A Blog by Jonathan Low

  

Feb 23, 2015

How to Build an Oscar Winner: Yes, The Data Says There's a Template

Dont let your emotions get carried away. Because no one involved in the serious pursuit of an Academy Award does.

This is, after all, the era of Big Data - and what could be bigger than winning an Oscar?

Julianne Moore, this year's Best Actress winner, said in her acceptance speech that winning was reported to add five years to the recipient's life. We believe the actual statistic to which she referred was meant to cover their working life, but who knows? It's a magical business and strange things happen.

There's data on every aspect of the historical drivers of Oscar success. From the type of film to the height of the nominees to the color of their hair to the date of the films release.

And for those who scorn that whole 90 minute Red Carpet gush-fest? Wake up dudes: there is data on which designer's clothes have most frequently proven to help the wearer win the gold statue. In case you're wondering, it's Armani. JL

 Bloomberg Business reports:

The last comedy to win Best Picture was Annie Hall in 1977. This year two nominees fall loosely under this category—The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman. Most films that win Oscars are released later in the year, close to the time nominations are decided.
If Hollywood could engineer a best actor, best actress, and best picture based on all of the previous winners, what would they look like?

The Best Actress would be a white 30-something, 5'4'' to 5'7'' tall, with brown hair and blue eyes, who'd never won an Oscar or been nominated before.
Race
Age at Win
Height
Hair Color
Eye Color
Prior Nods
Prior Wins
The Best Actor would be a white 40-something,
6' or taller, with brown hair and brown eyes, who'd never won an Oscar or been nominated before.
Race
Age at Win
Height
Hair Color
Eye Color
Prior Nods
Prior Wins
Next ⟶
 
actressactorWhiteBlackHispanicOther
In the entire history of the Oscars, all but eight of the Best Actor and Best Actress winners have been white. That dubious distinction continues this year—all 10 nominees are white.
Adrien Brody is the only Best Actor to win before age 30.
Most winners have never been nominated before the year they took home the Oscar.
Katharine Hepburn won Best Actress four times, more than anyone else. Daniel Day-Lewis leads all other actors with three wins. Most winners are first-timers.
Only seven best actor winners have been under 5'8''—Dustin Hoffman won twice—and no woman taller than 5'11'' has won best actress.
Movie stars change their hair color too frequently to track, so we grouped winners by their hair color in the movie for which they’re nominated. Brunettes outpace blondes and redheads—and grey-haired Best Actress winners are a rarity.
Relatively few actors with green eyes have won—but this year there are four green-eyed nominees.
The Best Picture winner would be a drama, between 121 and 160 minutes long, released in the final months of the year by Columbia Pictures, that had an average budget of $40 million, and grossed $290 million at the box office.
Genre
Length
Month
Studio
Budget
Box Office
Next ⟶
DramaBiographyMusicalRomanceThrillerComedyAdventure
The last comedy to win Best Picture was Annie Hall in 1977. This year two nominees fall loosely under this category—The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman.
Most films that win Oscars are released later in the year, close to the time nominations are decided.
Of the 2014 nominees, American Sniper has performed best at the box office.
The Best Picture with the smallest budget: Marty, in 1955. The biggest-budget winner: Titanic, in 1997.
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