The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the creation of the Production and Technology Branch, which is made up of 400 individuls who were previously classified as members-at-large.
The new branch, which comes 10 years after the creation of the Casting Directors in 2013, represents members working in key technical and production positions in all phases of filmmaking, from pre to post-production in Hollywood. This will broaden the Academy’s perspective in board discussions and help start important conversations regarding how the Academy can continue to advance in the industry and ensure new voices and professions are represented.
Branch members include chief technology officers, senior department heads in technology and creative services, and preservation and restoration specialists. In addition, credited production roles, including stunt coordinators, script supervisors, choreographers, music supervisors, colorists, line producers and associate producers, will be a part of the branch.
This now brings the total number of Academy Branches to 18, which represent all areas of the film industry. One branch member will be elected to the Board of Governors for 2023-2024.
The news comes after Friday’s meeting of the 54-person Board of Governors for its annual post-mortem that takes place after the telecast to discuss areas of opportunity and potential changes moving forward.
There’s been much chatter regarding studios and strategists bending or breaking the Academy’s campaign rules over the past year including “Top Gun: Maverick” and most prominently, “To Leslie.”
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