Contributed by Willie Franke and Jill Keskimaki Dr. Casey R. Schmitt hosted the second Communication Symposium of the semester this morning, where Lakeland community members gathered to discuss communication aspects of the upcoming Academy Awards. Of all the symposia Schmitt has hosted throughout his time at Lakeland, this is the first to focus on movies as a medium. The group discussed issues surrounding the Academy Awards such as race and gender, how the winners for each category are chosen, and common themes among the films nominated for best picture. A major talking point was the fact that there are non-white people nominated in the acting categories, after two years in a row with all-white nominations. Students discussed diversity in the film industry and whether or not they thought it was reflected in The Oscars. Schmitt brought up the thought-provoking point that perhaps the issue goes back to Hollywood casting—that white actors are more likely to be nominated for the awards since they are offered more roles. It was mentioned that the group of people who make up the Academy—those who vote for the winners of each category, may be biased or have connections to the nominated filmmakers and actors, creating a flaw in the system. Of the nearly 30 people present, only a handful had seen any of the films nominated for Best Picture. That fact led to a discussion about what makes a movie “good” vs. what makes a movie “popular.” Most of the nominated films were not top-grossing films of the year, meaning that those that did make the most money were not nominated for Best Picture. After briefly summarizing each film, there was a theme emerging. Multiple films feature family issues, particularly broken families. Schmitt closed the session by urging everyone to pay attention to the Academy Awards in one way or another. “Even if you’re not into movies, if you’re interested in communication, I encourage you to follow the coverage on social media. Watch for hashtags, pay attention to who wins, and look for common themes in the winning films.”
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SymposiaOn this page, you'll find summaries of each Symposium held by the Communication program. Archives
April 2017
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