Twitter launches Oscars Index to track awards buzz
Twitter has launched a new Twitter Index that will measure and rank conversation about the nominated films and actors in the six weeks running up to the Oscars ceremony.
The move comes after Twitter saw over four million tweets about the Golden Globes on Sunday, kicking off what is dubbed “awards season” in the film and TV industry.
The system uses the same underlying methodology as the Twitter Political Index, which mapped conversation around Barack Obama and Mitt Romney during the presidential race last year. Each nominee gets a score based on how conversation around their term compares to all other conversation on Twitter.
For example, Silver Linings Playbook, nominated for eight Oscars, currently has a score of 87, meaning on average tweets about the film are more positive than 87 per cent of all tweets.
The Twitter Index for the Oscars has been backed by the Oscars Academy, with Fred Graver, head of TV for social media site, saying that people can use the index to see how news events shape Twitter conversation around a certain nominee.
He said: "Awards season also brings out the armchair film critic in many of us, as we rattle off our personal picks and pans, and predict who will take home that coveted award at the end of February."
"The Twitter Oscars Index offers a way to measure those discussions that happen on Twitter, and provide insight for all those closely following the exciting Oscar races.
"While the next six weeks are sure to be filled with crystal ball predictions of how the illustrious Academy members will vote, the Twitter Oscars Index provides another dimension to the story: the voice of the fans."
The Index also maps out key dates up to the Oscars, such as the Directors Guild Awards on January 26, when nominees could see a spike in conversation on Twitter.