1980 (53rd) Voting Rules Book cover


1980 (53rd Annual Awards)
Academy Award Voting Rules

Each year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences publishes a booklet for its members detailing the current revised rules for nominating and voting for Academy Awards. Listed below is the exact text of the rules for the 1980 (53rd) Awards.

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Note: Although the typography has been modified slightly for greater consistency and easier reading on this website, the text displayed for each Rule Book is exactly as it was originally printed (including the original—sometimes quirky—outline format and occasional spelling errors).

53rd Annual
Academy Awards of Merit
FOR ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 1980



VOTING RULES

One

THE AWARDS YEAR

  1. Academy Awards of Merit shall be bestowed for achievements in connection with motion pictures first publicly exhibited by means of 35mm film or larger for paid admission (previews excluded) in a commercial motion picture theater in the Los Angeles area, defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles or Beverly Hills, between January 1, 1980 and midnight of December 31, 1980, such exhibition being for a consecutive run of not less than a week after an opening prior to midnight of December 31st, following normal exploitation and advertising utilized by the producer for his other pictures within the dates specified. Pictures publicly exhibited elsewhere prior to their exhibition in the Los Angeles area shall not be eligible unless such exhibition has occurred after January 1, 1979 in a commercial motion picture theater (previews and film festivals excluded).
  2. Exceptions to this rule appear in Special Rules for Documentary Awards (see Rule Twelve), Best Foreign Language Film Award (see Rule Fourteen) and Short Films Awards (see Rule Eighteen). Additional requirements for the Music Awards are contained in Rule Fifteen.

Two

THE ANNUAL AWARDS

Except in instances in which the producer is unable to comply herewith, every award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards, and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.

Awards of Merit in the form of gold statuettes shall be conferred for the following achievements:

ACTING: For the best performance by an actor in a leading role.
For the best performance by an actor in a supporting role.
For the best performance by an actress in a leading role.
For the best performance by an actress in a supporting role.
ART DIRECTION: For the best achievement in art direction.
(The Academy Statuette shall be given also to the set decorators on the picture which wins the Art Direction Award.)
CINEMATOGRAPHY: For the best achievement in cinematography.
COSTUME DESIGN: For the best achievement in costume design.
DIRECTING: For the best achievement in directing.
DOCUMENTARY: For the best achievement in each of two classifications:
(a) Documentary features.
(b) Documentary short subjects.
FILM EDITING: For the best achievement in film editing.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: For the best foreign language film of the year.
MUSIC: For the outstanding achievements in music in connection with motion pictures:
Best original score.
Best adaptation score.
Best original song.
BEST PICTURE: For the best motion picture of the year.
SHORT FILMS: For the best achievement in each of two classifications:
(a) Animated films.
(b) Dramatic live action films.
SOUND: For the best achievement in sound.
VISUAL EFFECTS: For the best achievement in visual effects.*
WRITING: For the best achievement in each of two classifications:
Best screenplay written directly for the screen.
Best screenplay based on material from another medium.

* In the event there are fewer than two nominations, a Special Achievement Award may be voted by the Board of Governors.

Three

OTHER AWARDS

(Not necessarily given each year)

  1. SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: For a device, method, formula, discovery, or invention of special and outstanding value to the arts and sciences of motion pictures and actually employed in the motion picture industry during the awards year. The Academy Award of Merit (Academy Statuette) shall be conferred for basic achievements which have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry; the Scientific and Engineering Award (Academy Plaque) for those achievements which exhibit a high level of engineering and are important to the progress of the industry; the Technical Achievement Award (Academy Certificate) for those accomplishments which are valuable contributions to the progress of the industry (see Rule Seventeen).
  2. SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (Statuette): Shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is an achievement which makes an exceptional contribution to the motion picture for which it was created, but for which there is no annual award category. Such awards shall only be conferred, however, for achievements in productions which also qualify under Rule One.
  3. IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD (Thalberg Head): Shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is a deserving recipient, but not necessarily each year. It shall be given to a creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production. No one shall be eligible to receive the Thalberg Award more than once (see Rule Twenty-two).
  4. JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD (Statuette): Shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is a deserving recipient, but not necessarily each year. It shall be given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry. No one shall be eligible to receive this award more than once (see Rule Twenty-three).

