Michael Garin was at the Academy Awards in 1987 in his capacity as a founder of Lorimar Telepictures, the producer and distributor of 1980s classics such as Dallas, Falcon’s Crest and ThunderCats.
It was a good year for movies – Oliver Stone landed Best Director and Best Film for Platoon, while Children of a Lesser God and Room With a View were also in contention, Paul Newman was Best Actor in The Color of Money and the event was hosted by Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan. Garin, now the head of Image Nation, which is owned by The National's parent company Abu Dhabi Media, says he had a chance to chat to all of them.
What was it like as a first-timer at world’s most glamorous event?
“The first thing that really strikes you is that first and foremost it’s a TV show. The star-studded audience are props just as much as they are the audience at an awards ceremony. Remember, this was in the pre-internet era and before the global distribution of football, so this really was the most watched and talked about show in the world and it was all broadcast live.
“There were rows of stunning models lining the walls, so if anyone got up to go the bathroom or go and talk to somebody, they’d fill their seat – you can’t have empty seats on a live TV show. Then, when you come to the commercial break, all the lights go down and everything stops. It quickly becomes very apparent that you’re the audience of a TV show with meticulous attention to broadcast detail.”
It all sounds a lot less glamorous than one might expect. Did you at least get a chance to exchange small talk with a few stars?
“Oh yes. We saw everyone. I was quite lucky as my business partner at the time [the Lorimar chief executive Merv Adelson] was married to Barbara Walters, who was ABC’s biggest news star at the time and the event was shown on ABC. I knew the producer and director of the show, I’d worked with them both and we’d also done Farrah Fawcett’s workout video that year, so it was great. Of course, my personal profile wasn’t up there with the stars, but on a professional level I was very high profile. And with Barbara on our table, everyone was coming over to talk to us, not the other way round.”
Any funny anecdotes from the night?
“The funniest thing I noticed is that while so much planning goes into making sure everyone’s dress is different, all the limos the stars come in are identical. It can be a real challenge to find your car and get to the parties after, and that’s where everyone really wants to be, where they can talk to people and maybe land their next job. We were lucky, though. Our driver was such a pro, he had a pair of aircraft-landing beacons, so we were the first people to get back to our car.”
Lorimar remained a big player throughout the 1980s, while more recently the Image Nation-produced The Help was a winner; why did you make just the one Oscars appearance?
“I could have gone back every year and I’m glad I went once. But it’s a bit like going to the top of the Burj Khalifa. There’s no real need to go back. When you’re working in the industry you see these people every day anyway.”
Could anything convince you to attend one last hurrah at the Oscars?
“Maybe if a solely Image Nation picture was up for an award. I know The Help won, but that was a co-production. Perhaps if Malala is nominated I’d go back. It’d be a nice way to end the story.”
-----------------------------------
We asked the local industry to pick their Oscar winners
• Nathalie Habib, executive producer, Blink Studios, Dubai
"We are avid analysts of the films for every Oscar and see strengths and weaknesses in all, but we are banking on Despicable Me 2 being recognised for comedic storytelling for Best Animated Feature. We also believe that the French-based animation studio behind Despicable Me 2 is a great example of how any studio in the world can come up with great blockbuster, Oscar-nominated animated features.
Get a Horse! from Disney is recognised for its amazing technique in 2-D and 3-D for Best Animated Short. We even got the chance to attend the premiere in Annecy 2013 with the actual team who brought this short to life. It was a fantastic experience watching it and even a greater experience talking to the Disney team that produced it."
• Anita Nasr, editor of Grand Cinemas Movie Guide
"We hope Gravity will win; it's been so long since a director has given us such a perfect example of what cinema can and should do. But maybe that makes [the director Alfonso] Cuarón the true winner here. What will the Academy choose? Probably 12 Years a Slave."
• Nayla Al Khaja, filmmaker
"I hope The Hunt wins Best Foreign Film. The directing, acting, everything was just amazing. In the Hollywood sections, Prisoners [nominated for Roger Deakins' cinematography] is on top of my list."
• Michael Garin, chief executive, Image Nation
"2013 was a great year for filmmakers, bringing incredible and personal stories to the big screen. As a fan, I'll be content with any of the nominated films winning the Best Picture Oscar. The fact that three of these films: Philomena, American Hustle and 12 Years a Slave had their Middle East premieres in UAE film festivals last year attests to the vital role the country now plays in the industry.
"In other categories, all of us at Image Nation are delighted that Omar, by the Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad, was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. It's wonderful that the international community are recognising good stories from the region."
