They're cutting which categories?
I like the Oscars. It’s appointment viewing for me since I love movies, but I completely understand why people do not watch the awards ceremony because the past few ceremonies have gone for nearly four hours. For most viewers, that is way too long. When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first mentioned the possibility of trimming the ceremony by presenting awards during commercial breaks, it showed that the Academy was listening to the viewers. Hopefully they would have cut the categories that consisted of films that the most of the audience had not seen like Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short. Live action short did make that list so maybe they kind of read my mind.
The Academy has caught a lot of flak because they have ultimately decided to cut Cinematography, Film Editing, and Makeup & Hairstyling in addition to Best Live Action Short. As you could imagine, there has been a ton of pushback by Academy members like Guillermo Del Toro and the American Society of Cinematographers President Kees Van Oostrum:
The Academy has caught a lot of flak because they have ultimately decided to cut Cinematography, Film Editing, and Makeup & Hairstyling in addition to Best Live Action Short. As you could imagine, there has been a ton of pushback by Academy members like Guillermo Del Toro and the American Society of Cinematographers President Kees Van Oostrum:
Dear members of the ASC,
Yesterday afternoon the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced that the Best Cinematography presentation — as well as the awards for Film Editing, Live-Action Short and Make-up and Hair Styling — would not be broadcast live but presented in a delayed and edited version during the televised Oscar ceremony. This decision was apparently made in order to shorten the length of the Academy Awards broadcast.
After receiving many comments on this matter from ASC members, I think I speak for many of them in declaring this a most unfortunate decision. We consider filmmaking to be a collaborative effort where the responsibilities of the director, cinematographer, editor and other crafts often intersect. This decision could be perceived as a separation and division of this creative process, thus minimizing our fundamental creative contributions.
The Academy is an important institution that represents our artistry in the eyes of the world. Since the organization’s inception 91 years ago, the Academy Awards have honored cinematographers’ talent, craft and contributions to the filmmaking process, but we cannot quietly condone this decision without protest.
Kees van Oostrum
ASC President
Yesterday afternoon the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced that the Best Cinematography presentation — as well as the awards for Film Editing, Live-Action Short and Make-up and Hair Styling — would not be broadcast live but presented in a delayed and edited version during the televised Oscar ceremony. This decision was apparently made in order to shorten the length of the Academy Awards broadcast.
After receiving many comments on this matter from ASC members, I think I speak for many of them in declaring this a most unfortunate decision. We consider filmmaking to be a collaborative effort where the responsibilities of the director, cinematographer, editor and other crafts often intersect. This decision could be perceived as a separation and division of this creative process, thus minimizing our fundamental creative contributions.
The Academy is an important institution that represents our artistry in the eyes of the world. Since the organization’s inception 91 years ago, the Academy Awards have honored cinematographers’ talent, craft and contributions to the filmmaking process, but we cannot quietly condone this decision without protest.
Kees van Oostrum
ASC President
I don’t understand why the Academy would cut those first three categories because the movies in those categories are the same movies that have been nominated for a majority of the awards being presented that night, including Best Picture. So, a lot of the viewers will have heard of those movies and will have that immediate recognition. Plus categories like Film Editing, Cinematography, and Makeup & Hairstyling look forward to the Oscars because their craft finally gets appreciated by a global audience. Cinematography is extremely important as I always hear when people talk about the “look” of a movie. Film Editing can be a thankless job because it is only noticed when it is really terrible but never applauded when it is done well. Keeping the documentary categories in the telecast is a real head-scratcher though.
If the Academy really wants to trim the telecast, then they would remove the performances of the Best Original Song nominees. That would easily cut 20-25 minutes of the ceremony when you include the introductions before the songs and the applause after the songs.
No matter how long the ceremony is, I’ll still watch but the Academy is moving in the right direction by trimming the telecast. They had to shorten it in order to win back some viewers. They just aren’t choosing the right categories to cut.
If the Academy really wants to trim the telecast, then they would remove the performances of the Best Original Song nominees. That would easily cut 20-25 minutes of the ceremony when you include the introductions before the songs and the applause after the songs.
No matter how long the ceremony is, I’ll still watch but the Academy is moving in the right direction by trimming the telecast. They had to shorten it in order to win back some viewers. They just aren’t choosing the right categories to cut.