Four

HONORARY AWARDS

  1. For outstanding achievements not strictly within the categories listed in Rules Two and Three. Honorary Awards shall only be given, however, for exceptionally distinguished service in the making of motion pictures or for outstanding service to the Academy.
  2. Achievements voted Honorary Awards may be in connection with foreign as well as domestic productions and are not limited to the awards year.
  3. Honorary Awards shall be in such form as the Board of Governors may decide.

Five

GENERAL RULES

  1. Balloting on all achievements shall be restricted to active Academy members.
  2. The established gold statuette trophy of the Academy shall be conferred for all achievements listed in Rule Two, for the Scientific or Technical Academy Award of Merit, for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and for Special Achievement Awards. The Academy Plaque shall be given for Scientific and Engineering Awards. The Thalberg Head shall be given for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Trophies to be given for all Honorary Awards shall be determined by the Board of Governors.
  3. Voting for nominations and awards shall be by secret ballot. Printed forms and ballots shall be supplied by the Academy and shall be returned unsigned. Ballots shall be opened and counted by a firm of certified public accountants designated by the Academy President.
  4. Awards shall be conferred at an Awards Presentation ceremony.
  5. In the event that an achievement voted an award was done in collaboration, each of the collaborators shall receive an award trophy. In the event of a tie for first place in the final balloting, awards shall be given for both achievements.
  6. In the nominations voting, the marking and tabulation of all ballots shall be according to the preferential or weighted average system. Tabulation of final ballots shall be according to the plurality system. No “write-in” votes shall be counted on the final ballots.
  7. Subject to special rules approved by the Board of Governors, eligibility for consideration for Academy Awards shall be limited to motion pictures which have been exhibited by means of 35mm film or larger and for which full, complete and authentic credits have been received by the Academy from the producer or distributor, unless such limitations are waived by the Board of Governors or its Awards Committee.
  8. The Board of Governors shall provide for such meetings, subcommittees or special showings as may be desirable to insure a full and fair consideration of the merits of all eligible achievements.
  9. Motion pictures from all countries shall be eligible for consideration for the awards listed under Rule Two if the requirements of Rules One, Two, Five and Six are met, but foreign language films must have English subtitles.
  10. The alteration of an achievement by changing a picture from the version shown in the Los Angeles area, upon which eligibility is based, shall subject such achievement to the risk of being declared ineligible by the Board of Governors.

Six

GENERAL RULES FOR NOMINATIONS VOTING

  1. Each branch shall be permitted to formulate its own special rules, provided the final ballot presents not more than five achievements and that nominations and final voting in each category are restricted to active Academy members. All branches shall present their special rules to the Board of Governors for approval before putting them into operation.
  2. No more than five nominations shall be made for each award. In all cases nominations shall be announced and placed on the final ballot in alphabetical order.
  3. Each nomination shall refer only to the motion picture in which the achievement was made, and not to any individual responsible except in the case of nominations for acting which name both the individual and the one picture in which the achievement occurred.
  4. The Academy shall prepare reminder lists of all eligible pictures, but before distribution to voters studios must check and assume full responsibility for errors and omissions.
  5. Eligibility for all awards shall first be determined by credits as they appear on the screen and/or as certified to the Academy by the producing companies, but final determination in any event shall be made by the Academy.
  6. In the event of any dispute concerning credits, the Academy reserves the right to declare any achievement ineligible or, alternatively, to reject all claims to credit, list credits as being in controversy and withhold any award until the dispute is resolved.
  7. In the event a nominated achievement is declared ineligible by the Academy, it shall be replaced by the achievement which received the next highest number of votes in the nominations balloting, if time reasonably permits such substitution.

