“Ohhhhh, you are excited to be nominated for an Oscar? Do you want to be 100% safe when you go to Oscar? Is this right? Yes well, no zoom for you! “
That’s basically what the producers at the next Oscar ceremony said in a letter sent to all nominees this week. The letter explains that this year’s event will be held in person; described how “An intimate and personal event at Union Station in Los Angeles, with additional live show elements from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood;” and explained that Zoom will not be an option for nominees who do not want to travel to the event, or who simply do not feel comfortable attending an “intimate” ceremony in person. (The Dolby Theater, which has a capacity of more than 3,400, has received an Oscar since 2001; obviously this is not one safe main site this year considering the current pandemic.)
“For those of you who were unable to attend due to the schedule or the continuing uneasiness with the trip, we want you to know that there will be no option to expand the show,” says the letter, in what may have been an tacit acknowledgment of the recent, Technical error-tormented Golden globes. “We are making a great effort to offer a safe and NICE night for all of you personally, as well as for all the millions of cinema fans around the world, and we feel that the virtual thing will lessen these efforts.
Capitalizestion is not ours, by the way. This is part of the letter, which is full of strange, almost passive-aggressive capital letters. Here are some of our favorites.
- “Of course, your first thought is THIS CAN BE DONE SAFELY? The answer is YES, IT CAN. “
- “So, if STORIES matter, then the PEOPLE who bring these stories to life matter. In other words, YOU ”
- “We believe that the show is not ‘too long’ because of the speeches. Having said that, we would like to say the following: With great freedom comes great responsibility, and if you are wondering what exactly we mean by that, we mean READ THE ROOM. Tell a story. If you are thanking someone, say their name, not the position. Don’t say MY MANAGER, PEGGY, just say PEGGY. Make it PERSONAL. “
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Stop yelling at them, producers! They are nominated for an Oscar!
There’s a lot more to write, including more details about security precautions, covid test, a few words about the dress code, and the comprehensive idea of giving each nominee a moment to shine, which you can read Indiewire. But it will be very interesting to see who appearsand who doesn’t this year.
The Oscar is April 25th. See all listed below
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