'It’s just a gut punch': Connecticut filmmakers and students react to changes to The Academy Awards

Controversy is not uncommon for The Academy Awards. From Marlon Brando sending Sacheen Littlefeather in his presence to deny his win, to #OscarsSoWhite protesting the lack of diversity in nominations, the prestigious event is often the perfect time for celebrities and viewers alike to air their Hollywood-related grievances.

This year’s Academy Awards ceremony is no different. The broadcast has been lightly experimenting within the past couple of years such as not having a host, introducing an inclusion initiative, and adding a time limit to speeches.

But this year, a single choice has drawn criticism from all angles: the Academy Awards cut eight awards from the broadcast, taking away the ability for viewers to watch nominees potentially win the biggest award of their career.

According to Variety, Oscar attendees learned which categories would be axed from the broadcast during a tense virtual ‘town call.’ The list includes original score, makeup and hairstyling, documentary short, film editing, production design, animated short, live-action short and sound.

Notably, none of these categories feature artists on camera. All of these workers complete the final movie behind the scenes, leaving many crew members feeling even less appreciated in the field.

Ashley Brandon, assistant professor of film, television and media arts at Quinnipiac University, saw the cutting of the categories as a serious blow to the filmmaking community.

“Cutting the categories is a bummer,” Brandon said. “Specifically cutting editing which is the one thing that separates film from all other art forms … The main thing I do in filmmaking is editing and it’s not an easy thing to do … It’s just a gut punch to all the individuals in the industry who are the reasons why movies actually exist.”

Brandon also pointed out that the cutting of the short categories is a slight to up-and-coming filmmakers.

“I understand they’re still giving out the award, but shorts is where every single filmmaker that’s up there winning Best Director started,” Brandon said. “Winning the Oscar and being on stage, having that moment of exposure is what made every single individual that’s up for Best Director this year and all previous years, if they didn’t have that moment in the spotlight, wouldn’t be where they are today.”

Since the announcement, the Academy Awards has received constant online criticism about the upcoming broadcast from viewers and creatives alike.

The Academy reassured people that the winners of these eight categories would be featured at some point, but their speeches would be heavily edited and would not be live like the others.

Significant ‘behind-the-scenes’ figures such as famous directors stood against this decision.

Denis Villeneuve called it “a mistake.” Jane Campion stood up for production designers, saying how important they are “to create any good film,” Actor and director Seth Rogen tweeted, “What better way to celebrate achievements in film than to not publicly honor the people whose job it is to literally film things.”

However, Hollywood is such a small slice of the film world. Creatives all over the nation voiced their concerns – even those in Connecticut, which is becoming a large hub for filmmakers.

David Rabinowitz, an Oscar winner who majored in film, television and media arts at Quinnipiac in 2009, won for Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman in 2019. He said the decision to cut such significant categories doesn’t make sense.

Rabinowitz and Lee with their Oscar awards.

“It’s kind of weird to put a hierarchy on certain categories, you know?” Rabinowitz said. “Movies are literally made in the editing room. They’re all important.”

Nina Kelly graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2021, but has only just entered the film industry. She quickly found jobs with small independent films shooting in Connecticut, then worked her way up to Hallmark and even Netflix.

In each film, she works tirelessly behind the scenes. Though none of these movies were Oscar contenders, the Academy Awards choice still felt like a slight considering all the work that goes unnoticed by viewers.

“Imagine a movie without a set, or a set that didn’t fully immerse you in the world you’re in,” Kelly said.

She knows a thing or two about immersion. Kelly and her team work nearly 16 hour days to make sure everything is shot on time. She would painstakingly place fake snow around the set to immerse the audience in a Hallmark movie, making viewers believe they’re witnessing a winter wonderland.

“While working on set, I’ve seen first hand the amount of work that’s put into these departments,” Kelly said. “It’s not just about the work. It’s about how they have to create something that no one else has ever created.”

According to Kelly, it’s not just hard work being celebrated — it’s innovation. By deliberately casting aside these awards, leaders in the film world are no longer pushing creative minds to attempt new concepts.

Quinnipiac film, television and media arts student Alessandra Varon just wrapped her first film and doesn’t understand the need to cut down on awards.

“These are people who already don’t get enough appreciation or recognition,” Varon said. “In fact, I think the show is still missing categories!”

Rabinowitz agreed with Varon’s sentiment. Though the cause of the cuts is unconfirmed, rumors are swirling that it has to do with keeping down runtime. But Rabinowitz thinks runtime means little to people who watch the Oscars for its true purpose — celebrating good cinema.

“They’re doing this to make it a little bit shorter so it’s a little more accessible to other people,” said Rabinowitz. “But I don’t think that is going to make people who wouldn’t otherwise be interested…suddenly interested. They should make it for the people who are actually interested, which…they want to see these categories.”

William Teare, a sophomore film, television and media arts major at Quinnipiac, feels pushed aside by the Academy as a fan of the awards show.

“I feel terribly alienated,” Teare said. “With viewerships radically down, less movie fans out there and a whole lot of pressure by ABC, they’re pushing out the only fan base they have left — movie fans. They want to cater to new people, which I’m so down for … but casting aside the only fans you have left? It’s so sad.”

Teare said that the direction that the Academy is taking with the Oscars could lead to its downfall.

“At the end of the day, the Oscars are for honoring the artists that deserve it,” Teare said. “If you don’t, you’ll quickly find that the Oscars might not exist much longer.”