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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 3:10 pm
by Big Magilla
Why don't we just ignore this category - either consider it locked or elminate it from consideration as we do special awards. This year the Academy gave a spcial award to Shirley Temple for her "outstanding contribution to screen entertainment during the year 1934". I'd like to give a special award instead to Louise Beavers and Fredi Washington for being the first African-American performers to have roles equal in size and importance to their white counterparts in a mainstream Hollywood film, Imitation of Life, not to mention that their performances were at least as good as all the nominees in the lead acting categories.
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 2:50 pm
by OscarGuy
Nope, that would be Dance Direction, which was also a short-lived category at the Oscars.
The AD is in control of the studio set, basically second-in-command to the director. He's responsible for making sure everything is running smoothly, including having actors on the set in time, making sure shots are set up and the crew is ready, etc. It's a big, thankless job, but an important one.
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 2:40 pm
by Big Magilla
Adding to the problem is that we can apparently only vote for credited assitant directors, not uncredited ones like Howard Hawks and William A. Wellman, both of whom worked on Viva Villa!, which is officially credited to Jack Conway. But what about Busby Berkeley who is officially credited with directing the musical numbers in Dames? Isn't that a kind of an assistant director?
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:55 am
by OscarGuy
How many of the people who voted back then actually knew how well the AD did on the film set? That's probably one of the reasons it wasn't kept more than three years as a category and why the DGA includes ADs and others in the DGA award lists.
I would say the best way to tell is if it was a large production and the film comes across well on the big screen, then the AD did a good job. But judging Assistant Direction is just about as easy to judge as good Editing.
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:43 am
by The Original BJ
This is related to pretty much nothing but...
How does one possibly judge Assistant Directing by what's on screen? The only way I can remotely think of to judge this is to evaluate how smoothly the set ran and none of us were on any of these sets to know. Believe me, I think A.D.'s are among the hardest working, most underappreciated workers in the business, but it's a completely artless job and I have no opinion about the Oscar-worthiness of any of the nominated A.D.'s this year.
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:42 am
by Penelope
Ok, I hope I get this right:
Rescue Viva Villa! for Best Picture, replacing The House of Rothschild
Add Wallace Berry (Viva Villa!) to Best Actor
Cleopatra replaces The Lost Patrol in Original Score
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:15 am
by OscarGuy
Turn now passes to Penelope.
But, I know how you feel, Z.
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:06 am
by Zahveed
Well, damn. I understand that that was a short-lived category so I just wanted to knock it out real quick. I'm going on preservation for this year - I have little knowledge of what was out at this time.
Preserve Cullen Tate as Assistant Director for Cleopatra
Preserve Anne Bauchens as Editor for Cleopatra
Preserve Franklin B. Hansen in Sound Recording for Cleopatra
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:54 am
by OscarGuy
I'm sorry, Zahveed. You can't make your three changes from the same category. They have to be from three separate categories.
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:48 am
by Zahveed
I'm going to go ahead and preserve the three Assistant Directors.
Sorry for the wait guys.
Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:49 pm
by Big Magilla
Just a reminder: if a category has fewer than five nominees we can add without replacing, though we have the option to do either.
Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:52 pm
by Sabin
...oh who the fuck knows? How about 'Here Comes the Navy'?
Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:27 pm
by OscarGuy
Sabin wrote:I'll add 'Twentieth Century' for Best Picture.
Which film are you replacing?
Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:23 pm
by FilmFan720
Zahveed, your turn.
Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:14 pm
by Sabin
I'll add 'Twentieth Century' for Best Picture.
I'll add Howard Hawks for 'Twentieth Century' over Victor Schertzinger.
And I'll add 'The Scarlet Empress' for Cinematography over 'The Affairs of Cellini'.