eastern Front, the winner in the category, it was the combination of little things from the intentional framing and long takes that were apparently done with active camera stabilization to the use of huge daytime exteriors that, according to Phil Rhodes of Frame.io, were ‘often shot beneath overcast skies with little colour contrast to lend separation to anything’.
The movie, Bardo, False Chronicles of a Handful also gave us A-game cinematography. Again, Phil Rhodes of Frame.io said it best in the article, https://blog.frame.io/2023/03/09/what-can-we-learn-from-2023s-oscars-cinematography/ when he opined that ‘…Bardo’s particular genius, though, is in surprising the viewer by presenting what looks like a straightforward scene, then subverting that straightforwardness by filling the frame with things that are entirely outside the context of normal human experience’.

Are the filmmakers out there still with us?
This right here is how to shoot an award-winning piece; getting creative with frames and creating immersive cinematic aesthetics with breath-taking sceneries and scenes. Needless to say, all other movies nominated in this category, from Tar to Elvis and Empire of Light also brought nothing short of epic.

2. Social Media still works Wonders (and will continue to for many years to come)

Jimmy Kimmel built a lot of hype on social media leading to the Oscars opening comedy skit

We can’t speak of the groundbreaking success of recent Nigerian Movies like Anikulapo, Far from Home, Blood Sisters and even faith-based content such as the recent biopic, Enoch (which trended as number one on YouTube) without talking about the power of social media. In all these movies, intense social media publicity, stunts and content (such as Meet the Actors, Reviews, Fun Games and Interviews with cast and crew etc.) that kept engaging people played a major role in doing the numbers.
The Oscars knows the power of social media all too well and as Lara Owen, Reporter at C& IT said, ‘profited off the value or real-time tweeting which meant outlets, attendees and speakers used social channels to forge meaningful conversations with those at watching at home’.
Broadcasters, Filmmakers, content creators and even Faith-based organizations can take a cue from this as Lara Owen went on to advise that ‘…this technique is particularly pertinent if you’re hosting a blended live and hybrid event: utilizing a hashtag, having stories and visuals for guests, speakers and attendees put on their social platforms throughout the event helps forge further connections with those joining remotely, along with sustaining interest and engagement’ 

3. Bring the ‘Surprise Element’

Getty Images | Lady Gaga delivers a thrilling surprise performance of ‘Hold My Hands’ at the Oscars
For those in the showbiz industry and even those in event-hosting domains, there’s a constant need to keep the audience, viewers and content consumers on the edge of their seats, guessing and wondering what in the world you’d pull up next time.
Whether it’s in plotting a movie or streaming an event, to be utterly predictable is to be actually boring.
At this 95th Oscars, Lady Gaga gave a breathtaking surprising performance of the grammy-nominated best song, ‘Hold my Hand’ (from Top Gun: Maverick) that left the audience stunned and elated.
There are several ways to create the ‘surprise effect’ in our shows, broadcasts, events and content.
Bring an unexpected guest or introduce a mystery guest in your publicity. Bring a twist to an audiovisual content or create a cliffhanging end that’d leave movie viewers and reviewers drooling over ‘the meaning of your movie’s end’.
The list is endless but the principle is adaptive, as well put by Lara in the article, https://www.cit-world.com/event-lessons-from-the-oscars-2023?account_created=1
‘…Building and playing with guests’ expectations is a devious way to build momentum both pre and post your event. Bringing in surprise speakers, performances or entertainment also projects the discussion among attendees on social media for your event’.

There you have it, three industry-applicable value-driven lessons for Filmmakers, Content Creators and Broadcasters from the Oscars.
As we look forward to our very own AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards) which has now opened its entry portal from Feb 20, 2023 to March plus a host of other awards lined up for the year for entertainers, broadcasters and filmmakers, remember to take your best shot every single time, get your cinematography on point, maximize social media, bring in all the artistic and technical merit and never forget to always insist on quality, best-in-industry gadgets and equipment from https://holoceneinnovations.com/.
Do all of these consistently and…who knows?
Soon, you may be standing in front of a Dublin Theatre one day, grinning from ear to ear as you deliver your acceptance speech for winning an Oscar.