Jane Campion has become the second filmmaker to speak out publicly about the Academy’s decision to pre-record eight craft categories and present them during the live telecast.
Campion was bestowed with the Cinematic Imagery Award during the ADG Awards Saturday evening, celebrating outstanding production design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, animated features and music videos. The Oscar-nominated director delivered a speech via video, saying, “I want to take this moment to express particularly how important production designers [are] to create any good film. I don’t know what their reasons were, it’s hard for any directors to understand that choice.”
“I would definitely have included design in the main body of the awards because the designer is one of the very first people I bring onto a team. All the work that you do as designers is so vital, and it is really deeply valued by myself and your peers,” she continued.
Campion thanked the group of art directors, saying, “I have so much respect for you.”
During her speech, Campion also announced she had caught COVID. Campion said she was not feeling sick. “I wouldn’t even know I was ill, the lights went on on my test,” she said.
Earlier this week, Del Toro called out the Academy and its decision. The awards for documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live action short and sound will be handed out at 4 p.m., before the ceremony. Del Toro commented, ”If any year was the year to think about it, this is not the year not to hear their names live at the Oscars. This is the year to sing and do it live.”
Sasha Urban contributed to this story.