Seven

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE ACTING AWARDS

  1. Reminder lists including the casts of all eligible pictures shall be sent with nominations ballots to all members of the Academy Actors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five acting achievements in each category: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
  2. The five acting achievements in each category receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Acting Awards.
  3. A performance by an actor or actress in any role shall be eligible for nomination either for the Best Performance in a Leading Role or for the Best Performance in a Supporting Role. If, however, all the dialogue has been dubbed by another actor, the performance shall not be eligible for award consideration. Singing which is dubbed will not affect the performer’s eligibility unless it constitutes the entire performance. The determination as to whether a role is a lead or support shall be made individually by members of the branch at the time of balloting.
  4. The leading role and supporting role categories will be tabulated simultaneously. If any performance should receive votes in both categories, the achievement shall only be placed on the ballot in that category in which, during the tabulation process, it first receives the required number of votes to be nominated. In the event that the performance receives the number of votes required to be nominated in both categories simultaneously, the achievement shall only be placed on the ballot in that category in which it receives the greater percentage of the total votes.
  5. In the event that two achievements by an actor or actress receive sufficient votes to be nominated in the same category, only one shall be nominated using the preferential tabulation process and such other allied procedures as may be necessary to achieve that result.
  6. In the event that an actor or actress receives a sufficient number of votes to be nominated for one achievement in one category and for another achievement in the other category, both achievements shall be eligible.
  7. Final voting for the Acting Awards shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Eight

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE ART DIRECTION AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Art Directors Branch, except costume designers, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions. Prior to the mailing of nominations ballots, a meeting of the Academy Art Directors Branch shall be held to pass on the eligibility of all productions for award consideration.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Art Direction Award.
  3. Final voting for the Art Direction Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.
Set Decoration
  1. Recognition in the form of Academy Statuettes shall be given to the set decorators of the production which receives an award for achievement in art direction.

Nine

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Cinematographers Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Cinematography Award.
  3. In the event that two achievements by a cinematographer or team of cinematographers receive sufficient votes to be nominated, only one achievement shall be nominated using the preferential tabulation process.
  4. In accordance with General Rule Six, Paragraph E, only principal position credit(s) shall be considered eligible for the Cinematography Award.
  5. Final voting for the Cinematography Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Ten

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE COSTUME DESIGN AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all costume designer members of the Academy Art Directors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions. To be eligible for the Costume Design Award, the costumes must have been conceived specifically for the picture by the costume designer of credit. Eligibility shall be determined by the costume designer members of the Art Directors Branch at a meeting called specifically for that purpose prior to the mailing of nominations ballots.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Costume Design Award.
  3. Final voting for the Costume Design Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Eleven

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE DIRECTING AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Directors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Directing Award.
  3. Final voting for the Directing Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Twelve

