Well, this year’s Oscars are finally over. If you are like me-you have a mixed reaction to the winners. But such is the fun of being a cinephile. Attention now turns to the diversity standards that will be fully implemented next year. What effect will they have on filmmaking and the awards?
Last fall, an independent filmmaker was filling out an online form to put forward his movie for Oscar consideration when some questions on the Academy’s submissions site caught him off guard. The site asked about his cast and crewmembers’ race, gender and sexual orientations, and had some questions about their health — whether they had autism, for instance, or dealt with chronic pain or mental illness.
The questions are part of the Academy’s new representation and inclusion standards for Oscar eligibility (RAISE), which the organization started rolling out in 2021 in preparation for making certain benchmarks mandatory by next year’s awards season. The goal is to spur more inclusive hiring in the film business, but some producers who are trying to comply say the process is cumbersome at best and privacy invading at worst.
TO QUALIFY FOR A BEST PICTURE NEXT YEAR … The film must meet two of the four standards:
A. Onscreen The film must meet one of the following:• At least one of the lead or significant supporting actors is from an under-represented racial or ethnic group.• At least 30 percent of all actors in secondary and more minor roles are from an under-represented group.• The main storyline, theme or narrative of the film is centered on an under rep-resented group.
B. : The Team The film must meet one of the following:• At least two of the creative leadership positions and department heads, such as the director, cinematographer or costume designer, are from under-represented groups, and at least one of those must belong to an under-represented racial or ethnic group.• At least six other crew and technical positions, such as the first AD or script supervisor, are from an under-represented racial or ethnic group.• At least 30 percent of the film's crew is from an under-represented group.
C Access The film must meet both criteria:• The distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships for under-represented groups.• The production, distribution and/or financing company offers below-the-line skill development to the under-represented.
D Audience Development The film must have multiple in-house senior executives from under-represented groups on the marketing, publicity and/or distribution teams.Lots of questions abound. It will be interesting to see what effect the full implementation of these standards have on Oscar submissions and nominations. I suspect a number of audience favorites may be left out.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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