THE ACADEMY AWARDS SHOW
Will this year’s enforced changes bring a breath of fresh air?
Does the Oscar ceremony need a shake-up? It’s a question that’s been asked for some years, spurred by the ever-dwindling figures for the TV broadcast (last year’s 23m was an all-time low). And while the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has already tried increasing the number of Best Picture nominations, shortening the event and ditching the host, it’s now getting radical.
“The Academy is determined to present an Oscars like none other, while prioritising the public health and safety of all those who will participate,” a spokesperson said. “To create the in-person show our global audience wants to see, while adapting to the requirements of the pandemic, the ceremony will broadcast live from multiple locations, including the landmark Dolby Theater.”
This is the latest of several changes brought about by Covid-19 and the
shuttering of cinemas. For starters, there’s the unusually late date for the ceremony of 25 April, for the Oscars are traditionally held in February or March. This, in turn, has led to a widening of the eligibility window, with films released between 1 January 2020 and 28 February 2021 now being considered, whereas the cut-off date is normally 31 December. Furthermore, movies that were intended for theatrical release but have debuted on streaming services are this year permissible, rather than all entries being required to play in a Los Angeles cinema for at least a week.
But back to the show itself. So, will it follow the example of the Emmys, where Jimmy Kimmel anchored it from the Staples Center in downtown LA, while most nominees plugged into the show from home over Zoom? Or will some bubbling of the nominees and/or targeted vaccinations allow for gatherings at the Dolby Theater and other off-site venues? Perhaps some of those venues will be outside? We certainly wouldn’t mind seeing ‘Husavik’, the closing ballad from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga, sung on the ice-rink at Central Park, or perhaps from a fishing trawler. That’s if the Best Song nominations are even performed this year…
One thing’s for sure: the show must go on. And who knows, maybe this will prove to be just what the Oscars needed, though the circumstances that have rung the changes are indeed dire. JG
‘WILL MOST OF THE NOMINEES PLUG IN FROM HOME OVER ZOOM?’