 As the nominations for the 72nd Academy Awards approached , a frontrunner had not emerged . DreamWorks had launched a major campaign for American Beauty five weeks before ballots were due to be sent to the 5 @,@ 600 Academy Award voters . Its campaign combined traditional advertising and publicity with more focused strategies . Although direct mail campaigning was prohibited , DreamWorks reached voters by promoting the film in " casual , comfortable settings " in voters ' communities . The studio 's candidate for Best Picture the previous year , Saving Private Ryan , lost to Shakespeare in Love , so the studio took a new approach by hiring outsiders to provide input for the campaign . It hired three veteran consultants , who told the studio to " think small " . Nancy Willen encouraged DreamWorks to produce a special about the making of American Beauty , to set up displays of the film in the communities ' bookstores , and to arrange a question @-@ and @-@ answer session with Mendes for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . Dale Olson advised the studio to advertise in free publications that circulated in Beverly Hills — home to many voters — in addition to major newspapers . Olson arranged to screen American Beauty to about 1 @,@ 000 members of the Actors Fund of America , as many participating actors were also voters . Bruce Feldman took Ball to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival , where Ball attended a private dinner in honor of Anthony Hopkins , meeting several voters who were in attendance . 
 As the nominations for the 72nd Academy Awards approached , a frontrunner <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> not emerged . DreamWorks <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> launched a major campaign for American Beauty five weeks before ballots <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> due to be sent to the 5 @,@ 600 Academy Award voters . Its campaign combined traditional advertising and publicity with more focused strategies . Although direct mail campaigning was prohibited , DreamWorks reached voters by promoting the film in " casual , comfortable settings " in voters <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'</mark></a>communities . The studio <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>candidate for Best Picture the previous year , Saving Private Ryan , lost to Shakespeare in Love , so the studio took a new approach by hiring outsiders to provide input for the campaign . It hired three veteran consultants , <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>who</mark></a>told the studio to " think small " . Nancy Willen encouraged DreamWorks to produce a special about the making of American Beauty , to set up displays of the film in the communities <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'</mark></a>bookstores , and to arrange a question @-@ and @-@ answer session with Mendes for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . Dale Olson advised the studio to advertise in free publications <a href='null_relcl' title='8'><mark>that</mark></a>circulated in Beverly Hills — home to many voters — in addition to major newspapers . Olson arranged to screen American Beauty to about 1 @,@ 000 members of the Actors Fund of America , as many participating actors <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>were</mark></a> also voters . Bruce Feldman took Ball to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival , where Ball attended a private dinner in honor of Anthony Hopkins , meeting several voters <a href='null_relcl' title='10'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>were</mark></a> in attendance . 
As the nominations fir the 72nd Academy Awards approached , a frontrunner done not emerged . DreamWorks done launched a major campaign for American Beauty five weeks before ballots was due to be sent to da 5 @,@ 600 Academy Award voters . Its campaign combined traditional advertising and publicity with more focused strategies . Although direct mail campaigning was prohibited , DreamWorks reached voters by promoting the film in " casual , comfortable settings " in voters  communities . Tdastudio  candidate for Best Picture thdarevious year , savin Private Ryan , lost to Shakespeare in Love , so the studio took a new approach by hiring outsiders to provide input for the campaign . It hired three veteran consultants , tld the studio to " think small " . Nancy Willen encouraged DreamWorks to produce a special about the making of American Beauty , to set up displays of the film in thedammunities  bookstores , and to arrange a question @-@ and @-@ answer session with Mendes fa the datish Academy of Film and Television Arts . Dale Olson advised the sdaio to advertise in free publications circulated in Beverly Hills — home to many voters — in addition to major newspapers . Olson arranged to screen American Beauty to about 1 @,@ 000 members of the Actors Fund of America , as many participating actors was also voters . Bruce Feldman took Ball to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival , where Ball attended a private dinner in honor of Anthony Hopkins , meeting several voters was in attendance .