Artisans are hoping for an Academy Awards do-over before the ceremony begins.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sparked outrage and frustration last week when it revealed plans to award eight craft Oscars before the live telecast and sprinkle footage of those presentations throughout the three-hour show — all to make room for other entertainment elements designed to boost viewer engagement and sagging ratings. Adding to the upset: Unsuspecting nominees felt ambushed by the Zoom announcement about the impending change during a virtual town hall last week.
Susan Cabral-Ebert, a member of the Make-up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild, is among those hoping the Academy rethinks its plans before the March 27 ceremony. The former president of Local 706, whose credits include “Outbreak” and “Pleasantville,” tells Variety that the decision “felt like a kick in the teeth.” Her category is one of the eight affected; the others are original score, documentary short, film editing, production design, animated short, live action short and sound. Other awards shows such as the Tonys use a similar approach to their telecasts, and while Academy president David Rubin pleaded for understanding in a letter to members, those directly affected by the change are upset. “People are huge fans of makeup, and our Academy says, ‘Well, you’re not important,’” says Cabral-Ebert. “You try doing a movie without makeup, sound editing and art direction.”
One nominee who wished to remain anonymous calls the move “bullshit,” telling Variety, “I was in the town hall for this, and I had to hang up.”
The American Cinema Editors decried the decision, while Alan Heim, head of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700, says, “This move renders the ‘invisible art’ of editing even less visible.”
Celebrating “some categories differently than others ultimately communicates a sobering insensitivity to the affected creative arts and the indispensable contributions these artists afford the films being celebrated,” said the board of directors for the Cinema Audio Society, which is also encouraging a reversal.
The Academy tried to cut categories from the live broadcast before — in 2019, it planned to bestow four artisan awards during commercial breaks — but ultimately reversed the decision. No matter the explanation for this year’s change, the question remains the same.
Asks the anonymous nominee: “Why my category?”