American Cinema Editors Denounce Decision to Pre-Tape Oscar Categories in Letter to the Academy

variety.com:

Sasha Urban editorIn a letter Saturday morning, American Cinema Editors (ACE) urged the Academy to reverse its controversial decision to present eight of this year’s Oscars in a pre-taped segment.“Treating certain categories differently from others has struck a nerve within our community, with the overwhelming majority of our membership feeling unheard, disrespected and abandoned by the very same Academy which so many of us have supported for decades,” the letter read.The Academy’s decision to change the show’s format, first announced on Feb.

22, was met with swift backlash from all sides of the film community. The categories relegated to the pre-taped segment are film editing, production design, makeup and hairstyling, documentary short, original score live-action short film, animated short film and sound. “This year’s show producers and Academy leadership with oversight of the Oscars have made the decision, with endorsement from the officers and the Awards Committee, that every awards category must be featured on the television broadcast, though eight awards will initially be presented in the Dolby Theatre in the hour before the live broadcast begins,” the Academy wrote in a letter to its members announcing the decision.While the awards will be edited into the live broadcast and won’t be cut entirely, ACE wrote in its letter that the decision is “not the solution to the dwindling ratings.”“There are other creative and entertaining ways to shorten a show — we know, that’s what we do!” ACE wrote.