Oscar watchers are all but guaranteeing that Natalie Portman will take home a little gold man for her work in 'Black Swan.' That $400 statuette may be the ultimate vanity prize in Hollywood, but it also carries some substantial clout in generating future value for an actor or an actress.
See, a little gold man tomorrow is actually worth more than a little gold man today.
Hollywood agents and managers estimate their clients get a 20 percent bump in their asking price for the next film they negotiate immediately following an Academy Award win for best actor or best actress.
An Oscar raises a performer's monetary quote, but also makes a difference in the types of material they are considered for. Directors and producers start to look at newer-to-the-scene actors, like last year's nominee Jeremy Renner, in a new light. It solidifies their brand as the gold standard of acting and, ideally, box office returns.
The Hollywood Reporter's Stephen Galloway predicts that a win for Portman will put her in the same circle as Reese Witherspoon and allow her to command one of the top salaries in Hollywood.
"For Portman, a best actress victory could propel her into the Reese Witherspoon stratosphere of $10 million-plus a picture, a lot more than the high-six figures she made on the $13 million 'Swan' -- just as Halle Berry's asking price shot up to more than $10 million after her win for 'Monster's Ball,'" Galloway writes in this week's issue of THR. Granted, Portman typically commands a salary in the millions and took a pay cut for 'Black Swan' because it was a passion project.
Her increased price tag will be worth it for whatever project opts to pay it. The Academy Award provides an external validation in the consumer's mind, akin to an FDA stamp of approval. The voters, who are aspirational to start with, offer a similar screening function of sorting through the year's winners and losers albeit without the drastic downside -- if someone sees a crappy movie they won't die.
If Portman wins, from here on out, "Academy Award Winner" will be attached to her name and every project she is associated with, and the entertainment consumer will feel validated buying Portman products.
This nomination alone, and the fact that she has been anointed the chosen front-runner, will no doubt boost Portman's asking price. The issue is how long she plans to take off following the birth of her first child this summer. Her window of opportunity is wide, but it doesn't stay open forever, and the longer she waits after this possible win could diminish her value in the marketplace.
Showing posts with label One. Show all posts
Showing posts with label One. Show all posts
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Schmidt: This One's for the Fans
Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt was delighted to see his side secure the bonus-point win over Racing Metro which ensures a home Heineken Cup quarter-final.
The Irish province had already secured qualification from Pool Two, but needed a victory in Paris to make sure they would host their last-eight clash at either the RDS or Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Jonathan Sexton finished with two tries and a haul of 21 points, while Isa Nacewa, Sean O'Brien and Brian O'Driscoll also crossed. Speaking after the 36-11 win, Schmidt said the 2009 champions had wanted to give something back to the 1,000 Leinster fans who made the trip to the French capital.
"I think anyone who was at the game today saw the amount of support that travelled to see us," he said. "Our theme was that we owed it to our supporters, with the support they've given us, to give them the opportunity to come and see us at home in a quarter-final. I think the players, the way they played today, demonstrated the value we place on the support that we get."
Schmidt also praised man of the match Sean O'Brien, who continued at number eight in the absence of the injured Jamie Heaslip.
"One of the great advantages with Sean is he can play any of the three loose forward positions equally competently and he is just so dynamic so often," Schmidt added.
Racing, who were already out of the competition before the game, fielded an understrength team ahead of a crunch Top 14 fixture against Clermont Auvergne on Wednesday. Virimi Vakatawa scored a superb solo try, but full-back Dan Scarbrough admitted his side were always up against it.
"We had a team that was a little bit experimental today. We were trying different things and we went well initially, but they broke us down very well," Scarbrough said.
O'Driscoll got the final try of the game on his 32nd birthday and Scarbrough was impressed by the Ireland captain's performance.
"He did as all good players do, he's consistent," he added. "He did the basics very well and one thing that really stood out for me was the try near the end. He went right past me but he cut an awesome line for that. They're looking strong."
The Irish province had already secured qualification from Pool Two, but needed a victory in Paris to make sure they would host their last-eight clash at either the RDS or Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Jonathan Sexton finished with two tries and a haul of 21 points, while Isa Nacewa, Sean O'Brien and Brian O'Driscoll also crossed. Speaking after the 36-11 win, Schmidt said the 2009 champions had wanted to give something back to the 1,000 Leinster fans who made the trip to the French capital.
"I think anyone who was at the game today saw the amount of support that travelled to see us," he said. "Our theme was that we owed it to our supporters, with the support they've given us, to give them the opportunity to come and see us at home in a quarter-final. I think the players, the way they played today, demonstrated the value we place on the support that we get."
Schmidt also praised man of the match Sean O'Brien, who continued at number eight in the absence of the injured Jamie Heaslip.
"One of the great advantages with Sean is he can play any of the three loose forward positions equally competently and he is just so dynamic so often," Schmidt added.
Racing, who were already out of the competition before the game, fielded an understrength team ahead of a crunch Top 14 fixture against Clermont Auvergne on Wednesday. Virimi Vakatawa scored a superb solo try, but full-back Dan Scarbrough admitted his side were always up against it.
"We had a team that was a little bit experimental today. We were trying different things and we went well initially, but they broke us down very well," Scarbrough said.
O'Driscoll got the final try of the game on his 32nd birthday and Scarbrough was impressed by the Ireland captain's performance.
"He did as all good players do, he's consistent," he added. "He did the basics very well and one thing that really stood out for me was the try near the end. He went right past me but he cut an awesome line for that. They're looking strong."
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