In order to for a tighter one show to overcome the record low notes of last yearthe 94th Academy Awards will pre-record the presentation this time of some eight awards.
In a letter sent Tuesday to members of the academy of Arts and sciences of cinema, the group’s chairman, David Rubin, said the awards for editing, filmmaking designsoundmakeup and hairstyle, music (original score) and the three short film awards (documentary, live-action and animated) will be presented at the ceremony before March 27 live broadcast begins on ABC.
Now, instead of starting the ceremony and airing it all at once, the Dolby Theater ceremony will be begin one hour before the broadcast. Presentation and speeches of these first eight winners will be edited and featured for three hours live broadcastwhich Rubin pointed out would always provide every winner with their “Oscar moment”.
Rubin said the changes were needed for the future health of the Oscars.
“When deciding how to produce the Oscars, we recognize that it is a live event television show and we need to prioritize TV audience to increase viewer engagement and keep the show vital, kinetic and relevant,” Rubin wrote. “It was an important goal of discussion for some time. We do this for also recalling the importance of have our nominees savor once-in-a lifetime experience.”
The possibility of pulling of the 23 categories of the Oscars among the broadcast has long been a business of debate. In 2019, the academy first sought to air four categories – cinematography, editing, make-up and hair and live-short action- in a shortened, taped segment. But after a violent reaction, the academy reversed itself a few days before the show.
But the ratings continued to decline. Last year’s broadcastseverely impaired by COVID-19, dropped to historic lows of 9.85 millions of viewers. (In 2018, 29.6 millions people watched.) The pressure mounted not only with the long run of the Oscars broadcast partner, ABC but within the academy to innovate a cultural institution that has long resisted change.
This year after several Oscars without a host, the producers turn to the trio of Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes to host. the show, produced by Will Packer, will be also recognize the favorite movie as voted on by fans on Twitter.
By doing the Oscars again to be less of a march through the awards, the Oscars will become a bit more like the Tonys and the Grammys, which also reduced the number of awards given out on their television shows. That didn’t stop the rating slide for either, however. The Tonys and the Grammys have taken off new low rating in 2021. Some have argued that no amount of DIY can stem the tide against any network television broadcast in a more diffuse, continuous media world.
Rubin promised the overhaul broadcast will be “tighter and more electric” because of the category changes but also promised one eyebrow tweak last yearthe ceremony won’t come back: The show will again to finish with the award for best picture.
