Here’s an idea for a sunny morning: wouldn’t it be nice to see the “crackpots of the day” run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
If there’s a precedent, nearly a third of the academy’s 54 board members will be elected or re-elected next month (three governors will be appointed for diversity). A month later, the announced David Rubin will replace the president, and at some point the group will complete the search for a new CEO, leaving Dawn Hudson.
This merger of changes brings with it the rare possibility of a sudden reset, but only if future leaders aren’t simply the new version of the old (Hudson and Rubin will influence the choice of the new CEO) and if it makes sense where they can really be d ‘agreement.
So this point should be “the light of day”: a commitment to transparency and member participation. მარტი it’s simple. It goes beyond a specific debate about an Oscar show or academy makeup. And, of course, so too is an institution that, like many others, tends to rebel when communication is most needed (like after Will Smith’s resume, when selfish formal statements and background whispers have replaced the open discussion that should have to take place).
Talking about “reset” in the academy may seem strange. Finally, the group has undergone a de facto revolution since 2015, when the #Oscarssowhite campaign led first to doubling its diversity-oriented members and then to racial and gender reward standards under a five-year plan. The second of which, called Academy Aperture 2025, has yet to be fully implemented. In a certain sense, everything has changed: the mission, the belonging, the internal-international balance, the financial base (now it depends more on the increase in investments than on the reduction of premiums).
But, like most revolutions, the academic revolution, centered primarily on racial and gender equality, quickly became the new orthodoxy. Critics have sided with the condescending phrase: “Change is difficult.” (Consistent people were called “bad satisfaction” – I know I am.) Those who were concerned that politics and morality were backward on the show weren’t attracted. When producer Michael Schumberg called for something as simple as a board vote on a social media reform warrant and an annual membership survey, the governors preferred to hold out in court. In fact, the staff did one survey (and now they’re doing another one), but hid the results. In response to another of Shamberg’s proposals, the academy promised annual meetings; But whether members will be eligible for more than a few pre-tested questions remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, the best aspiring photos have now been denied access to the lengthy “Inclusion” quiz. Concerns about personal data compiled from this are removed. Even esteemed members Steven Spielberg and James Cameron have failed to persuade the current regime to maintain a live performance of the original score, editing and other Academy Awards, which once again put ideology up its sleeve. , this time at the expense of the show. Craft.
These and other problems have caused resentment both in the academy and among those who simply love movies and shows and who, after all, are interested.
Solving many problems is a difficult task. In fact, it is an ongoing process that will never end and will never leave everyone completely happy.
But the “light of day” (transparency and commitment) can do a lot.
For starters, governors could review their election procedures to help council candidates communicate and share positions in the academy instead of holding debates in each branch. Communication between branches can lead to coalitions that can build consensus.
Of course, the new governors must lift the ten-year legal ban on disclosure of the board of directors’ affairs; The more conversations, the better.
In fact, they must post an agenda for each meeting and welcome members to join online.
A regular referendum by members on key issues would be good. The previous diversity questionnaire should have free access, it is called the “RAISE” platform and will have a huge impact on the top contenders in cinema for another year.
When things go wrong, like a banned press conference with Will Smith, the president or CEO, it can be reasonable. I remember that the previous president, Sidney Gannis, was in front of the assembled press. With new leaders and new attitudes, some light, who knows? – Maybe it will happen again.
Source: Deadline
