Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | AMPAS |
|---|---|
| Formation | May 11, 1927 |
| Type | Trade association |
| Legal status | 501(c)(6) |
| Purpose | To recognize and uphold excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences, inspire imagination, and connect the world through the medium of motion pictures. |
| Headquarters | Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
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Membership
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10,500 (2023) |
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President
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Janet Yang (since 2022) |
| Subsidiaries | Academy Museum Foundation 501(c)(3), Academy Foundation 501(c)(3), Archival Foundation 501(c)(3), Vine Street Archive Foundation 501(c)(3) |
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Revenue (2019)
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$147,889,867 |
| Expenses (2019) | $103,813,370 |
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Employees (2018)
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255 |
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Volunteers (2018)
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632 |
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), often called "the Academy" or "the Motion Picture Academy," is a special group in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. Its main goal is to make movies better and to celebrate the amazing work done in filmmaking. A group of leaders called the Board of Governors guides the Academy. They include people from different parts of the film industry.
As of 2020, about 9,921 movie professionals were part of this group. The Academy is a worldwide organization, and talented filmmakers from all over the world can become members.
The Academy is most famous for its yearly Academy Awards, also known as "The Oscars."
Besides the Oscars, the Academy also gives out other important awards. These include the Governors Awards for people who have achieved a lot in film over their lifetime. They also give Scientific and Technical Awards and Student Academy Awards to students. The Academy also helps screenwriters with Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. It runs the Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills and the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study in Hollywood. In 2021, the Academy opened the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.
Contents
History of the Academy
The idea for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) came from Louis B. Mayer. He was the head of a big movie studio called Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Mayer wanted to create a group that could help solve problems in the film industry. He also wanted to make the movie industry look better to the public.
Mayer talked with actor Conrad Nagel, director Fred Niblo, and producer Fred Beetson about his idea. They thought about having a special club with a yearly dinner. At first, they didn't talk about giving out awards. They decided that only people from five main areas of the film industry could join: actors, directors, writers, technicians, and producers.
On January 11, 1927, Mayer invited 36 important people from the film world to a fancy dinner. This dinner was at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. That night, Mayer introduced his idea for the "International Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences." Everyone at the dinner became a founder of the Academy. Before the official papers were filed on May 4, 1927, the word "International" was removed. It became simply the "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."
The first official meeting of the Academy was on May 6, 1927. At a meeting on May 11, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was chosen as the first president. Fred Niblo became the first vice-president. The Academy also gave its first honorary membership to Thomas Edison. At first, the Academy had five main groups, called branches. These were Producers, Actors, Directors, Writers, and Technicians. More branches have been added over the years.
The Academy first focused on helping with work issues. But over time, it changed. It became more about celebrating achievements in film. One of the first groups formed in the Academy was for "Awards of Merit." By May 1928, they started talking seriously about how these awards would work. In July 1928, the leaders approved a list of 12 awards. They also set up a way to vote for and choose the winners. These "awards of merit for distinctive achievement" are what we now call the Academy Awards.
The Academy's first office was on Hollywood Boulevard. In November 1927, they moved to the Roosevelt Hotel. That same month, the Academy's library started collecting books and magazines about the film industry. In May 1928, they decided to build a special movie screening room in the hotel. This room was finished in April 1929.
In 1929, the Academy worked with the University of Southern California to create America's first film school. This school was made to help improve the art and science of movies. Famous people like Douglas Fairbanks, D. W. Griffith, and Irving Thalberg were among the first teachers.
The Academy kept growing and moved offices several times. In the 1930s, the Academy also started publishing important information. This included the Screen Achievement Records Bulletin, which is now the Motion Picture Credits Database. This database lists film credits for movies considered for an Oscar. The Academy also published the Academy Players Directory, which listed actors.
In 2009, the first Governors Awards were held. These awards honor people with special achievements, humanitarian work, or outstanding careers in film.
In 2016, the Academy faced criticism. Many people felt it was not recognizing enough achievements by minority professionals. For two years in a row, all 20 nominees in the main acting categories were white. The Academy's president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, said there was no problem at first. But when the nominations were all white again, many people were upset.
