The Oscars Add Popular Movie Category, Won't Air All Awards Live - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 08-08-2018, 02:30 PM

Oscars to Speed Up, Add Popular Movie Category, Won’t Air All Awards Live
by Patrick Hipes and Mike Fleming Jr
August 8, 2018

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’s board of governors approved several changes to the annual Oscars show last night during their meeting Tuesday night in which they re-elected John Bailey to a second term as president.

Most important to the world at large: they are making moves to shorten the broadcast and stop live airing below the line categories that bog down the Oscarcast and has led to slumping ratings except in years when big films are up for the top awards, which isn’t often enough.

In a memo to members from Bailey and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, the changes outlined include creating a new category, for outstanding achievement in popular film.

In addition, the board voted to limit the length of its annual awards show to three hours.

In what might be the move most celebrated by everyone except the below the line guilds, the board also voted to present select categories live in the Dolby Theatre during commercial breaks of the Oscar ceremony, with an edited version of that presentation to air later in the broadcast.

Those categories haven’t been determined, but there has been push-back in the past in awards-season shows (not just the Oscars) from below-the-line crafts wary of having their categories nudged off the main broadcast. But the struggle to keep global audiences engaged, clearly forced the board of governor’s collective hand.

Strangely, this is a move that was lobbied for by every Oscarcast producer over the past decade and a half, but the board would barely entertain those suggestions. They were shot down cold, every time, like those producers were asking for more Tweeting accountants.

Broadcasts are leadened with below-the-line category award presentations for accomplished pros that Oscar’s global audience is completely unaware of. Those anonymous winners then proceeded to thank loved ones and colleagues who are even more obscure to the world at large, an incredible indulgence to an entertainment broadcast.

As a result, Oscar struggles in the ratings ever year, despite the cleverness and best efforts of hosts like Jimmy Kimmel or Hugh Jackman to inject levity and spark into the proceedings.

Ironically, despite the ferocious resistance, the Academy will look like it had a great idea here next Oscarcast. But let’s remember that a lot of next Oscarcast’s ratings bump will be if the billion-dollar ceiling-shattering zeitgeist Marvel movie Black Panther gets nominations, especially if the film is in the mix for Best Picture. Or if it and other blockbusters are celebrated in new categories.

There hasn’t been as commercial as Black Panther up for that award since what, Avatar? Traditionalists still choking on seeing more than five Best Picture nominees will sneer, but creating a rooting interest among the masses seems worth a try.

The Academy’s board also voted to move the 2020 Oscars, the 92nd edition, from February 23 to February 9.

https://deadline.com/2018/08/oscars-...te-1202442455/

TMC · 08-08-2018, 08:02 PM

Why limiting the Oscars to three hours is a bad idea: "The Oscars should always be long"
"At first, this sounds like a great idea, because the annoying people in your life always complain that the Oscars are too long," says Kyle Buchanan of the Film Academy's plan to make the ceremony three hours by cutting down on live awards. "Well, it’s not for them! The Oscars should always be long, because we wait all year for this show and those stray, long moments are where all the weird and memorable **** tends to happen! Nobody complains about the Super Bowl running 20 minutes over, because that’s masc, I guess. Even worse is the way this cut-down is going to be enacted: Several categories will be presented during the commercial breaks, then editors will whip together a quick montage of those winners to play later in the show. What a dumb way to diminish all the craft that goes into these movies and ding the non-famous on the biggest night of their lives, especially since many of these craftspeople hail from exactly the kind of popular blockbusters the Academy wants more of. (Just delete the three short-film categories like we’ve been telling you! They make no sense in the era of YouTube and they’re simply about rich kids renting out the Nuart to qualify!)"

CBS must be steamed that the Oscars are taking over the Grammys' traditional date

The Grammy Awards ceremony is usually broadcast one week after the Super Bowl, but the Film Academy announced today that it will take over the Sunday after the Super Bowl in 2020. (The Grammys are moved to January in Winter Olympics years. And the Grammys aired on a Monday, eight days after the Super Bowl, in 2016 to take advantage of Presidents' Day.) The Oscars have traditionally aired on the last Sunday of February, but the Oscars moving to the week after the Super Bowl means there will be back-to-back Sundays of massive TV events. "The Grammys have been ambushed, frankly," says Roger Friedman. "Do they move up a week? That would be Super Bowl Sunday. Do they switch with the Oscars and go two weeks later? Or back into January?" ALSO: The last time the Oscars moved to an earlier date -- from late March to late February, in 2004 -- all the other award shows leap-frogged to earlier dates as well.

