Two items of importance this week for all of us Oscar fans. Let me get to the news, then I want to hear your thoughts.

The first, is that after the abysmal 82nd Telecast, the Academy has decided to bring in new talent. This can only be an improvement over this year’s travesty.

The second is that the Academy is considering a new date for the 2012 (84th) Academy Awards…January. Academy members already have a hard enough time catching end-of-year releases as it is, cut off another month and you’re basically saying “if you release in December, you might as well kiss your chances goodbye”. Of course, it could have the opposite effect. Those December releases might be included even if the Academy member hasn’t seen it. Think what might have happened with both Nine and The Lovely Bones this past year? They probably would have gotten several Oscar nominations based on hype and not evidence.

Anyway. What do you think? The full articles follow:

Bruce Cohen, Don Mischer to produce Oscars

by Gregg Kilday (The Hollywood Reporter) — In what quickly is becoming a tradition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is entrusting the Oscars to two producers, tapping Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer to guide the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

Given the job’s ever-increasing demands, the Academy has used similar teams for the past two years, turning to Laurence Mark and Bill Condon for the 81st ceremony and Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman for the show in March.

Mischer also will direct the Oscarcast, set for Feb. 27 on ABC from the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland.

Cohen, an Oscar winner as one of the producers of 1999’s “American Beauty” and a producer of last year’s best picture nominee “Milk,” brings a wealth of Hollywood associations to the assignment.

Mischer, a proven hand at producing and directing awards shows and live events, has 15 Emmys and 10 DGA awards on his mantle. This past awards season, he picked up a DGA musical/variety award for helming “The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial.”

Together, Cohen and Mischer executive produced the Emmy-nominated “Movies Rock,” a 2008 special about how music shaped the film industry that aired on CBS.

More recently, they collaborated to produce the Academy’s inaugural Governors Awards ceremony, which was held in November at Hollywood & Highland. That event, freed from the tyranny of TV cameras, drew rave reviews from all who attended as a throwback to an earlier Hollywood era where stars mingled comfortably with industry executives.

The pair’s challenge in taking on the highly scrutinized Oscar broadcast — a first for both — will be to retain some of that warm, freewheeling atmosphere amid the night’s pressure and restrictions.

“We had such an amazing time doing (the Governors Awards), and we worked together so well together that I couldn’t be more excited that we are doing this together,” Cohen said. “It’s been a dream of mine to produce the show for a long time, and ever since Don and I worked together on ‘Movies Rock,’ in my fantasy, Don and I were going to produce it together someday.”

Mischer acknowledged that mounting the broadcast is far different from orchestrating the Governors Awards.

“Without television, you’re able to take a low profile, keep the lights down low, and that contributed to a certain mood in the room,” he said. “There’s no question that with something this important, this high profile, it’s tough to minimize the impact of television, so it will have a different feeling at the Kodak.”

Organizers ponder earlier Oscar date

by Associated Press (The Hollywood Reporter) — Academy Awards organizers are talking about moving up the date of the show, possibly as early as January.

At a Tuesday meeting, the academy’s board of governors discussed the idea of holding the Oscars earlier. Most recent shows have been held in late February.

A statement Wednesday by the academy said the earliest any date change could take effect would be for the Oscars in 2012. A firm date of Feb. 27 already has been set for next year’s 83rd Oscars.

The academy statement said the idea is “being explored as a possibility.”

For many years, the Oscars were held in late March but were moved to February to shorten what many consider a prolonged Hollywood awards season.
Organizers ponder earlier Oscar date
Ceremony could be held as early as Jan. beginning in 2012

Associated Press

June 23, 2010, 02:23 PM ET
Academy Awards organizers are talking about moving up the date of the show, possibly as early as January.

At a Tuesday meeting, the academy’s board of governors discussed the idea of holding the Oscars earlier. Most recent shows have been held in late February.

A statement Wednesday by the academy said the earliest any date change could take effect would be for the Oscars in 2012. A firm date of Feb. 27 already has been set for next year’s 83rd Oscars.

The academy statement said the idea is “being explored as a possibility.”

For many years, the Oscars were held in late March but were moved to February to shorten what many consider a prolonged Hollywood awards season.