Some of Hollywood’s top filmmakers and former Oscar winners are speaking out on the Academy’s decision to pre-record eight categories ahead of the March 27 live telecast, urging the Academy to rethink its decision.
James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, Lili Fini Zanuck, John Williams, and more than six dozen others signed an open letter addressed to Academy President David Rubin asking that all 23 Oscars be presented during the telecast.
According to Variety, the letter explained that the choice to pre-record the wins for best documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short, and sound outside of the live Dolby Theatre ceremony would “demean” these crafts and “relegate [them] to the status of second-class citizens.”
The Academy continues to insist that the nominees in those categories will be announced, and the winner’s acceptance speech will be aired in an edited form during the three-hour show.
James Cameron at the OscarsCredit: Timothy A. ClaryAFP/GettyImages
But many artists, including Steven Spielberg (who did not sign the open letter), believe this isn’t good enough.
“To diminish any of those individual categories in the pursuit of ratings and short-term profits does irreparable damage to the Academy’s standing as impartial arbiters, responsible stewards of our industry’s most important awards,” the letter says.
David Rubin announced on Feb. 22 via email and Zoom call that the eight selected categories would be pre-recorded ahead of the ceremony, justifying his decision by saying that this was done “to increase viewer engagement and keep the show vital, kinetic, and relevant.”
The open letter slams this justification, writing, “Seeking new audiences by making the telecast more entertaining is a laudable and important goal, but this cannot be achieved by demeaning the very crafts that, in their most outstanding expressions, make the art of filmmaking worthy of celebration.”
The statement signed by the filmmakers urges Rubin and other Academy board members to go back on this decision.
"For nearly a century, the Academy Award has represented the gold standard in recognizing and honoring all the essential crafts in filmmaking. Now, as we approach Oscar’s 100th year, we are deeply troubled that this gold standard is being tarnished by valuing some filmmaking disciplines over others, relegating those others to the status of second-class citizens. Critical artistic crafts like music scoring, film editing, production design, makeup, hairstyling and sound will always deserve the same respect and recognition as crafts like acting, directing and visual effects.”
Ninety-year-old composer John Williams, who has been nominated 52 times, is among the 65 signatures on the open letter. Directors Cameron, Joe Roth, and del Toro, producers Kathleen Kennedy and Lili Fini Zanuck, costume designer Milena Canonero, production designers Dean Tavoularis, Dante Ferretti, and Geoffrey Kirkland, and cinematographers Dante Spinotti and Vittorio Storaro are among the other signees.
Before this letter, filmmakers like Spielberg, Denis Villeneuve, and Jane Campion have expressed their disapproval of the Academy’s decision, with Spielberg saying that he hopes the decision is reversed, but he isn’t optimistic.
We all have our fingers crossed, hoping that the Academy will come to its senses before the Oscars arrive. If not, then we must uplift those in our community that have been underappreciated by the Academy and continue to fight for their representation as valued and essential members of the filmmaking community.
Source: Variety
