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Upon seeing The French Connection for the first time, legendary producer Darryl F. Zanuck proclaimed the chase sequences “the greatest [he had] ever seen.” Although the film won five Academy Awards, including those for Best Picture and Directing, it is the thrilling pursuit through New York City streets that many moviegoers remember most. These excerpts from director William Friedkin’s notes reveal how he conceived each shot of the gripping chase sequences. With the help of cinematographer Owen Roizman and a talented second unit, Friedkin filmed the…
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 21 scientific and technical achievements represented by 58 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 7, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.
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In this week’s Academy Originals episode, we share the story of Vidiots, a unique Los Angeles video rental store that has survived on the strength of its community for more than 30 years.
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NOMINATIONS TO BE DELIVERED IN NEW TWO-PART PRESENTATIONCHRIS PINE AND ACADEMY PRESIDENT CHERYL BOONE ISAACS TO PRESENT NOMINATIONS IN 13 CATEGORIES INCLUDING BEST PICTUREALFONSO CUARÓN AND J.J. ABRAMS TO PRESENT SPECIAL EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT OF 11 CATEGORIESGLOBAL LIVE STREAM AVAILABLE AT OSCARS.ORG/LIVEOscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today that actor Chris Pine, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, and directors Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams, on Thursday, January 15, will announce the nominations in all 24 Oscar categories at a special two-part live news conference at…
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Theadora Van Runkle began her career as an illustrator of fashion advertisements for department stores in the 1960s. After meeting the legendary costume designer Dorothy Jeakins, she left her job at the May Company to work with Jeakins on the historical epic Hawaii before the designer recommended her for the low-budget feature Bonnie and Clyde. The production stood out for a number of reasons: its anti-hero point of view; its mix of sex and violence; its poor initial reception and subsequent success, which included 10 Academy Award nominations and…
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Nominations voting for the 87th Oscars will close on Thursday, January 8, at 5 p.m. PT.
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In this week's Academy Originals episode, Casting Director Marci Liroff ("E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Mean Girls," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom") takes viewers inside her creative process in an exploration of where her ideas come from.
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This rarely-seen snipe (a brief promo showcasing theater policies, concession advertisements, drive-in intermission countdowns, etc.) celebrates the year 1959 with a clever twist on Father Time and Baby New Year. See you in 2015!This is one of the many items contained in the Packard Humanities Institute Collection at the Academy Film Archive. The acquisition, which includes an array of theater advisements such as this, was deposited at the Archive by David Packard in 2009. This historically significant collection contains over 60,000 media items and has transformed the Academy…
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In 2014 we were very happy to roll out our new video series, Academy Originals, in which we take a closer look at the world of movies from artists in front of and behind the camera, as well as several famous film fans. Here are a few things we found out along the way... and be sure to subscribe to see new videos every Monday in 2015!1. You should set aside a year to research your script if you want to be a screenwriter -- and have lots of index cards stockpiled at home. 2. If you're a kid auditioning for a Steven Spielberg film, inspiration can strike in the most unlikely moments.3. "…
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Did you know the tradition of the Christmas card dates back to Victorian-era England? Sir Henry Cole commissioned John Calcott Horsley to design a card for the holiday in 1843, and the festive greeting cards were imported to America from England until 1874, when German-born printer Louis Prang produced the first American-made cards. Nineteenth century designs ranged from depictions of Christmas trees and Nativity scenes to cards shaped like bells and candles, or decorated with silk and satin. By the early twentieth century, sending Christmas cards had become a popular custom in…