The lounge fell silent for a moment.
The three chairs of the Academy's executive committee, all Hollywood old-timers who had been in the business for decades, undoubtedly understood the subtext in Martin's words.
"Europe and Australia have long been regulars at the Oscars," Tom Sherak said seriously, considering what Martin had said, "As for other places, Asia... the world's second-largest film market, used to be very passionate about the Oscars and willing to invest money."
He was not familiar with the specifics there, "I don't know why, but in recent years their interest in the Oscars has greatly diminished, and the number of films and companies coming over for the Oscars has dropped significantly."
Others might not know, but Martin understood that they were gradually regaining confidence. Although there were still plenty of 'this soft-boned ones', in many people's eyes the only real competitor was America.
