As part of a larger reform that will bring all of the organization’s set, repair, and preservation work under the newly established Academy Collection and Preservation Department, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has fired 16 employees from its archives and libraries.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer, who took over the reins of the business in 2022, outlined the changes in an internal email to employees that was obtained by The Times as part of a broader corporate program that has been running over the past two years to streamline operations in order to better reflect the school’s growing objective.
We are attempting to unite clubs that have different roles and responsibilities, and some of our colleagues have left while others have taken up new ones, according to Kramer. These moments may be tough, but they are meant to connect our procedures by combining features with shared goals and priorities.
The Academy Film Archive, which is dedicated to the preservation, recovery, and review of motion pictures, has one of the largest and most diverse choices of movies in the world, including every best photo winner as well as the private collections of filmmakers ranging from Cecil B. DeMille and Alfred Hitchcock to Jim Jarmusch and Penelope Spheeris. The Academy Library, also known as the Margaret Herrick Library, is one of the world’s foremost research facilities for motion picture preservation and study, with more than 52 million items, including books, photographs, scripts and costume design drawings.
In May, as part of a larger executive reorganization, Matt Severson was named executive vice president of academy collection and preservation, overseeing all archival, preservation, registration, conservation and cataloging work of the library, archive and Academy Museum.
The most recent restructuring comes after a few smaller staffing cuts earlier this year in other departments of the academy, including the shuttering of the Oscars ‘ digital magazine, A. Frame, as the organization navigates an increasingly difficult landscape for the film industry and the Oscar telecast alike. The 96th Academy Awards ceremony in March , drew an average audience of 19.5 million  , viewers on ABC, a 4 % increase over 2023 but still far below the show’s peak in 1998, when more than 55 million tuned in to watch” Titanic” win best picture. Meanwhile, the academy ‘s , ranks have swelled , in recent years to more than 10, 000 members as the organization has looked to broaden its diversity and expand its reach around the world.
” The Academy is part of two worlds that are rapidly evolving — the film industry and the non-profit arts community”, Kramer wrote in his email, concluding on a note of optimism. We are making efforts to stay focused on our goal while addressing this crucial time. And while we are aware of how challenging these times can be, we are confident in our efforts to create a resilient organization that is both capable of achieving our objectives both now and in the future.
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