Dear Reader,
The Oscars have been around since 1929. This year was the 96th Oscar ceremony. In celebration, and for a little education, I decided to visit the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wilshire Blvd.
This museum is a red-carpet experience. Each floor takes you through the various departments of what it takes to create a movie. They have on display the wig that Robin Williams wore in “Mrs. Doubtfire.”
The original costume designs for “James Bond.”
And manikins bearing gorgeous costumes like the queen’s regalia in “The Favorite.”
Several rooms display every aspect of the making of “The Godfather,” from casting to makeup to wardrobe to props to set design to a special effects memo on how the blood ought to be spattered.
There was a wall of Polaroids from actors auditioning for parts. It was crazy to see the younger pictures of these now globally known and acclaimed actors.
They had the original typewriter that Joseph Stefano used to write “Psycho.” Seeing this immediately filled me with a sense of gratitude for the tools I get to use today.
There were storyboards and clay manikins for animated pictures, as well as “Edward Scissorhands” original scissor hands. The whole building was a hall of fame for some of the world’s best movies, the moving pictures that have become a part of our subconscious.
There was one room with a rotating screen dedicated to the speeches of various Oscar recipients throughout the years. It was fascinating to watch these now well-respected players accept their awards for the first time, expressing their humility and gratitude.
Now educated with the history of the Academy Awards and feeling myself fully immersed in the the spirit of cinematic excellence, I prepared to watch this year’s Oscars. In LA, people congregate to watch the Oscars the same way the rest of America gathers to watch the Super Bowl. Parties are thrown, and those of us not fortunate enough to have a golden ticket to the actual event still dress like we are, and meet only a few streets over from the Dolby Theatre to watch the Oscars on a live feed. We celebrated with pictures, grabbed popcorn, and settled in to watch.
I confess that watching the Oscars live is a completely different experience than soaking in the rich history of the museum. The Academy Museum is a treasure trove of cinematic accomplishments. Yet, walking across the stage on March 10th, 2024 were actors, actresses, directors, designers, and so on, who made work that impacted me powerfully over the last year. My heart burst with pride to watch Robert Downey Jr. win his first Oscar for best supporting actor in “Oppenheimer,” and Da’Vine Joy Randolph win best supporting actress in “The Holdovers.” I cheered and laughed as Ryan Gosling sang “Ken,” so grateful for the team of power players who made “Barbie” in my time. The list goes on and on. (For the full list of winners, click here).
The difference between attending the museum to appreciating an artist’s work, and attending an Oscar party now, living in LA, appreciating the craft of current movies, is the same difference between being a small child and attending a random graduation, versus watching people you know graduate, with you only a few years behind them.
I am tremendously grateful to be alive and making art now, in this generation, and able to enjoy the creation of so many brilliant artists all around me. I can’t wait to see what my peers will one day create, and hopefully, maybe, one day end up in that room applauding the best cinematic producers of our age.
Adventure Awaits,
S. C. Durbois Newsletter
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