Films can reveal a surprising amount about cultural and social trends, many of which will be discussed tonight at Flyleaf Books' 2015 Oscars Preview.
Run by the UNC humanities department, the second annual Oscars Preview is part of a series hosted by the department called "Spotlight on Scholars." The series features scholars within different fields, with this year’s theme being “Spotlight Goes to the Movies.”
Max Owre, executive director of the program in the humanities, said that he enjoys having the community take advantage of the lectures.
“We love to see undergraduate students come to these events,” Owre said. “Compared to other events in the series, this event is very informal."
At the preview, audience members will be able to comment on what the hosts say and ask questions about the particulars of the films and industry.
UNC professors of the writing for the screen and stage program — Dana Coen and Scott Myers — will headline the event. The two will give their perspectives on the film industry and provide insight about films honored at this year at the Academy Awards.
The preview will open with a semi-formal lecture by Coen and Myers. They will start with facts and history of the Academy Awards, also explaining how the Academy functions and how voting works. They then move on to discussing the ballot for this year, primarily focusing on the category of Best Film.
“This is a more interesting year in terms of the Academy Awards,” Myers said. “There’s not clear favorites this year, particularly in the Best Film Category.”
The event transitions to a more specific discussion of the films after viewing the trailers for each. Both professors draw from their extensive professional backgrounds in order to give insight on storytelling and directorial techniques utilized in the movies.
“Both of us have spent a great deal of time in Los Angeles professionally,” Coen said.
One of the interesting aspects of the event is a discussion on trends in the films and transitions in Hollywood. For example, in the Best Films category last year, three movies featured scoundrel protagonists who won in the end.
As an example of trends this year, Myers mentioned films with interesting compositional choices.
“This year, two movies have distinctive narrative choices,” Myers said. “Boyhood is shot over a continuum of twelve years. Birdman is one continuous shot.”
In addition, Myers and Coen will also discuss the failings of the film industry this year, including a lack of racial diversity and a reduced number of female protagonists.
The two hosts said they hope the audience will leave with a greater interest in the industry as well as more knowledge about the movie business.
“I hope they will come away with a deeper understanding of the Academy Awards process, and how it relates to movie making in 2015," Coen said. " It’s a business, and the business concerns drive a lot of decisions in the Academy Awards and how it turns out."
If anything, the audience will be prepared for submitting their ballots and watching the Awards this Sunday.
arts@dailytarheel.com
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