Academy changes original song rules again
Plus: Best Art Direction becomes Best Production Design
Academy Awards
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They just keep going back and forth on this. It really is time to let the category die its deserved death, but in any case, I'll just let the press release convey the news:
"The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved additional rules for the 85th Academy Awards. The most significant changes affect the Original Song category, in which there will now be five nominees.
"During the nominations process, all voting members of the Music Branch will receive a Reminder List of works submitted in the category and a DVD copy of the song clips. Members will be asked to watch the clips and then vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in the category. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.
"Additionally, upon the recommendation from the Designers Branch (formerly the Art Directors Branch), the Art Direction award will be known as the Production Design award.
"Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Academy's Board of Governors for approval.
For the complete rules for the 85th Academy Awards, visit oscars.org/rules."
I'm happy to see the name change of Best Art Direction to Best Production Design. It's always been a bit awkward that a category called Best Art Direction left art directors off the list of nominees (going instead with production designers and set decorators). Just ask art directors.
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2012-2013 OSCAR PREDICTIONS
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup And Hairstyling
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupAlexInMovieland
August 30, 2012 at 5:09PM EST Reply to CommentNo way they should let Original Song die... this category has tradition and great songs behind it... It's been awarded since the 1930s, and that's quite something.
glebe
August 30, 2012 at 5:09PM EST Reply to CommentThe change from nominating by giving numeric ratings to the regular ranked ballot method that most of the other categories use may do the trick. The old process got ever more convoluted while this is straight forward.
JJ1
August 30, 2012 at 5:25PM EST Reply to CommentThank God for this Song rule. I just don't understand why it couldn't have been like this before. Ah well.
And yes, happy about Production Design, as well.
JuanL
August 30, 2012 at 6:00PM EST Reply to CommentThis is so needed, but I'm glad this didn't get changed until this year. With two under-the-line nominations, I would have forced myself to see. W.E. Thanks goodness the change waited.... I joke.
This is a really needed change. Now if the Academy could only make the Makeup/Hairstyling Category 5 and give a makeover to to the Foreign Film Category.
Progress has been made this year with Doc and Song, hopefully the Academy will follow through with the other categories.
JORDAN Madonna's song was actually deemed ineligible, if my memory serves correct, so it'd never have snatched a nomination.
August 30, 2012 at 6:19PM ESTAgreed about the much-needed Foreign Film facelift. Most needlessly strange category ever.
Edwin Agreed about increasing the number of Makeup/Hairstyling nominees to 5. Shouldn't the inclusion of hairstyling make way for more movies to be considered (i.e. ones that might not even feature that much baity makeup work but have lots of great hairstyling)? I think they should have 5 nominees in THAT category and then decrease the Original Song category to 3 nominees. With a set number of 5 nominees, they're just asking for obvious filler to be up for awards, considering that not many movies even have eligible songs these days.
August 31, 2012 at 3:52PM ESTAl
August 30, 2012 at 7:34PM EST Reply to CommentIf I understand this correctly, at least members won't be able to vote against songs anymore. Now the key is to not get all upset if there aren't great nominees this year. Sometimes there are slow years, but they'll find if they just stick with these rules, all the strong contenders will actually find their way to oscar night.
Mr.F If things are done correctly I don't think we'll have to worry this year about having a weak slate what with three great songs from Brave, a good one from The Hunger Games by Arcade Fire, and one from Lawless by Willie Nelson which will get the full Harvey treatment. Plus, there may be a couple of original songs in Les Mis, Quartet, and Song for Marion.
August 30, 2012 at 8:29PM ESTMovieDearest There will be one new song in "Les Mis", it is titled "Suddenly" and will be sung by Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean. It was written by the stage musical's original songwriting team, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer.
August 30, 2012 at 8:42PM ESTGuy Lodge
August 30, 2012 at 8:15PM EST Reply to CommentTotally in favour of both these changes -- Best Original Song may not be the most essential category these days, but a more uniform structure makes it look less of a weak sister. And "production design" is a much clearer and more widely used term for what the category actually honours.
Brady
August 31, 2012 at 5:06AM EST Reply to CommentI think I'm the only one upset about the Production Design change because it totally changes how I'll have to alphabetize the categories. Cinematography is now the first technical?!?!? There's an award between Original Song and Sound Editing?!? This is going to take some getting used to.
GlennAU
September 1, 2012 at 1:39AM EST Reply to CommentThese changes to original song are good and all, but nothing will ever make "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" a nominee and for that the music branch should be deeply ashamed for the rest of time.
This year should include original songs by Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera and maybe Kylie Minogue if "Holy Motors" gets a release. Now watch them ignore them all and nominate Willy Nelson. :/
THE Diego Ortiz
September 3, 2012 at 1:27PM EST Reply to CommentQuestion: A song that's only played in the credits does not qualify? I've read somewhere that if it's a credits-only song, as long as it's the first song played it qualifies. Me confused.
Also are they still doing a two-song limit for each movie?
glebe Yes, first song in the credits is eligible and yes, only two songs can be nominated for the same movie (though often movies submit more than one song)
September 4, 2012 at 11:28PM EST