'Upside down Oscars': Filmmakers may stage protest over pre-recorded categories

The Academy could be facing a coup on the red carpet this Sunday night, with guild members threatening to take a stand against the removal of eight craft categories from the live show.

Protests, including winners accepting their trophies upside down and wearing guild badges the wrong way round, are being mooted by unhappy members.

Key players in the industry, including directors Stephen Spielberg and Jane Campion, and actress Jessica Chastain, have all criticised the Academy’s decision to pre-record several so-called “below-the-line” categories at this year’s awards.

The nominees for shorts (live action, animated and documentary), editing, score, hair and make up, sound and production design will all be seated an hour ahead of the ceremony kicking off and winners will accept their prizes off air.

The decision to cut the categories appears to be a time-saving move in a bid to “keep the show vital, kinetic, and relevant”.

Last year’s viewing figures were at an all-time low, with just 10.4 million viewers tuned in. The ceremony is unlikely to ever again attract the 40 million viewers it did in its heyday.

Karol Urban, president of the Cinema Audio Society (CAS), said the move would “fracture the filmmaking community” by “keeping invisible art invisible”.

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She said: “It’s hurtful to some nominees in some categories but more than that it’s divisive.

“It fractures the filmmaking community because we are all filmmakers.

“The Oscars is a magical night and it’s a night when the public really takes a look and notices different aspects of filmmaking that are incredibly impactful but perhaps invisible to the viewer.

“It’s heart-breaking in that aspect and it’s very damaging in that aspect.”

Ms Urban said it was “unsettling” to see the “stratification” of the Academy, an organisation created to celebrate filmmaking “as a whole”, and the move would relay to the public that “some categories were more important than others”.

She went on: “It’s not true to the heart of the Oscars… and echoes a very hurtful message.”

Ceremony producer Will Packer has previously said there are “misconceptions” about the situation, and that the show would “make sure that everybody has their moment”.

Responding to his remarks, Ms Urban said: “It’s not their moment… it’s about being in the room with all the different aspects of filmmaking and all of your peers giving you the equal recognition for the contribution that you make that is invisible.

“They have taken it away by making it a pre-shoot and edit and insert, that’s not the same.”

Chastain – who is favourite to win the best actress award for her role of the titular televangelist in The Eyes Of Tammy Faye – has previously said she will be showing support for her hair and make up team on the night by leaving the red carpet to watch their category being awarded – regardless of whether that means missing interviews scheduled to take place at that time.

Speaking about other acts of “solidarity” potentially planned for the big night including the upside-down Oscar acceptances and upside-down badges, Ms Urban said: “We feel this decision has turned this night on its head and I do think you will see people reflecting that.”

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You can watch the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday 27 March exclusively on Sky Cinema from 11pm – and follow our live blog on the Sky News website and app. For those not wanting to stay up late, you can watch again on Monday 28 at 7pm on Sky Cinema or from 10pm on Sky Showcase

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