ABC and Disney executives pushed hard for big Oscar changes: You are facing irrelevance!

For years, Disney and ABC executives have pressured the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to make changes to the ceremony that would make it shorter and, thus, more watchable for viewers at home. And for years, the Academy refused. But then, according to Variety's Daniel Holloway, "ratings fell off a cliff" for this year's Jimmy Kimmel-hosted ceremony, the lowest-rated ever. Days later, a "come-to-Jesus meeting" was held with the Film Academy, where "the TV people walked through the lousy ratings at a granular level, identifying precise moments during the show that prompted viewers to stop watching," according to Holloway. "They made several recommendations about the ways that the telecast’s length could be reigned in, and proposed a 'best blockbuster' category that would reward films that had been seen by larger audiences. They also argued that viewers had become fatigued by the ever-increasing number of televised awards shows — including the Golden Globe Awards, whose viewership has been relatively stable in recent years — and that the Oscars should be moved to an early calendar period." Holloway reports that ABC and Disney executives are relieved following today's announcement, and they are unmoved by the social media backlash. As Holloway points out, ABC is the only one of the Big Four networks that doesn't broadcast the Super Bowl. So having a hit Oscar telecast is of the utmost importance.

ALSO:

"The Popcorn Award" will ruin the Oscars, turning it into the People's Choice Awards
"Below the line" film workers express outrage that speeches in their category won't air live: “I’m afraid this will end up being a little demeaning"
It makes sense that Disney would push the Academy for a "popular film" award that could benefit its Marvel films

TMC · 09-06-2018, 04:43 PM

Oscars withdraws controversial new "Popular" film category -- at least for now
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said its planned “popular” Oscar “merits further study” and will not be part of next year's 91st Academy Awards ceremony. The Academy admitted that implementing any new award nine months into the year “creates challenges for films that have already been released.” “There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We have made changes to the Oscars over the years—including this year—and we will continue to evolve while also respecting the incredible legacy of the last 90 years.”

08-08-2018, 02:30 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,121	The Oscars Add Popular Movie Category, Won't Air All Awards Live Oscars to Speed Up, Add Popular Movie Category, Won’t Air All Awards Live by Patrick Hipes and Mike Fleming Jr August 8, 2018 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’s board of governors approved several changes to the annual Oscars show last night during their meeting Tuesday night in which they re-elected John Bailey to a second term as president. Most important to the world at large: they are making moves to shorten the broadcast and stop live airing below the line categories that bog down the Oscarcast and has led to slumping ratings except in years when big films are up for the top awards, which isn’t often enough. In a memo to members from Bailey and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, the changes outlined include creating a new category, for outstanding achievement in popular film. In addition, the board voted to limit the length of its annual awards show to three hours. In what might be the move most celebrated by everyone except the below the line guilds, the board also voted to present select categories live in the Dolby Theatre during commercial breaks of the Oscar ceremony, with an edited version of that presentation to air later in the broadcast. Those categories haven’t been determined, but there has been push-back in the past in awards-season shows (not just the Oscars) from below-the-line crafts wary of having their categories nudged off the main broadcast. But the struggle to keep global audiences engaged, clearly forced the board of governor’s collective hand. Strangely, this is a move that was lobbied for by every Oscarcast producer over the past decade and a half, but the board would barely entertain those suggestions. They were shot down cold, every time, like those producers were asking for more Tweeting accountants. Broadcasts are leadened with below-the-line category award presentations for accomplished pros that Oscar’s global audience is completely unaware of. Those anonymous winners then proceeded to thank loved ones and colleagues who are even more obscure to the world at large, an incredible indulgence to an entertainment broadcast. As a result, Oscar struggles in the ratings ever year, despite the cleverness and best efforts of hosts like Jimmy Kimmel or Hugh Jackman to inject levity and spark into the proceedings. Ironically, despite the ferocious resistance, the Academy will look like it had a great idea here next Oscarcast. But let’s remember that a lot of next Oscarcast’s ratings bump will be if the billion-dollar ceiling-shattering zeitgeist Marvel movie Black Panther gets nominations, especially if the film is in the mix for Best Picture. Or if it and other blockbusters are celebrated in new categories. There hasn’t been as commercial as Black Panther up for that award since what, Avatar? Traditionalists still choking on seeing more than five Best Picture nominees will sneer, but creating a rooting interest among the masses seems worth a try. The Academy’s board also voted to move the 2020 Oscars, the 92nd edition, from February 23 to February 9. https://deadline.com/2018/08/oscars-...te-1202442455/