After this, important African-American filmmakers and actors spoke out. They included Spike Lee, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith. They called for a boycott of the 2016 Oscars. The Academy's leaders then voted to make big changes to its membership. The Academy said it would double the number of women and minority members by 2020. This was a big step towards making the Academy more diverse.
In 2018, the Academy invited a record 928 new members. In 2020, Parasite became the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. In 2022, Janet Yang was elected as the first Asian American President of the Academy.
Academy Buildings and Theaters
The Academy has several important buildings in Los Angeles. These include its main office in Beverly Hills and two Centers for Motion Picture Study. These centers hold the Academy's Library, Film Archive, and other programs.
Current Locations
Academy Headquarters
The Academy Headquarters Building in Beverly Hills used to have art galleries open to the public. These galleries showed changing exhibits about films and filmmakers. They closed to get ready for the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
This building also has the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. This theater seats 1,012 people. It was built to show films with the best possible sound and picture. The theater is used all year for public events, movie premieres, and the live announcement of the Academy Awards nominations.
Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study
The Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study is in Hollywood. It is named after the famous actress and Academy founder Mary Pickford. This center is home to several Academy departments. These include the Academy Film Archive, which saves old movies. It also houses the Science and Technology Council and the Student Academy Awards programs. The building itself is very old. It was built in 1948 and was one of the first buildings in Hollywood designed for television. It also has the Linwood Dunn Theater, which seats 286 people.
Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study
The Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study is in Beverly Hills. It is home to the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library. This library is famous around the world. It has a huge collection of books and materials about the history of movies. It is open to everyone, including students and historians. The library is named after Margaret Herrick, who was the Academy's first librarian. She also helped make the Oscar ceremony a big televised event.
The building was built in 1928. It was originally a water treatment plant for Beverly Hills.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the newest building connected to the Academy. It is the first large museum in the United States dedicated to the film industry. It opened on September 30, 2021. The museum has over 290,000 square feet of galleries, movie theaters, and learning spaces. It is located in the historic May Company Building.
Membership
Becoming a member of the Academy is by invitation only. The Board of Governors sends out these invitations. You can become eligible by being nominated for an Oscar. You can also be sponsored by two current Academy members from the same branch you want to join.
New members are usually invited in the spring. The Academy announces the names of those who have been asked to join. Once you are a member, your membership does not end, even if your career changes later on.
Academy membership is divided into 19 branches. Each branch represents a different job in making movies. Members can only belong to one branch. If someone's work doesn't fit into a branch, they can be a "Member at Large." These members have most of the same rights as branch members.
In 2016, the Academy started a big change in how it chose members. This was to make the Academy more diverse. The goal was to have more women and people of color as members. This effort was partly due to the social media hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. This hashtag brought attention to the lack of diversity in Oscar nominations. As a result, the Academy made new rules to make sure future members better represent movie audiences. The A2020 plan aimed to double the number of women and people of color in the Academy by 2020.
Members can often see many new films for free. Some movies are even available before they are released to the public.
Branches
The nineteen branches of the Academy are:
- Actors
- Casting Directors
- Cinematographers
- Costume Designers
- Directors
- Documentary
- Executives
- Film Editors
- Makeup Artists and Hairstylists
- Marketing and Public Relations
- Music
- Producers
- Production and Technology
- Production Designers
- Animation
- Short Films
- Sound
- Visual Effects
- Screenwriters
Board of Governors
As of April 2020, the Board of Governors has 57 members. There are three governors from each of the 18 Academy branches. There are also three governors-at-large. The Board of Governors is in charge of how the Academy is run. They set the main rules and policies. They also choose the CEO and COO to manage the Academy's daily activities.