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS

  1. Documentary films are defined as those dealing creatively with cultural, artistic, historical, social, scientific, economic or other significant subjects, photographed in actual occurrence, re-enacted or produced in animation, stop-motion or any other technique and wherein the emphasis is on factual content and not on fiction. The purely technical instructional film will not be considered.
  2. Films eligible for Documentary Awards shall be divided into two groups:
    1. Documentary features—films more than 30 minutes in length.
    2. Documentary short subjects—films 30 minutes or less in length.
  3. Only one entry in each classification will be accepted from each producer.
  4. These awards shall be limited to the producer(s). Executive producer(s) cannot share nominations or awards credit for documentary films. If there is a discrepancy between the name(s) listed on the entry blank and the name(s) on the film titles, the Academy will accept only the credit on the film.
  5. To be eligible for award consideration for the 1980 awards year, a documentary film must have been exhibited for the first time between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1980 (except as provided in Paragraph 6) by having been viewed in any auditorium, theater or other room (not necessarily in the Los Angeles area) by an audience for which the subject was made. Screening before a film festival or exposition audience, whether competitive or not, shall also constitute exhibition within the scope of this regulation. Pictures which have been exhibited in any other medium but which FIRST qualify under the above rule are also eligible, provided the first exhibition in that medium has occurred during the same awards year. The print submitted for Academy Award consideration must be identical to the print utilized for this first exhibition.
  6. To qualify:
    1. Entries in the documentary field will be limited to films either produced in, or enlarged to, 35mm or 70mm in which significant dialogue or narration is in English or which have English subtitles.
    2. Films produced in 16mm, however, may be submitted without enlargement provided they have been honored by acceptance for exhibition at a recognized non-competitive international film festival; or, in the case of a similarly recognized competitive international film festival, if they have received a best-in-category award. Such recognition must occur in the same awards year in which the film is submitted for Academy Documentary Awards consideration. However, in the case of a 16mm film which has had its eligibility screening after September 30 of the awards year, and which because of this late date may not have time in which to obtain the required international film festival recognition before December 31, it may qualify for the following year providing it meets the above criteria.
  7. The term “recognized,” as applied to international film festivals, is defined as the list of festivals officially recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. Recognition by the Council on International Non-theatrical Events (CINE) is also acceptable.
  8. The winning documentary entries in the Academy’s Annual Student Film Awards competition of 1980 will also be eligible providing they qualify within the specifications listed above. However, any student filmmaker submitting a film for consideration in the Documentary Awards categories may not subsequently enter the same film in the Student Film competition.
  9. All entries submitted must include a description of the subject written in English. The entry blank and synopsis should be submitted as soon as possible. The deadline for entry forms and prints to be received in the Academy office is December 31, 1980. Foreign entries must also comply with this rule.
  10. Prints should be shipped prepaid to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90211. Those not chosen as nominations for final balloting by the active Academy membership will be returned prepaid to the sender. Prints of nominated films must remain with the Academy for screening until the presentation of the awards in 1981.
  11. The Documentary Awards Committee will view all films entered and will then vote to nominate not more than five nor fewer than three in each category. The committee’s selections will then become the nominations. Final voting for the Documentary Feature Award and Documentary Short Subjects Award shall be restricted to active Academy members who will have attended Academy screenings, or other exhibition, of all nominated achievements in each Documentary Award classification.
  12. “Except in instances in which the producer is unable to comply herewith, every award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.” [Academy Bylaws, Article 8, Section 1, (f).] Unless notified to the contrary, the Academy will retain for its archives every print chosen as a nomination for final balloting on the Documentary Awards.
  13. Films submitted for Documentary Award(s) consideration may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, provided they meet the requirements of the special rules governing those other categories. However, they may not qualify for the Best Picture of the Year Award, Best Foreign Language Film Award or Best Short Films Awards. Films submitted for Documentary Feature Award consideration shall not be eligible for Academy Award consideration in any category in any subsequent awards year.

Thirteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE FILM EDITING AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Film Editors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Film Editing Award.
  3. Final voting for the Film Editing Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Fourteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM AWARD

