The Academy Awards Category 'Cheat Sheet'

The majority enjoy the Academy Awards for the main categories: Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Picture. 


Wait, what about the category for Best Film Editing? 
Sound Editing? 
There's a difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing? 


To help prepare for the big night, I give you....

-The Academy Awards Category Cheat Sheet-

Art Direction

Awarded to: Production Designer

Working in conjunction with the director, designs the sets, picking out their colors and deciding on their materials and overall look. The film architect. The set design will unconsciously provide the approporiate feeling or mood of the story.

Cinematography

Awarded to: Director of Photography (also known as Cinematographer)

An individual charged with the job of interpreting the director’s point of view into a visual form. The DP designs lighting, frames shots, and oversees the subordinate lighting and electrical staffs of the film.

Directing (Seriously. The role of the Director is commonly misinterpreted)

Awarded to: Director

Individual responsible for interpreting the original work of the writer, for promoting his own styles of lighting, sound, and camera work, of sets, costumes and music, into a symphony of experiences that will enrich and enhance the story. The director may or may not have been involved with the written script.

  

Film Editing

Awarded to: Film Editor

Individual responsible for taking the director’s vision and sequencing the filmed footage into a constructed and organized feature length film. Referred to as the final formulation of the story’s structure that will be visually presented to the viewing audience.

Sound Editing

Awarded to: Sound Editor

A task performed in Post-Production, when the Sound Editor reshapes the sound to conform to the emotional needs of each scene.

Sound Mixing

Awarded to: Sound Mixer

The individual is head of the on-location sound recording team, which includes the boom operator and third man.

Visual Effects

Awarded to: Visual Effects Supervisor, additional Visual Effects dept crew members

Integrates live action footage with post-production, computer-generated imagery. Includes Computer Generated technology, stop motion, special effects; elements later added in post-production.

The Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences:  

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. Notably known for its annual Oscar telecast. The Academy derives the majority of its revenue from the licensing of broadcast rights to the annual Academy Awards presentation.

Sources:

Taub, Eric. Gaffers, Grips, and Best Boys. New York: St. Martin's, 1994. Print.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. www.oscars.org