The PwC Accountants speak
Re: The PwC Accountants speak
It's too bad the accountants were not asked how the tabulations have changed now that the Academy allows online voting.
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OscarGuy
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Re: The PwC Accountants speak
That's probably the most interesting post-Oscar interview I've read in some time. It's a fascinating behind-the-scenes look.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
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Mister Tee
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The PwC Accountants speak
A in-house interview with the PwC accountants, which some might find interesting.
PwC News: Brian, this was your first time carrying the briefcase down the red carpet at the Oscars. What was it like?
Brian Cullinan: The word I’ve been using to describe the experience is surreal – in that there’s all of this media attention and press from around the world. It’s truly a global event. Viewership for this show was 43 million in the U.S. and estimated at well over 100 million worldwide, all watching live. When you factor in people seeing or reading about it on social media, that’s an audience of hundreds of millions of people. Being part of that center of attention, even for a short period of time, is a surreal experience.
PwC News: What kinds of questions or comments did you get on the red carpet?
Brian: A lot of people – actors as well as the media -- asked, “Is that really the envelope briefcase? Are the winning envelopes really in there, or are those just props?” That was the genesis of the Cate Blanchett “tussle.”
PwC News: Tell us about that! We saw the LA Times had an impressive two-page spread of Cate trying to rip the briefcase out of your hands. Clearly, she didn’t know how seriously you take your responsibilities!
Brian: [laughs] Yeah, so toward the end of the red carpet, Cate’s husband (playwright and screenwriter Andrew Upton) saw me and asked me about the briefcase. Cate was just finishing an interview with one of the media outlets. When she turned around, her husband said, “Cate, here’s the guy with the briefcase.” She came over, playfully grabbed the bag and was tugging on it when a photographer from the LA Times snapped the photo. He said it was one of the better pictures he’s ever taken on the red carpet. What was most interesting to me was that when she was pulling on the briefcase, I knew it contained an envelope announcing her win as Best Actress – a fact she wouldn’t learn until later that evening!
PwC News: You did a great job keeping your “poker face” on! Any other memorable moments?
Brian: About 15 minutes later, Rick and I went into the green room -- a small, nicely decorated room backstage for the stars to hang out in before they go on stage. Often the presenters are back there. There were only eight or 10 people there when we arrived. Samuel L. Jackson was sitting at the bar and saw us come in. He said, “Hey, is that the briefcase that has the winning envelopes? Let me see that!” I told him it was and put the bag on the stool next to him. As I did so, I noticed that seated next to him were John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston as well as Harrison Ford.
Samuel said, “Do you mind if I take a picture of you with the bag?” He had his iPhone with him. Harrison Ford said, "Good idea!" and John Travolta said, "I want to get in that picture," and Kelly Preston said, "Me too." Kelly came around one side and put her arm around my shoulder, and John Travolta did the same on the other side. So there’s Samuel Jackson, “asking” me if its ok to take my picture with the briefcase. A little bit of role reversal! I never got a copy of that photo, but he did tweet one of the others he took!
Rick Rosas: In terms of other memorable moments, and Brian is too modest to mention this one….on our way out of the green room, Jim Carrey was walking in. As he passed Brian, he said, “Hey, I loved you in Bourne Identity, man!”
PwC News: We have to admit, Brian, you sure do look a lot like Matt Damon! So, back to those briefcases. We love the new ones. Where did you get them, and why the change?
Brian: We wanted to strengthen the branding – to make it a little more prominent that it’s both PwC and the Academy. In late November, I bought the two briefcases in New York, at Bally, and had them shipped to California. Then we contracted with a company to create the two metallic logos in gold, and another firm to affix them to the outside of the bag, riveted into the bag. The briefcases have generated a lot of interest from people who’ve watched the Oscars through the years.
PwC News: We’ve heard the briefcase is handcuffed to you. How does that feel?
Rick: That’s actually an urban legend. We’ve never done that -- although I understand other firms have done it for different awards shows, perhaps as a gimmick. We're escorted the entire day of the Oscars, from the moment we pick up the briefcase in the vault where we keep it, through the end of the show, by two of LAPD's finest. Those are our “handcuffs.”
PwC News: What happens to the briefcases after the Oscars?
Brian: They’re locked up in an undisclosed location.
PwC News: Rick, you’re the veteran, having been involved with the Oscars since 2001. This has been rated as one of the best Oscars in 10 years. What was different from your perspective?
Rick: I believe two things helped. One was clearly the films. This was viewed as a very competitive year, with really strong contending motion pictures and top talent. And two, you have to give the host credit. Ellen proved to be a pretty good draw.
Brian: Her addition was the social media twist, taking a snapshot and sending it out via Twitter. That’s something the Academy is looking at – more actively targeting younger demographics through social media.
PwC News: Any nightmares leading up to the Oscars – like being stuck in traffic or somehow not being able to get there?
Brian: Not really. To be honest, there’s so much planning that goes into it, and redundancy to make sure it all works, that we’re pretty comfortable it will go smoothly.
Rick: In fact, we start planning the next year’s show almost a year in advance.
