‘Ohhhhh, you are excited to be named Oscar? You want to be 100% safe when you attend the Oscars? Is that right? Yes yes no zoom for you! ”
This is basically what the producers of the upcoming 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 it as “An intimate, personal gathering at Union Station in Los Angeles, with additional show elements live from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood;” and explain that Zoom will not be an option for nominees who does not want to travel to the event, or who just does not feel comfortable attending even an “intimate” ceremony in person. (The Dolby Theater, with a capacity of over 3,400, has been home to the Oscars since 2001; it is natural not a safe primary venue this year taking into account the ongoing pandemic.)
“For those of you who are unable to attend due to schedules or constant travel inconvenience, we want you to know that there will be no option to zoom in for the show,” the letter reads in an unspoken recognition of the recent, technical errorplagued Golden Globes. “We put a lot of effort into providing a safe and enjoyable evening for all of you personally, as well as for all the millions of movie lovers around the world, and we feel that the virtual thing will reduce those efforts.”
The capitalby the way is not ours. It is part of the letter, which is filled with very strange, almost passive aggressive capitalizations. Here are some of our favorites.
- “Of course your first thought CAN BE DONE SAFELY? The answer is YES, IT CAN. ‘
- ‘Therefore, if STORIES matter, then the PEOPLE who bring the stories to life are important. Namely YOU ”
- “We are of the opinion that the performance is not ‘too long’ due to the speeches. Having said that, we want IT S :: With great freedom comes great responsibility, and if you’re wondering what exactly we mean by that, we mean READ THE ROOM. Tell a story. If you thank someone, say the name and not the title. Do not say MY DRIVER, PEGGY just says PEGGY. Make it PERSONAL. ”
G / O Media can get a commission
Stop yelling at them, producers! They are Oscar nominees!
There is much more in the letter, including more details on safety measures, covid testing, a little wording about the clothing, and the overarching the idea of giving each candidate a moment to shine, all you can read Indiewire. But it will be very interesting to see who aand who does not this year.
The Oscars are April 25th. See all the nominees below
For more information, make sure you follow us on our Instagram @io9dotcom.