Docs Strapped by Pricey Awards Season Campaigns
01.03.2023 - 19:19
/ variety.com
Addie Morfoot Contributor Last year, 144 documentary features were eligible for an Academy Award, but in reality, less than a third of those docs had a chance of making the 15-film shortlist. That, in part, is because garnering a spot on that competitive list requires not only a beautifully crafted film constructed by a talented director and crew, but also money.
In the past decade, platforms with deep pockets — Amazon, Apple TV+, Disney +, Netflix — began to spend on documentary award campaigns in ways that, prior to 2010, were unfathomable to the nonfiction film community. Before streamers came onto the scene, lobbying and marketing a doc during award season meant, if you were lucky, that a distributor took out a few “For Your Consideration” ads and hosted a handful of screenings.
Now, depending on who the distributor is, FYC ads are plentiful, and small screenings have been transformed into events at New York’s Crosby and Whitby hotels, costing tens of thousands of dollars. Further adding to campaign costs are billboards meant to woo Los Angeles Academy voters; e-blasts from prestigious nonfiction organizations including DOC NYC and the IDA (one blast from either org costs between $4,500 and $5,500); and employing top Oscar consultants to, hopefully, elevate a film’s chances.
(Not only do publicity consultants receive tens of thousands for their awards-whispering efforts, but they also collect bonuses if films make Oscar shortlists, score nominations and go on to win the gold.) But perhaps the most spent is on shipping doc directors and their respective studio publicists all over the world to hobnob with as many voters as possible. Sources who wished to remain anonymous say that the cost for such elaborate
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