08-08-2018, 08:02 PM	#2
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,219	Why limiting the Oscars to three hours is a bad idea: "The Oscars should always be long" "At first, this sounds like a great idea, because the annoying people in your life always complain that the Oscars are too long," says Kyle Buchanan of the Film Academy's plan to make the ceremony three hours by cutting down on live awards. "Well, it’s not for them! The Oscars should always be long, because we wait all year for this show and those stray, long moments are where all the weird and memorable ** tends to happen! Nobody complains about the Super Bowl running 20 minutes over, because that’s masc, I guess. Even worse is the way this cut-down is going to be enacted: Several categories will be presented during the commercial breaks, then editors will whip together a quick montage of those winners to play later in the show. What a dumb way to diminish all the craft that goes into these movies and ding the non-famous on the biggest night of their lives, especially since many of these craftspeople hail from exactly the kind of popular blockbusters the Academy wants more of. (Just delete the three short-film categories like we’ve been telling you! They make no sense in the era of YouTube and they’re simply about rich kids renting out the Nuart to qualify!)" CBS must be steamed that the Oscars are taking over the Grammys' traditional date The Grammy Awards ceremony is usually broadcast one week after the Super Bowl, but the Film Academy announced today that it will take over the Sunday after the Super Bowl in 2020. (The Grammys are moved to January in Winter Olympics years. And the Grammys aired on a Monday, eight days after the Super Bowl, in 2016 to take advantage of Presidents' Day.) The Oscars have traditionally aired on the last Sunday of February, but the Oscars moving to the week after the Super Bowl means there will be back-to-back Sundays of massive TV events. "The Grammys have been ambushed, frankly," says Roger Friedman. "Do they move up a week? That would be Super Bowl Sunday. Do they switch with the Oscars and go two weeks later? Or back into January?" ALSO: The last time the Oscars moved to an earlier date -- from late March to late February, in 2004 -- all the other award shows leap-frogged to earlier dates as well. ABC and Disney executives pushed hard for big Oscar changes: You are facing irrelevance!** For years, Disney and ABC executives have pressured the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to make changes to the ceremony that would make it shorter and, thus, more watchable for viewers at home. And for years, the Academy refused. But then, according to Variety's Daniel Holloway, "ratings fell off a cliff" for this year's Jimmy Kimmel-hosted ceremony, the lowest-rated ever. Days later, a "come-to-Jesus meeting" was held with the Film Academy, where "the TV people walked through the lousy ratings at a granular level, identifying precise moments during the show that prompted viewers to stop watching," according to Holloway. "They made several recommendations about the ways that the telecast’s length could be reigned in, and proposed a 'best blockbuster' category that would reward films that had been seen by larger audiences. They also argued that viewers had become fatigued by the ever-increasing number of televised awards shows — including the Golden Globe Awards, whose viewership has been relatively stable in recent years — and that the Oscars should be moved to an early calendar period." Holloway reports that ABC and Disney executives are relieved following today's announcement, and they are unmoved by the social media backlash. As Holloway points out, ABC is the only one of the Big Four networks that doesn't broadcast the Super Bowl. So having a hit Oscar telecast is of the utmost importance. ALSO: "The Popcorn Award" will ruin the Oscars, turning it into the People's Choice Awards "Below the line" film workers express outrage that speeches in their category won't air live: “I’m afraid this will end up being a little demeaning" It makes sense that Disney would push the Academy for a "popular film" award that could benefit its Marvel films
	Last edited by TMC; 08-09-2018 at 12:07 AM.

09-06-2018, 04:43 PM	#3
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,219	Oscars withdraws controversial new "Popular" film category -- at least for now The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said its planned “popular” Oscar “merits further study” and will not be part of next year's 91st Academy Awards ceremony. The Academy admitted that implementing any new award nine months into the year “creates challenges for films that have already been released.” “There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We have made changes to the Oscars over the years—including this year—and we will continue to evolve while also respecting the incredible legacy of the last 90 years.”