Nominees for this year’s Oscars have reportedly been told appearing at the ceremony via Zoom is not an option.
The 93rd Academy Awards are set to take place on 25 April, with an in-person event at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.
There will also be some live elements from the ceremony’s usual home at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
In a letter sent to nominees and published by US outlet Deadline, producers said a virtual appearance is not allowed and the Academy will accept awards on behalf of any winner unable to make the show.
The letter states: “For those of you unable to attend because of scheduling or continued uneasiness about traveling, we want you to know there will not be an option to Zoom in for the show.
“We are going to great lengths to provide a safe and ENJOYABLE evening for all of you in person, as well as for all the millions of film fans around the world, and we feel the virtual thing will diminish those efforts.”
The Academy, the body which oversees the Oscars, said the ceremony will be “intimate” and promised it would be done safely under pandemic-era precautions.
Recent awards shows have seen some nominees deciding to dress casually for the big night, with actor Jason Sudeikis making headlines for wearing a hoodie while appearing virtually at the Golden Globes.
Such a laidback approach will not be welcome at the Oscars, the Academy said.
Of the dress code, the letter said: “We’re aiming for a fusion of Inspirational and Aspirational, which in actual words means formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual is really not.”
Producers stressed the importance of “stories” to the nominees and said each one of them will be interviewed to “help us tell the story of your path” to the ceremony.
They added: “We want to highlight the connections between all of us who work in the movies and show that the process is uniquely intimate, collaborative, and fun (Usually. Hopefully?).”
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.