Too many loopholes will still result in the same old, same old.
On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rolled out a well-meaning set of rules in an attempt to nudge the film industry down the path of inclusivity — or at least for “Oscar Bait” films.
Over the years, the academy has been criticized for lacking diversity within the ranks of its award nominees. It wasn’t really the Oscars’ fault that Studio A or Studio B chose to hire white men as directors or leads of their movies, but the Oscars So White hashtag sure made it seem that way to some.
Over the years, the academy, an organization I worked for before coming to Los Angeleno, has made strides to influence nominations by drastically beefing up their membership with more young people of color and women.
Did it work? This year, “Parasite” was awarded best picture, a first for a foreign-language film in Oscar’s long history.
Even though recent best picture winners include such diverse films as “Moonlight” and “The Shape of Water,” the academy is not sitting on its hands. These new standards affecting films’ eligibility for the top prize take effect in 2024, meaning there’s plenty of time for films in pre-production to adjust. [See below.]
Aspiring films need to check off the box of half of the standards the Academy created. Standard A says a film must either have a Lead or significant supporting actor of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. Or at least 30% of the supporting cast is of an underrepresented group.
This might be a tough standard to meet for films depicting a certain era, like last year’s war epic, “1917.”
Standard B is fulfilled if two of the following jobs are filled by individuals from an underrepresented group: casting director, cinematographer, composer, costume designer, director, editor, hairstylist, makeup artist, producer, production designer, set decorator, sound, VFX supervisor, writer. Any of those jobs has to go to a minority.
Standard B can also be fulfilled if the crew is over 30% diverse.
This doesn’t seem very hard.
Standard C can get checked off if the film’s distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships.
This one does not seem difficult to achieve either.
Standard D is accomplished if the studio or film company has multiple in-house senior executives from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.
So, if, say a studio has several senior suits in marketing, publicity, and distribution from the right backgrounds and/or are LGBTQ+, then they only have to check off one other box above, like have a female costume designer and a female hairstylist and their best picture nominee-to-be is, hopefully, good to go.
But has any real progress been made? Has Hollywood gotten the proper kick in the pants to hire more female directors or Black writers? No. Not at all.
If the academy really wanted to force the issue, shouldn’t it say that to compete in the best picture category, films must have either a writer, director, cinematographer, composer or lead actor who comes from an underrepresented group? Isn’t that where diversity is lacking?
A study found that of the 250 top-grossing films of 2018, only 8% had female directors, 4% had female cinematographers, 73% had no female writers, 74% had no female editors, and women comprised just 6% of the composers.
How will that change if there are such simple ways to become eligible that don’t require actual evolution?
Are internships great? Yes. But what good is learning how to be a top-notch director or composer if the odds are against you to get that job simply because you’re a woman?
Imagine how much harder it is if you are a Black woman?
While it’s obvious the academy is truly trying their best to influence the industry, look no further than last year’s “The Irishman” to see how easy it is to qualify. Even though the cast was decidedly, and unsurprisingly, Caucasian — it’s about the mob during Jimmy Hoffa — that excludes it from Check Box A, because it had a Mexican cinematographer in Rodrigo Prieto and a three-time Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker, it can check Box B.
All they have to do is have a substantial internship program, and they’re good.
That’s not good.
They should make it better.
==== An excerpt of the new Inclusion Standards ====
For the 96th Oscars (2024), a film must meet TWO out of FOUR of the following standards to be deemed eligible:
STANDARD A: ON-SCREEN REPRESENTATION, THEMES AND NARRATIVES
To achieve Standard A, the film must meet ONE of the following criteria:
A1. Lead or significant supporting actors
At least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
• Asian
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Black/African American
• Indigenous/Native American/Alaskan Native
• Middle Eastern/North African
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
• Other underrepresented race or ethnicity
A2. General ensemble cast
At least 30% of all actors in secondary and more minor roles are from at least two of the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
A3. Main storyline/subject matter
The main storyline(s), theme or narrative of the film is centered on an underrepresented group(s).
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
STANDARD B: CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AND PROJECT TEAM
To achieve Standard B, the film must meet ONE of the criteria below:
B1. Creative leadership and department heads
At least two of the following creative leadership positions and department heads—Casting Director, Cinematographer, Composer, Costume Designer, Director, Editor, Hairstylist, Makeup Artist, Producer, Production Designer, Set Decorator, Sound, VFX Supervisor, Writer—are from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
At least one of those positions must belong to the following underrepresented racial or ethnic group:
• Asian
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Black/African American
• Indigenous/Native American/Alaskan Native
• Middle Eastern/North African
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
• Other underrepresented race or ethnicity
B2. Other key roles
At least six other crew/team and technical positions (excluding Production Assistants) are from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. These positions include but are not limited to First AD, Gaffer, Script Supervisor, etc.
B3. Overall crew composition
At least 30% of the film’s crew is from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
STANDARD C: INDUSTRY ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES
To achieve Standard C, the film must meet BOTH criteria below:
C1. Paid apprenticeship and internship opportunities
The film’s distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships that are from the following underrepresented groups and satisfy the criteria below:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
The major studios/distributors are required to have substantive, ongoing paid apprenticeships/internships inclusive of underrepresented groups (must also include racial or ethnic groups) in most of the following departments: production/development, physical production, post-production, music, VFX, acquisitions, business affairs, distribution, marketing and publicity.
The mini-major or independent studios/distributors must have a minimum of two apprentices/interns from the above underrepresented groups (at least one from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group) in at least one of the following departments: production/development, physical production, post-production, music, VFX, acquisitions, business affairs, distribution, marketing and publicity.
C2. Training opportunities and skills development (crew)
The film’s production, distribution and/or financing company offers training and/or work opportunities for below-the-line skill development to people from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
STANDARD D: AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
To achieve Standard D, the film must meet the criterion below:
D1. Representation in marketing, publicity, and distribution
The studio and/or film company has multiple in-house senior executives from among the following underrepresented groups (must include individuals from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups) on their marketing, publicity, and/or distribution teams.
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group:
· Asian
· Hispanic/Latinx
· Black/African American
· Indigenous/Native American/Alaskan Native
· Middle Eastern/North African
· Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
· Other underrepresented race or ethnicity
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing