During its recent Board of Governors meeting, the MPAA also approved rule changes that would affect Oscar categories in original song, visual effects and foreign language.
- June 29, 2012
AceShowbiz -
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has made several rule changes for the 2013 Academy Awards. The new rules affect the Oscar categories in makeup, original song, visual effects, as well as foreign language.
The biggest change is in the makeup category, which will now be called the "Makeup and Hairstyling Award." With the newly approved category, Hollywood makeup artists and hairstylists are now officially eligible for the Oscar race.
Responding to the new rule, famed hairstylist Ted Gibson shared to The Hollywood Reporter, "It's time for hairdressers to be recognized. We need to bring awareness to the Academy."
"I am so excited that the Academy is finally recognizing hairdressers in films. It's a great start," he gushed. "People have gone to the Academy for decades to try to get hair on the ballot and they haven't responded at all. I feel proud to be part of the movement to make a change."
In the original song category, the committee is now allowed to recommend a fourth songwriter for an individual song "in rare and extraordinary circumstances." Previously, the committee was only allowed to recommend two songwriters with a third writer as "an essentially equal contributor."
As for the visual effects category, the potential nominees will be picked from 10 movies selected by the branch executive committee via secret ballot. Previously, the committee could only choose 7 titles. Meanwhile, in foreign language category, the films must be submitted to the MPAA in 35mm or DCP (Digital Cinema Package), but are no longer required to be exhibited in those formats in their origin countries.
The new rules were approved on Tuesday, June 26 during the MPAA's Board of Governors meeting. The 85th Academy Awards has been scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 24, 2013 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
