News

In this week's Academy Originals we meet with costume designer Judianna Makovsky, who takes us through her process of creating Chris Evans' stealth  costume for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier".Makovsky said one of the challenges to creating the suit was trying to make something that looked like kevlar but wouldn't restrict Evans' range of motion."So we had to create a fabric that was actually stretch but had a printed texture so that it looked like it was a hard fabric," she explained. "It's actually made of about four or five different fabrics." For more stories behind the costumes of…

If you were on our Facebook page on Thursday you saw the Academy librarians being barraged by questions from around the world.Here are some highlights from the hour-long discussion:Q:  Do you also archive DVDs? If so, is there a reason why some movies are relased onto DVDs and other's are not?A:  The Archive holds over 10,000 DVDs in our collection, many of which are home video releases of independent and widely released motion pictures. Our DVD holdings help serve for access and reference purposes for our own research and, when applicable, scholarly research. While the Archive has…

Ray and Larry Karaszewski tied for the seat in the Board election earlier this month, and Writers Branch members were asked to vote in the runoff via online or paper ballot.  This is the second time in Academy history that there was a tie in the balloting.  The first occurred in 2009 in the Directors Branch. The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms.  The Board of Governors directs the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission. For a full…

In celebration of the 100th-anniversary of Technicolor, we present this rare City Beneath the Sea trailer from 1953, courtesy of the Packard Humanities Institute Collection at the Academy Film Archive. This historically notable acquisition is the largest known collection of motion picture trailers on film and contains over 60,000 items.This Wednesday on July 29th, join us for a unique opportunity to experience vintage 35mm gems at the Museum of Modern Art as archivist Cassie Blake presents a one-of-a-kind trailer show curated from the Academy Film Archive’s vast Technicolor holdings. Focusing…

In this week's Academy Originals we asked several filmmakers what is their favorite line from movie history.Tom Arnold, Bryce Dallas Howard, Molly Shannon, Frank Marshall and others answered with lines from "Jaws," "The Godfather," "Star Wars" and many more.Check out some other videos in our Questions series, like when we asked other movie makers what's inspiring them and which was the first movie that made them cry.

The first theme park of its kind, Disneyland opened sixty years ago this month in Anaheim, California. The ambitious undertaking was a dream project for Walt Disney, a record-breaking Academy Award winner and animation pioneer, and ever since it has entertained millions of visitors and multiple generations of families from around the globe. Now let's take a look back at the early days of Disneyland, which opened with great fanfare in 1955 complete with enthusiastic media coverage. Image Image…

In this week's Academy Originals we visit three filmmaking members of the Marshall family: Penny, Garry and his son Scott. The trio explained elements of their directing skills, helping actors with their lines, and the benefits of hiring family members on films."I got a part once from being a back up. You had to shoot a scene and I was just there on the set," Scott reminded his dad, saying how excited he was that he was finally going to be an actor. "And the only reason you wanted me was so I could hold the umbrella over Bette Midler's head so her hair wouldn't get wet." "I didn't try anybody…

When Philadelphia-based publisher J.B. Lippincott Company decided to publish Harper Lee’s debut novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the company requested an initial print run of just 5,000 copies.  Nevertheless, upon its release in July 1960, the novel swiftly gained popularity and earned a place on the New York Times bestseller list. Unusual for a promising literary property, the motion picture rights to which were often sold before publication, To Kill a Mockingbird spent six weeks on the list before producer Alan J. Pakula and director Robert Mulligan acquired the rights to the book, which would…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrates the work of Aardman Animations with three programs featuring the studio’s Oscar®-winning and nominated Wallace and Gromit shorts on Friday, August 7, and Sunday, August 9.Wallace and Gromit Restored – The Marc Davis Celebration of AnimationFriday, August 7, 7:30 p.m. │Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly HillsAs part of the Academy’s Marc Davis Celebration of Animation series, Aardman Animations co-founder David Sproxton and Wallace and Gromit cinematographer Dave Alex Riddett will discuss the making of the studio’s Oscar-winning shorts “…