Original 36 Founders
Everyone invited to Louis B. Mayer's formal dinner in 1927 became a founder of the Academy:
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Presidents
Presidents are chosen for one-year terms. They can serve for up to four terms in a row.
| # | Name | Term |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas Fairbanks | 1927–1929 |
| 2 | William C. DeMille | 1929–1931 |
| 3 | M. C. Levee | 1931–1932 |
| 4 | Conrad Nagel | 1932–1933 |
| 5 | J. Theodore Reed | 1933–1934 |
| 6 | Frank Lloyd | 1934–1935 |
| 7 | Frank Capra | 1935–1939 |
| 8 | Walter Wanger (1st time) | 1939–1941 |
| 9 | Bette Davis | 1941 (resigned after two months) |
| 10 | Walter Wanger (2nd time) | 1941–1945 |
| 11 | Jean Hersholt | 1945–1949 |
| 12 | Charles Brackett | 1949–1955 |
| 13 | George Seaton | 1955–1958 |
| 14 | George Stevens | 1958–1959 |
| 15 | B. B. Kahane | 1959–1960 (died) |
| 16 | Valentine Davies | 1960–1961 (died) |
| 17 | Wendell Corey | 1961–1963 |
| 18 | Arthur Freed | 1963–1967 |
| 19 | Gregory Peck | 1967–1970 |
| 20 | Daniel Taradash | 1970–1973 |
| 21 | Walter Mirisch | 1973–1977 |
| 22 | Howard W. Koch | 1977–1979 |
| 23 | Fay Kanin | 1979–1983 |
| 24 | Gene Allen | 1983–1985 |
| 25 | Robert Wise | 1985–1988 |
| 26 | Richard Kahn | 1988–1989 |
| 27 | Karl Malden | 1989–1992 |
| 28 | Robert Rehme (1st time) | 1992–1993 |
| 29 | Arthur Hiller | 1993–1997 |
| 30 | Robert Rehme (2nd time) | 1997–2001 |
| 31 | Frank Pierson | 2001–2005 |
| 32 | Sid Ganis | 2005–2009 |
| 33 | Tom Sherak | 2009–2012 |
| 34 | Hawk Koch | 2012–2013 |
| 35 | Cheryl Boone Isaacs | 2013–2017 |
| 36 | John Bailey | 2017–2019 |
| 37 | David Rubin | 2019–2022 |
| 38 | Janet Yang | 2022–present |
Source:
Current Leaders
These are the people currently leading the Academy:
- Academy officers
- President – Janet Yang
- Vice President – Bonnie Arnold
- Vice President – Howard Berger
- Vice President – Brooke Breton
- Vice President / Treasurer – Tom Duffield
- Vice President – DeVon Franklin
- Vice President – Lynette Howell Taylor
- Vice President / Secretary – Howard A. Rodman
- Vice President – Kim Taylor-Coleman
- Chief Executive Officer – Bill Kramer
- Governors
- Actors Branch – Marlee Matlin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rita Wilson
- Casting Directors Branch – Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Coleman, Debra Zane
- Cinematographers Branch – Dion Beebe, Paul Cameron, Ellen Kuras
- Costume Designers Branch – Ruth E. Carter, Eduardo Castro, Daniel Orlandi
- Directors Branch – Susanne Bier, Ava DuVernay, Jason Reitman
- Documentary Branch – Chris Hegedus, Simon Kilmurry, Jean Tsien
- Executives Branch – Pam Abdy, Donna Gigliotti, Hannah Minghella
- Film Editors Branch – Nancy Richardson, Stephen E. Rivkin, Terilyn A. Shropshire
- Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch – Howard Berger, Bill Corso, Linda Flowers
- Marketing and Public Relations Branch – Megan Colligan, David Dinerstein, Laura C. Kim
- Music Branch – Lesley Barber, Charles Fox, Richard Gibbs
- Producers Branch – Jason Blum, Lynette Howell Taylor, Jennifer Todd
- Production and Technology Branch – Wendy Aylsworth
- Production Design Branch – Tom Duffield, Kalina Ivanov, Missy Parker
- Short Films and Feature Animation Branch – Bonnie Arnold, Jinko Gotoh, Marlon West
- Sound Branch – Gary C. Bourgeois, Peter J. Devlin, Mark Stoeckinger
- Visual Effects Branch – Rob Bredow, Brooke Breton, Paul Debevec
- Writers Branch – Howard A. Rodman, Eric Roth, Dana Stevens
- Governors-at-large (chosen by the President and elected by the board) – DeVon Franklin, Rodrigo García, Janet Yang
See Also
In Spanish: Academia de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas para niños
