The Oscars are almost upon us. Who should win? Who shouldn't have been nominated in the first place? How do these films get made and how can one break into the business?

Doe Mayer, Mary Pickford Professor of Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California and co-author of the book "Creative Filmmaking from the Inside Out," was online to discuss The Academy Awards and the art of making movies.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Doe Mayer: I am here in Washington to introduce people to our new book entitled "Creative Filmmaking from the Inside Out." The idea here is that although there is not formula for more innovative authentic original filmmaking we present five concepts that we think will help emerging filmmakers think about these issues. The book is based on interviews with filmmakers like Anthony Minghella and John Wells and also represents ideas about the process, from sound designers, production designers, composers, actors, cinematographers, documentarians and animators. All of them have strong feelings about the creative process and had a lot to say about how they approach their work. Based on the interviews we came up with what we call the five "I"s of creative filmmaking. They are Introspection, Inquiry, Intuition, Interaction and Impact.

I am delighted to explore this process with anyone interested.

Harrisburg, Pa.: Since you are the Mary Pickford Professor, let me please ask out of curiosity: did her estate endow this chair or was this created out of respect for this important figure in film?

Doe Mayer: Yes, the estate endowed a chair in her name through the Mary Pickford Foundation. Their job is to promote Mary Pickford's legacy to the broader world. They also support students and scholarships and have an interest in disseminating her films more widely.

Manassas, Va.: Do you think that the Acadamy Awards are biased to indy films and DIY (do it yourself) projects? If so, why?

Doe Mayer: I don't know if the Academy Awards are too biased, but I think the awards this year do represent an interest in more authentic and more original kinds of work. I am thinking particularly about films like The Hours and Chicago, which I think really stretch the vocabulary of film.

washingtonpost.com: Is it possible to teach people to be creative in something as difficult as filmmaking?

Doe Mayer: I don't think you can teach creativity per se, but I think you can help students and emerging filmmakers think about the process more consciously and with some awareness of who they are and what they are doing. In our book we talk to 15 filmmakers about their process and come up with some concepts that we think will encourage people towards more creative thinking.

The first concept is introspection which argues that the more you know about yourself the more multidimensional and specific your work will be. By this we don't mean autobiographical necessarily but rather that work is more meaningful when you bring yourself into the process. For example our production designer Jeannine Oppewal, who has worked on movies like LA Confidential, Pleasantville and Catch Me if you Can, puts butterflies in all the movies she works on. She does this in a sort of Alfred Hitchcockian way to remind herself of how she is connected to the work she does. She says in our book that she doesn't worry if anyone else sees he butterflies - they are often quite hidden - but they remind her of who she is and where she comes from. It is her way to put herself in movies she works on.

Sacramento, Calif.: How do you think access to (relatively) cheap digital technology will change movies?

Doe Mayer: I think cheap technology means that there is a lot more access for people to express themselves by making movies. One of the great new demands from a digital point of view is new editing software. We find that our students at USC come with very sophisticated knowledge of new digital technologies and are very adept at making films that they and their families and friends enjoy. Often those films are very derivative of all the movies they have seen. So, although the technology has democratized filmmaking it hasn't necessarily made everybody more creative.

Having said that, I think that the fact that the technology is cheaper and more available has opened the door to some more independent and exciting film productions. And I look forward to seeing more innovative work which often does have an effect on bigger more expensive Hollywood productions.

Boston, Mass.: Do you think films reflect what is going on in our culture or do you think films influence the culture?

Doe Mayer: I think films both reflect and influence the culture. Sometimes students don't fully understand this. They will say "it isn't about anything, it is only a movie." I think one of our jobs as teachers in film schools is to help students see that it is never only a movie, that movies are always about something even if the filmmakers aren't aware fully what they are about. What we say is "art is both hammers and mirrors."

Washington, D.C.: My 15-year-old niece says that she would like to possibly pursue filmmaking as a career. This is something I know very little about. What schools should she look into? What track of study? And is there anything she can be doing now to get a head start? I'd like her to know her options and be able to make informed decisions that will help her be successful.
Thanks!

Doe Mayer: Filmmaking is an incredibly attractive and sexy field and many young people are enthusiastic about going into it. We encourage them to get a broad undergraduate education because we think that the more they know about the world the more interesting their films will be.

That said, there are film production classes in hundreds of colleges and universities around the country and young people can get a taste of the process in many places.

washingtonpost.com: Why did you write this book?

Doe Mayer: There really is no book like this on the market. There are lots of books about technology and some books about creativity from the point of view of writing, directing and acting, but there is nothing that looks more broadly at the filmmaking process and makes an argument that you can be creative in many different jobs and in many different kinds of filmmaking.

Arlington, Va.: Will you be appearing in person in any area bookstores or schools?

Doe Mayer: I am not appearing in the Washington area on this trip.

I will be appearing at the Broadcast Education Association Conference in Las Vegas in early April and the University Film and Video Association Conference in July. Additionally we intend to do a series of workshops on the topic. You can look at our Web site Creativefilmmaking.com for more information.

Oberlin, Ohio: What sort of barriers to novice filmmakers have been broken down in recent years? Even with larger and larger corporate film entities and restricted distribution, is it easier to get a film out now?

Doe Mayer: Certainly the technology has made it easier for novice filmmakers to make movies. The process is much more democratic now and many young people who have access to a digital camcorder and a computer enjoy making movies. The demand for a film school education is huge. It is not however easier to get independent films distributed or to get anyone to see them at all. This may change with more digital channels on our home televisions but so far I see very little sign of it.

washingtonpost.com: Who should read this book?

Doe Mayer: We wrote this book for a emerging filmmakers whether they were making movies on their own or going to school. But we think that the ideas about creativity that the book explores are quite universal and appropriate to many other artistic and professional areas. Additionally we thought it would interest all those people who love the movies and want to understand at a deeper level the process of making them.

washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.