The Academy Award of Merit, also known as the Oscar's statuette, recognizes outstanding achievements in moviemaking and excellence in all aspects of film production. The statue was designed in 1928 by Cedric Gibbons, the art director at MGM. Sculptor George Stanley was commissioned to bring Gibbons' design to life for a fee of $500. The 13.5-inch-tall, 8.5-pound statue depicts a knight holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes, symbolizing…