Brian: I will admit there is a little time pressure, because the polls don’t close until the Tuesday prior to the show. That means we don’t start counting ballots until Wednesday, and some of it is fairly involved. For 23 categories, the highest vote total is the winner. But for Best Picture, we use a different process, called “instant runoff election,” and that takes some time. It’s just Rick and me in a room, going through that process. We didn’t finish counting until 11:00 Friday night. We then sealed the envelopes Saturday morning. As a final added measure of security, we don’t write down anywhere the names of the 24 winners; rather, we commit them to memory.
PwC News: What do you do the day before the Oscars, with all that knowledge that you can’t divulge? Stay away from people?
Brian: Try to not forget!
PwC News: Do you quiz each other?
Rick: In fact, we do. That’s part of the redundancy we build in should anything happen to the briefcases. And I felt good because Brian got it all right the first time!
Brian: The Best Picture winner wasn’t hard to remember. It’s some of the other categories, like makeup and hairstyling and costume design, that can be a little tricky.
PwC News: Seeing all these stars in person, up close, must have been unforgettable. Did they look different than you expected?
Brian: In fact, and this is just a generalization, most of the women were taller than I expected, and a lot of the guys were shorter.
PwC News: Rick, how did this one compare to other Oscars you’ve attended?
Rick: The people backstage seemed more relaxed this year. There was more small talk, more banter, before presenters and performers went out. It’s hard to understand if you haven't been there, but the dynamic was different.
PwC News: Did you get to attend any post-Oscar parties?
Rick: We go to the Governor’s Ball, which is a real treat. You’re surrounded by famous people, and at that point you're not keeping secrets anymore. We were also able to bring our wives, who we saw on the red carpet for only a few minutes.
Brian: There's a station where they engrave the winners’ names on the trophies, so many of the winners tend to come. Around 10 or 10:30 p.m., when Cate Blanchett came in, we strolled over and talked to her. She was very gracious. It was an interesting end to the evening after our “tussle” on the red carpet!
PwC News: Anything else to add?
Rick: You know, it’s interesting. We just came out with our purpose statement [build trust in society and solve important problems], and I’ve thought about how much it applies to our work here. Our role – in fact, our entire relationship with the Academy – is built on trust. The Academy and the film industry have trusted us, and only us, for 80 years to tabulate the vote and be the only parties to know the results prior to the event. In all that time, we’ve never had a recount or a challenge to the validity of the ballot count.
Brian: It’s also a fairly challenging logistical engagement. Ballots are cast from all over the world, ultimately secured and housed by PwC and subsequently printed out and hand tabulated. We go to great lengths to ensure absolute security and absolute accuracy throughout the entire process. Quite an undertaking, but one that’s brand defining for PwC.
PwC News: That’s so true, and something we should all feel good about the next time we hear, “And the Oscar goes to….”!
PwC News: Brian, this was your first time carrying the briefcase down the red carpet at the Oscars. What was it like?
Brian Cullinan: The word I’ve been using to describe the experience is surreal – in that there’s all of this media attention and press from around the world. It’s truly a global event. Viewership for this show was 43 million in the U.S. and estimated at well over 100 million worldwide, all watching live. When you factor in people seeing or reading about it on social media, that’s an audience of hundreds of millions of people. Being part of that center of attention, even for a short period of time, is a surreal experience.
PwC News: What kinds of questions or comments did you get on the red carpet?
Brian: A lot of people – actors as well as the media -- asked, “Is that really the envelope briefcase? Are the winning envelopes really in there, or are those just props?” That was the genesis of the Cate Blanchett “tussle.”
PwC News: Tell us about that! We saw the LA Times had an impressive two-page spread of Cate trying to rip the briefcase out of your hands. Clearly, she didn’t know how seriously you take your responsibilities!
Brian: [laughs] Yeah, so toward the end of the red carpet, Cate’s husband (playwright and screenwriter Andrew Upton) saw me and asked me about the briefcase. Cate was just finishing an interview with one of the media outlets. When she turned around, her husband said, “Cate, here’s the guy with the briefcase.” She came over, playfully grabbed the bag and was tugging on it when a photographer from the LA Times snapped the photo. He said it was one of the better pictures he’s ever taken on the red carpet. What was most interesting to me was that when she was pulling on the briefcase, I knew it contained an envelope announcing her win as Best Actress – a fact she wouldn’t learn until later that evening!
PwC News: You did a great job keeping your “poker face” on! Any other memorable moments?
Brian: About 15 minutes later, Rick and I went into the green room -- a small, nicely decorated room backstage for the stars to hang out in before they go on stage. Often the presenters are back there. There were only eight or 10 people there when we arrived. Samuel L. Jackson was sitting at the bar and saw us come in. He said, “Hey, is that the briefcase that has the winning envelopes? Let me see that!” I told him it was and put the bag on the stool next to him. As I did so, I noticed that seated next to him were John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston as well as Harrison Ford.
