New Oscar voters eager to cast ballots
- From: Garondo Marondo <Classic.Mr.Hole@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:35:34 -0800 (PST)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071224/ap_en_mo/oscar_insider_new_voters;_ylt=Ar8wxHZZkPWkH5bRI6KA6K5xFb8C
By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Although the writers strike has created a
swirl of uncertainty, Hollywood's awards season will be business as
usual Wednesday, when the academy mails Oscar nomination ballots to
its 5,829 voting members.
And strike or not, nobody will be more excited about helping bestow
one of the world's most prestigious honors than Brett Morgen and the
114 other new academy members who are casting Oscar ballots for the
very first time this year.
"It's great to be part of a democratic process where your vote
actually matters," said the documentarian, who was up for an Oscar in
1999 and was invited to join the academy this year. "In a way, this is
more exciting than getting nominated."
For weeks now, even as the Writers Guild of America strike started
shutting down Hollywood, studios have been busy touting their Oscar
contenders -- placing "For Your Consideration" ads and sending
promotional DVDs to academy voters, including new member Bryan Hirota.
"I'm getting all the screeners in the mail, which is pretty great,"
said the visual effects artist. "The academy is like a really good
Netflix program."
Despite the strike, Hirota insists he's "still just as excited about
voting," which he characterized as a responsibility and a privilege.
This year's new members toasted their induction into the film
industry's most elite organization at a private reception held at the
academy's Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills that is typically
closed to the media. Inductees sipped cocktails and nibbled on finger
food as they mingled with fellow freshmen.
Joining the academy is "an honor beyond measure," said Lisa Beach, as
she flung herself on the floor to illustrate her overwhelming joy.
"It was like getting into college. This was that day 35 years later. I
just cried my head off," said the casting director, whose credits
include "Wedding Crashers" and "Walk the Line." "I might take it more
seriously than I take my presidential vote. I'm going to watch every
one of the movies."
Alex Rodriguez added to the event's international flavor, traveling
from his native Mexico to attend the soiree.
"It's very weird to become a member of the emblem of cinema," said the
soft-spoken film editor, whose credits include "Children of Men."
"It's strange to judge other people's work. It's a responsibility -- a
good responsibility."
And with it came some freshman jitters, too.
"Who am I to judge makeup? Costumes?" said Eric Swenson, a visual-
effects artist for 23 years. "I know what I like, but is that enough?"
Gustavo Santaolalla, who won back-to-back Oscars for composing the
scores for "Brokeback Mountain" and "Babel," also said he was nervous
about voting.
"I hope I can make sense of it," he said. "It's such an honor to vote.
It's as unbelievable to me as having two Oscars at home."
Academy president Sid Ganis tried to quell the newcomers' nerves.
"The academy doesn't know who votes and who doesn't," he said in a
brief speech to new members. "Vote on what you know about, what you
know in your heart is the best of the work, and you'll be doing your
service to the academy and to the world, really."
So how does one get into the august Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences?
By invitation only. And winning an Oscar doesn't guarantee admission.
Member nominees must be confirmed by the academy's Board of Governors,
representing all of its 15 craft branches, before they are officially
invited to join.
Membership is lifelong -- but not without its deadlines.
This year's Oscar nomination ballots must be returned by Jan. 12, with
the nominations to be announced on Jan. 22. Final ballots go out on
Jan. 30 and are due back by Feb. 19, less than a week before the Feb.
24 Academy Awards ceremony.
It remains unclear whether a writing staff -- or even celebrities --
will grace a potentially picketed Kodak Theatre if the writers strike
stretches to the big night. What is certain, however, is there will
still be a couple dozen Oscars to hand out -- thanks, in part, to a
labor of love by some very proud first-time voters.
.
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