Is there a formula for winning Oscars?

Or one for receiving nominations?

I've read 3 different articles now, all mentioning The King's Speech as a guaranteed Oscar Nomination in a few categories. One of which even says that the film, "adheres to every rule in the Oscar playbook." Clearly, casting Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush helps. But besides cast, what are the rules of the Oscar playbook? I'm a little unclear on this.

Rule #6: Die; preferably young and in a tragic manner.

1. Something about homosexuality.
2. Something about love.
3. Something about overcoming racism.
4. Something with singing.
5. Something liberal but not overbearing.
6. Be artsy and by artsy I mean write a shit script where you don't write very much of a movie at all but guise it in "deep thinking" shots and edits (to fill time and make the script mean more than the 7 pages it was written on) and make a message about one of the previous 5.
7. Play by the MPAA's and major Hollywood studios' rules.

Here's another list:

http://blogcritics.org/video/article/how-to-win-an-oscar/

Here's another list that's more realistic:
http://www.ehow.com/how_136509_win-academy-award.html

Mosty Lliberals movies and so on wins.and I think most of the time it is planned ahead.

Rule 9:
Rob others' ideas and add them to your movie and claim it as your own.

Yeah.....put out to the board of directors.

YouTube video

YouTube video

MEN : Be Tom Hanks.

WOMEN : Be Katharine Hepburn.

Originally posted by RocasAtoll
YouTube video

That was well done and fairly accurate.

Make sure your movie is overly convoluted and really doesn't have anything to do with anything. Have plenty of close and tight profile shots. Hire a top echelon actor/actress whom has been passed over for awards. Get James Camerons' name involved in the production somehow and if you can't do that, at least make sure he kisses your final cut.