Samuel said, “Do you mind if I take a picture of you with the bag?” He had his iPhone with him. Harrison Ford said, "Good idea!" and John Travolta said, "I want to get in that picture," and Kelly Preston said, "Me too." Kelly came around one side and put her arm around my shoulder, and John Travolta did the same on the other side. So there’s Samuel Jackson, “asking” me if its ok to take my picture with the briefcase. A little bit of role reversal! I never got a copy of that photo, but he did tweet one of the others he took!
Rick Rosas: In terms of other memorable moments, and Brian is too modest to mention this one….on our way out of the green room, Jim Carrey was walking in. As he passed Brian, he said, “Hey, I loved you in Bourne Identity, man!”
PwC News: We have to admit, Brian, you sure do look a lot like Matt Damon! So, back to those briefcases. We love the new ones. Where did you get them, and why the change?
Brian: We wanted to strengthen the branding – to make it a little more prominent that it’s both PwC and the Academy. In late November, I bought the two briefcases in New York, at Bally, and had them shipped to California. Then we contracted with a company to create the two metallic logos in gold, and another firm to affix them to the outside of the bag, riveted into the bag. The briefcases have generated a lot of interest from people who’ve watched the Oscars through the years.
PwC News: We’ve heard the briefcase is handcuffed to you. How does that feel?
Rick: That’s actually an urban legend. We’ve never done that -- although I understand other firms have done it for different awards shows, perhaps as a gimmick. We're escorted the entire day of the Oscars, from the moment we pick up the briefcase in the vault where we keep it, through the end of the show, by two of LAPD's finest. Those are our “handcuffs.”
PwC News: What happens to the briefcases after the Oscars?
Brian: They’re locked up in an undisclosed location.
PwC News: Rick, you’re the veteran, having been involved with the Oscars since 2001. This has been rated as one of the best Oscars in 10 years. What was different from your perspective?
Rick: I believe two things helped. One was clearly the films. This was viewed as a very competitive year, with really strong contending motion pictures and top talent. And two, you have to give the host credit. Ellen proved to be a pretty good draw.
Brian: Her addition was the social media twist, taking a snapshot and sending it out via Twitter. That’s something the Academy is looking at – more actively targeting younger demographics through social media.
PwC News: Any nightmares leading up to the Oscars – like being stuck in traffic or somehow not being able to get there?
Brian: Not really. To be honest, there’s so much planning that goes into it, and redundancy to make sure it all works, that we’re pretty comfortable it will go smoothly.
Rick: In fact, we start planning the next year’s show almost a year in advance.
Brian: I will admit there is a little time pressure, because the polls don’t close until the Tuesday prior to the show. That means we don’t start counting ballots until Wednesday, and some of it is fairly involved. For 23 categories, the highest vote total is the winner. But for Best Picture, we use a different process, called “instant runoff election,” and that takes some time. It’s just Rick and me in a room, going through that process. We didn’t finish counting until 11:00 Friday night. We then sealed the envelopes Saturday morning. As a final added measure of security, we don’t write down anywhere the names of the 24 winners; rather, we commit them to memory.
PwC News: What do you do the day before the Oscars, with all that knowledge that you can’t divulge? Stay away from people?
Brian: Try to not forget!
PwC News: Do you quiz each other?
Rick: In fact, we do. That’s part of the redundancy we build in should anything happen to the briefcases. And I felt good because Brian got it all right the first time!
Brian: The Best Picture winner wasn’t hard to remember. It’s some of the other categories, like makeup and hairstyling and costume design, that can be a little tricky.
PwC News: Seeing all these stars in person, up close, must have been unforgettable. Did they look different than you expected?
Brian: In fact, and this is just a generalization, most of the women were taller than I expected, and a lot of the guys were shorter.
PwC News: Rick, how did this one compare to other Oscars you’ve attended?
Rick: The people backstage seemed more relaxed this year. There was more small talk, more banter, before presenters and performers went out. It’s hard to understand if you haven't been there, but the dynamic was different.
PwC News: Did you get to attend any post-Oscar parties?
Rick: We go to the Governor’s Ball, which is a real treat. You’re surrounded by famous people, and at that point you're not keeping secrets anymore. We were also able to bring our wives, who we saw on the red carpet for only a few minutes.
Brian: There's a station where they engrave the winners’ names on the trophies, so many of the winners tend to come. Around 10 or 10:30 p.m., when Cate Blanchett came in, we strolled over and talked to her. She was very gracious. It was an interesting end to the evening after our “tussle” on the red carpet!
PwC News: Anything else to add?
Rick: You know, it’s interesting. We just came out with our purpose statement [build trust in society and solve important problems], and I’ve thought about how much it applies to our work here. Our role – in fact, our entire relationship with the Academy – is built on trust. The Academy and the film industry have trusted us, and only us, for 80 years to tabulate the vote and be the only parties to know the results prior to the event. In all that time, we’ve never had a recount or a challenge to the validity of the ballot count.
Brian: It’s also a fairly challenging logistical engagement. Ballots are cast from all over the world, ultimately secured and housed by PwC and subsequently printed out and hand tabulated. We go to great lengths to ensure absolute security and absolute accuracy throughout the entire process. Quite an undertaking, but one that’s brand defining for PwC.
PwC News: That’s so true, and something we should all feel good about the next time we hear, “And the Oscar goes to….”!