The Academy Award’s extravaganza maybe the world’s biggest party, excuse me I mean Brand U project. In a matter of speaking it’s both.
In today’s celebrity and media obsessed culture, the Academy Awards and the Oscars are big business. More than 10,000 people directly work on the event that generates more than $100 million in revenue. More than 75 million Americans watch it, second only to the Super Bowl. And, all in one night. And, nothing in this world approaches it for glitz and glamour.
This is a project with zero tolerance for lateness, poor quality, poor entertainment, unavailable performers, or inoperable technology – everything must work properly the first time. The Academy Awards is a world-class example why Brand U organizations are becoming projectized. Project management done right works. It delivers the goods on time, on budget, to satisfied stakeholders.
The Academy Awards shares many elements of time-constrained business projects. People, resources, and activities must be organized, monitored, and controlled. For example, at the Academy Awards more than 600 people build the stage set and another 400 behind the scenes move sets, operate cameras, supply lighting, and maintain the electricity. Eleven writers script clever lines for more than 50 presenters and for the show host. A team of musical arrangers composes five separate scores for each of the 26 Oscar awards so the 60-member orchestra can rehearse to perfection. Nearly 1,000 phone lines are installed, enough to accommodate a medium sized city.
This year’s show went off without a hitch. The following day, all facilities were demobilized, people were paid, and everyone went home happy. Project management was the key to another successful event.[i]
[i] Bannon, Lisa, “And the Winner is Anybody Who Has an Oscar Night Gig,” Wall Street Journal, March 21, 1997, p. A1.