And the Oscar Goes To...Blu-ray?
September 26, 2008

Blu-ray could make its debut at next year's Oscars. 
Warner Bros. is hoping to maximize nominations for The Dark Knight by sending Academy members screeners in Blu-ray. Warner Bros. would be the first studio to offer screeners in this format.
Not all Oscar voters own Blu-ray players, so Warner will be offering a choice between DVD and high-definition. Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan is pushing for members to trade up to Blu-ray, as he believes it best delivers how the movie should be seen.
According to this report in the Hollywood Reporter, Nolan explains, "The Blu-ray version is vastly superior to DVD. You can actually see the things that we did in IMAX. And it will give Academy members the best possible chance to see what we did technically."
It looks like some other studios are considering offering Blu-ray versions for their Oscar contenders, including Sony and Seven Pounds. 
I think studios would be smart to send free Blu-ray players to at least some Academy members as a Blu-ray marketing tool. It really would be money well spent. To curb costs, in these financially shaky times, studios could also ask members to return players once the awards season is over. 
Academy members are made up of Hollywood's most influential actors and filmmakers, whose Blu-ray opinion would likely sway consumer attitudes on the format. 
If Nolan happens to win best director, can't you just imagine him thanking Blu-ray in his acceptance speech? Voters might not have caught the film's magic without it. Hey, it could happen! 

Posted by Susanne Ault on September 26, 2008 | Comments (0)