“There will be no option to zoom in on the show,” says the missive from Steven Soderbergh, Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins. “We are doing everything we can to offer you a safe and pleasant evening for all of you personally.”
The reality is starting to hit for those who received Oscar nominations on Monday. On Thursday, they received an email from the producers of the 93rd Oscar broadcast – Steven Soderbergh, Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins – detailing his vision for “a safe and carefree night” at “an intimate and personal event at Union Station in Los Angeles, with additional elements from the live show at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.”
The producers directly addressed the obvious questions about an Oscar at the time of COVID: “Of course, your first thought is THIS CAN BE DONE SAFELY? The answer is YES, CAN. We are treating the event as an active film set, with cadences of testing specially designed to ensure up-to-date results, including an on-site COVID security team with PCR testing capability.There will be specific instructions for those traveling outside of Los Angeles and other instructions for those of you who are already based in Los Angeles. “
For those who do not feel comfortable participating in person … unlucky. “There will be no option to zoom in on the show,” says the letter. “We are doing everything possible to provide a safe and NICE night for all of you personally, as well as for all the millions of film fans around the world, and we feel that the virtual thing will lessen these efforts.”
And in an effort to make everyone present as “relaxed” as possible, there will be “a pre-show meeting in the Union Station courtyard for the last ninety minutes with your nominated colleagues and your guests”.
The dress code? “A fusion of Inspirational and Aspirant, which actually means formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual isn’t.”
The full text of the email appears below.
Congratulations on your Oscar nomination! Borrowing the words of a boring flight attendant, WE HAVE HONOR TO BE PART OF YOUR JOURNEY. We believe that you are happy that your fellow artists have recognized you in an exceptional year, and it is our desire, as your producers, to create an experience for you as a nominee who lives and improves on this achievement.
The first – and most obvious – point that we want to convey with this year’s program is STORIES MATTER. We, as a species, are programmed for the narrative. It’s how we communicate. That’s how we learn. That’s how we evolved. We are surrounded by stories, we swim in them, they are inevitable. AND MOVIES are – we think – the most powerful way of telling stories ever invented. It is a unique art form in its combination of so many other art forms, along with the unique skills needed to execute it well. Then there is the final piece: the audience. The fact that a film can be experienced by millions of people in large groups simultaneously across the planet is another reason for its remarkable reach and continued influence.
So, if STORIES matter, then the PEOPLE who bring these stories to life matter. That is, YOU. To ensure that ALL nominees receive equal prominence, we hope you will agree to be interviewed (soon) to help us tell the story of your journey through April 25th. We want to highlight the connections between all of us who work in the cinema and show that the process is exclusively intimate, collaborative and fun (usually. Hopefully?).
With regard to the practical aspects of the show, our plan is to hold a personal and intimate event at Union Station in Los Angeles, with additional elements from the live show at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Of course, your first thought is THIS CAN BE DONE SAFELY? The answer is YES, IT CAN. We are treating the event as an active film set, with test cadences specially designed to guarantee up-to-date results, including an on-site COVID security team with PCR testing capability. There will be specific instructions for those traveling outside of Los Angeles and other instructions for those who are already based in Los Angeles. All of this will come directly to you from the Academy to ensure you have a safe and carefree night (a glimpse into the future?).
For those who are unable to attend due to schedules or continuing uneasiness with the trip, we want you to know that there will be no option to expand the show. We are making a great effort to provide a safe and NICE night for all of you personally, as well as for all the millions of film fans around the world, and we feel that the virtual thing will lessen these efforts.
Our speech about speeches. 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. The audience leans back when they see a winner with a piece of paper in their hands. The good news is that you must be very relaxed at the time of the show, because you will have been at a pre-show meeting in the Union Station courtyard for the past ninety minutes with your nominated colleagues and your guests (ONLY nominees and guests will be present on the show, by the way. Oh, and the presenters!). Our goal is a feeling of casual exchange and good humor.
You’re wondering about the dress code (as it should). Our goal is a fusion of Inspiration and Aspiration, which in real words means that formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual is not.
Finally, a lot has been lost and a lot has changed since the last Oscar. We will recognize this at the same time as we remind viewers of the power and the need for stories to move us forward, and how films, in particular, create a special kind of connection between people around the world.
We hope to see you on April 25th.
With all our love for cinema,
Jesse
Stacey
Steven
93rd Oscar producers