The 88th Academy Awards production had a very different feel to it from those of recent years. All to the plus. Introductory presentations were crisper without the slapstick comedy that often occurred between presenters and acceptance speeches were crisper, to the point and most importantly shorter. All the other fifty thank-you acknowledgment scrolled by on the bottom of the screen. Too fast to be read inmost cases but silent and not time consuming.
The order of the presentations was also changed so as to give greater emphasis to the basic and technical elements. It was supposed to b in the order that the filmmaking process occurs. I do not believe they kept fully to that premise but the format did place the technical elements in a greater spotlight. I believe that it became a little more educational for the show’s viewers. The point to be made was that it takes many people performing numerous crafts to make a movie. Each one of these elements affects what the viewer experiences and contribute to the storytelling. As the show proceeded, I kept thinking “Hey Guys. Thanks for plugging my upcoming book.” One after another reaffirmed the propositions that I put forth in the book that the story and meanings are conveyed through the exquisite combination of all of a film’s elements. Some of the more notable Oscar comments for me in this regard were:
EDITING: Margaret Sixel [Mad Max: Fury Road] told viewers that it is in the cutting room that the film is forged. In thanking her staff she said they “worked with their hands, their head and most importantly their hearts.” In Chapter 11 of the book, I discuss how other editors have stood fast to the theory that the most important thing not to cut is emotion.
SOUND: Mad Max: Fury Road also won both the Sound Editing and Sound Mixing awards. Their key comments were that we “see with our ears.” “Sound artists are storytellers.” The vibes from the screen are conveyed through images and sounds.
MUSIC: Presenter and musician Quincy Jones referred to film music as “emotion lotion”. Ennio Morricone, who at 87, finally earned his first Oscar after so many notable compositions, was honored for his original score for The Hateful Eight. He looked at the process in a slightly different order by noting that “great music inspires great soundtracks.” This statement is reflective of the fact that in so many films, the music is not written and added until the film is shot. Sometimes the work is occurring simultaneously.
Lady Gaga’s performance of her song, “Til It Happens To You” joined by a cast of survivors of campus sexual assault, will go down as one of the most notable Oscar occurrences. It was performed with such raw emotion reflecting anger, tears, determination to survive that it took everyone’s breath and bought most of the house to tears. It’s message was so strong. I found it even ironic that the performance occurred right after the holocaust film, Son of Saul was selected as best foreign language film. The video can be found at http://oscar.go.com/video/oscars-music-moments-2016/lady-gaga-performs-til-it-happens-to-you
Another poignant moment relating to music was when Mr. Morricone’s name was announced he was immediately hugged by fellow nominated composer John Williams. True respect.
While lacking the excitement of some past ceremonies, I found the 88th to be done with class, entertaining, and emotions openly displayed. Like the films it honored, it provided its story through truly moving images and sounds.
Very interesting follow-up to the Oscars because it clarified what we saw that evening. Bob’s comments called attention to many details that I missed. Thanks, Bob.