The very first Academy Awards ceremony took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Unlike the televised spectacles of today, the ceremony lasted only 15 minutes and the winners had been announced three months in advance. Tickets cost just $5. The event was created by Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM, primarily as a way to unite the five branches of the film industry (actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers) and to head off unionization efforts. The first 'Best Picture' (then called Outstanding Picture) was awarded to 'Wings,' a silent film about World War I pilots. It remains the only silent film to win the award until 'The Artist' did so in 2011. The famous statuette, the 'Oscar,' was designed by Cedric Gibbons and sculpted by George Stanley.