  1. This award (Academy Statuette) will be given for the best feature length motion picture produced with a basically non-English sound track, first released in the country of origin between November 1, 1979 and October 31, 1980, and shown in a commercial theater for the profit of the producer and exhibitor. The picture need not have been released in the United States. The print submitted for award consideration must be identical in form with the version released in the country of origin. Dialogue track must be predominantly in a language of the country of origin and English subtitles are required. If the eligibility of any entry is questioned, the Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee shall make a determination.
  2. Films submitted for Best Foreign Language Film Award consideration may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, but not the Best Picture of the Year Award nor the Best Documentary Feature Award, provided they meet the requirements of the special rules governing those other categories. Such films must be publicly exhibited by means of 35mm film or larger for paid admission (previews excluded) in a commercial motion picture theater in the Los Angeles area (defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles or Beverly Hills) between January 1, 1980 and midnight of December 31, 1980, for a consecutive run of not less than a week after an opening prior to midnight of December 31st. Films submitted for Best Foreign Language Film Award consideration shall not be eligible for Academy Award consideration in any category in any subsequent awards year.
  3. Every country shall be invited to submit its best film to the Academy. Selection of the best picture from each country shall be made by one group or organization, or by a jury or committee composed of representatives from several organizations in the country. Only one picture will be accepted from each country.
  4. Prints should be shipped as early as possible as the Academy cannot accept pictures later than Monday, December 22, 1980 for award consideration. A synopsis in English must be received in the Academy Office with the official entry blank not later than Wednesday, November 12, 1980.
  5. The Academy will provide entry blanks to the proper committee in each country so that the producer of the film selected can supply full information on his picture. All questions on the blank should be answered as fully as possible and should be supplemented by any other cast, credit or fact sheets available.
  6. All foreign films sent to the Academy will be screened by the Academy Foreign Language Film Award Committee. After the screenings, the committee will vote by secret ballot to nominate five foreign language pictures for this award. One representative of each picture nominated will be invited to attend the Academy Awards Presentation in March, 1981. The statuette will be awarded to the picture and not to any one individual.
  7. Final voting for the Foreign Language Film Award shall be restricted to active Academy members who have attended Academy screenings, or other exhibition, of all five films nominated for the award.
  8. “Except in instances in which the producer is unable to comply herewith, every award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.” [Academy Bylaws, Article 8, Section 1, (f).] Unless notified to the contrary, the Academy will retain for its archives every print chosen as a nomination for final balloting on the Foreign Language Film Award.

Fifteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE MUSIC AWARDS

QUALIFICATION FOR ELIGIBILITY IN ALL MUSIC CATEGORIES
  1.  
    1. The work must be specifically created for the eligible film.
    2. The measure of the work’s qualification must be its effectiveness, craftsmanship and relevance to the dramatic whole.
MUSIC CATEGORIES

Category I—Best Original Score
  1. An Original Score is a body of music or a substantial body of songs (consisting of music and lyrics), in either case originating solely with the submitting composer(s) or songwriter(s), specifically created for the feature motion picture for which eligibility is claimed. All of the principal thematic and connective material therein must be original with the composer(s) or songwriter(s).
  2. An original score consisting of songs must be created by the same writer or team of writers. Those songs may be used either as voice-overs on the sound track or visually performed and they must be substantively rendered. What is simply a group of songs unrelated to the story line of the film would not be considered a valid Original Score.
  3. Any original song within a score shall be eligible for submission in the Best Original Song category.
Category II—Best Adaptation Score
  1. An Adaptation Score is a work consisting primarily of thematic and connective musical material based either on pre-existing musical material or on musical material specifically created for the eligible film (not original with the adapter). The Adaptation must be something other than a restatement of selected sections in their original form and must include creativity by expansion, contraction, reharmonization or other alterations in accommodating the material to the unique and specific demands of the motion picture. The mere selection, editing and use of material in its already existing form shall not be considered a valid Adaptation—nor shall the arrangement and orchestration of such musical material.
Category III—Best Original Song
  1. An Original Song consists of original words and music specifically created for the feature motion picture for which eligibility is claimed. There must be a substantive rendition (not necessarily visual) of both lyric and melody in the body of the film. The melody and lyric must be clearly audible and recognizably performed as a song.
TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS
  1. The work submitted must have been recorded for use in the sound track of the eligible film prior to any other recording with the following specific exceptions:
    1. temporary track for demonstration or production purposes,
    2. artist rehearsal,
    3. score audition,
    4. any legitimate technical need of the production.
  2. The work submitted must be recorded for use in the film prior to any public performance in, or exploitation through, any of the following or similar media: radio, television, stage, night clubs, literary material, phonograph records, tapes and publication in sheet music form available for purchase by the public.
SUBMISSION BY CREATOR
  1. For an achievement to be considered for nomination in one of the three Music Awards categories, an Official Submission Form, obtained from the Academy, must be submitted by the creator(s) of that achievement who must personally request this form.
  2. The creator need not be an Academy member.
  3. The work submitted must appear in an eligible feature film and may be submitted prior to the qualifying Los Angeles release opening, but must be submitted not later than sixty days after such opening.
  4. The final deadline for submission is December 31, 1980.
  5. The Executive Committee reserves to itself the right, but not the obligation, to submit a candidate no later than January 16, 1981.
PROCEDURES
  1. A reminder list of works submitted in each category shall be sent with nominations ballots to all members of the Music Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in each category. The five achievements in each category receiving the highest scores will become the nominations for final voting for the Music Awards. If there are fewer than twenty technically qualified works submitted in any category, nominations will be limited to three.
  2. Rules interpretations and technical or classification questions shall be resolved by the Executive Committee.
  3. The entire active Academy membership shall vote for final selections in each category: (I) Best Original Score; (II) Best Adapation [sic] Score; (III) Best Original Song.

Sixteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all active members of the Academy, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. In the event a film has been entered in the Documentary Feature or Foreign Language Film Award categories, it shall not be eligible for the Best Picture Award.
  3. The five pictures receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Best Picture Award.
  4. Final voting for the Best Picture Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Seventeen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

  1. Academy Awards for scientific or technical achievement shall be made by the Board of Governors, upon recommendation of the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee. Awards may be given for devices, methods, formulas, discoveries or inventions of special and outstanding value to the arts and sciences of motion pictures and employed in the motion picture industry during the awards year.
  2. The Academy President shall annually appoint outstanding representatives of the motion picture and technical fields to serve on the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee. The chairman of the committee shall notify each of the members of the committee, in writing, that the committee is dissolved upon the completion of its annual term.
  3. Awards for scientific or technical achievement may be granted in any of the three following classifications:

    ACADEMY AWARD OF MERIT (Academy Statuette)
    For basic achievements which have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry.

    SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARD (Academy Plaque)
    For those achievements which exhibit a high level of engineering and are important to the progress of the industry.

    TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Academy Certificate)
    For those accomplishments which are valuable contributions to the progress of the industry.

  4. The committee shall endeavor to acquaint itself with all motion picture scientific or technical achievements of the awards year. To assist the committee, letters shall be sent to individuals and organizations engaged in scientific or technical developments for motion pictures, requesting that they submit any information they may have regarding achievements which may have been developed in their own or any other organization.
  5. A list of all achievements being considered shall be widely publicized to permit anyone with claims of prior art or with devices similar to those under consideration to bring them to the attention of the committee.
  6. The committee shall then conduct a series of meetings and examinations, and when feasible shall arrange for such demonstrations as are necessary properly to evaluate the achievements, and make recommendations for action by the Board of Governors.
  7. In evaluating the achievements, the committee shall seek to acquaint itself with all devices, methods, formulas, discoveries or inventions similar to those being considered.
  8. Where achievements are covered by patents, the committee may request that copies of the patent be made available to it.
  9. Full claim for originality and development of each achievement must be established to the satisfaction of the committee. If any controversy should arise as to the origin or authorship of an achievement, the committee may request that the Academy Board of Governors postpone action until proper credit shall have been established.
  10. The committee may appoint subcommittees for each technical classification in which there are achievements to be considered. The chairman of each subcommittee shall be one of the members of the subcommittee and shall conduct its meetings and discussions.
  11. Each subcommittee shall consider all achievements in its field. The subcommittees shall not make recommendations as to award classification on the achievements, but shall evaluate them by completing prepared questionnaires. These evaluations shall be forwarded to the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee.
  12. All voting by the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee shall be by secret written ballot. All decisions as to award recommendations and classification shall require a two-thirds majority vote. Members of the committee having a personal connection with any achievement shall not be present during discussion of that achievement except by invitation of the chairman. Members of the committee who do not have a personal connection with the achievement but who are affiliated with the organization responsible for the achievement may be present at the discussion and voting at the discretion of the chairman, but may not vote on the achievement.
  13. The committee shall recommend to the Academy Board of Governors the person, persons and/or organization to whom an award shall be made, the type of award and the text thereof.
  14. In recommending awards, the committee will judge to the best of its ability the scientific or technical merits of the achievements, but does not warrant that the person or persons named are responsible for the origin or development of the achievement named in the award.
  15. It shall be within the discretion of the committee to recommend no awards if, in its judgment, there have been no achievements worthy of recognition. It shall also be within the discretion of the committee to review, on its own motion, any Academy Award conferred by the Academy Board of Governors for scientific or technical achievement, to determine whether the classification of such achievement should be elevated by reason of its contribution to the arts and sciences of motion pictures subsequent to the granting of such award and to recommend elevation in classification to the Academy Board of Governors.
  16. Such other rules as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of this award shall be adopted by the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.

Eighteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE SHORT FILMS AWARDS

  1. An award shall be given for the best achievement in each of two classifications:

    Animated Films
    1. An animated film, comedic or serious, may be an original story, an existing story or fable, or it may simply explore a mood or thought. It usually falls into one of two general fields of animation: character or abstract. Some of the techniques of animating films include cel animation, computer animation, stop-motion, clay animation, puppets, pixillation, cut out, pins, camera multiple pass imagery, kaleidoscopic effects and drawing on the film frame itself.
    Dramatic Live Action Films
    1. A dramatic live action film is an audio-visual fictional composition, comedic or serious, intended to portray life or character or to tell a story predominantly utilizing live action techniques. The film may be an original story or an adaptation of existing literature.
  2. DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN EITHER CATEGORY AND WILL BE DISQUALIFIED IF SUBMITTED.
  3. Short films in either category may be no more than 3,000 35mm feet, or the equivalents in 16mm or 70mm, in which dialogue or narration is substantially in English or which have English subtitles. Any entry that deviates from the normal sound or projection system of the Academy’s theater must be approved by a majority of the Executive Committee and, if accepted, the submitter must be responsible for supplying any additional equipment.
  4. To compete for these awards, films must be first exhibited (except for film festivals and the Academy’s Student Film Awards entries) within two years of completion date in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County for a paid play date of seven consecutive days between January 1, 1980 and midnight, December 31, 1980. The print submitted for Academy Award consideration must be identical to the print utilized for the paid play date. Newsreels, previews, advertising films, segments from feature length films and documentary films shall be excluded.
  5. The winning entries in the Academy’s Annual Student Film Awards competition of 1980 (excluding the documentary category) will also be eligible, providing they qualify within the specifications listed above. However, any filmmaker submitting a film for consideration in the Short Film Awards categories may not subsequently enter the same film in the Student Film Awards.
  6. These awards shall be limited to the producer(s). Executive producers cannot share nominations or awards credit for short films. If there is a discrepancy between the name(s) listed on the entry blank and the name(s) on the film titles, the Academy will accept only the credit on the film.
  7. The deadline for entry forms and prints to be received in the Academy office is December 31, 1980. Foreign entries must also comply with this rule. All entries submitted must include a description of the subject written in English.
  8. Only one entry in each classification will be accepted from each producer.
  9. Prints should be shipped prepaid to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90211. Those not chosen as nominations for final balloting by the active Academy membership will be returned prepaid to the sender. All prints of nominated films must remain with the Academy for screening until the presentation of the awards in 1981.
  10. A Reviewing Committee will view all films entered and mark all entries 10 (excellent), 8 (good), 6 (fair) or 4 (poor). Not more than ten films in each category receiving the highest average numerical scores above 7.5 (using the weighted average system of tabulation) shall be considered further.
  11. All entries selected by the Reviewing Committee shall be screened by the Branch Nominating Committee consisting of all active members of the Academy Short Films Branch. Those members of the Short Films Branch who served on the Reviewing Committee and who viewed all the submitted films in either or both categories are entitled to receive ballots by mail. The running order of the subjects in each classification shall be determined by lot. The point system of voting, i.e., 10, 8, 6 or 4, is to be used at this screening to select nominations. Those films receiving an average score or 8.0 or more shall become the nominations. However, there may be not more than five nor fewer than three nominations in each category.
  12. Final voting for the Short Films Awards shall be restricted to active Academy members who may vote only at a special screening of the nominated achievements for one subject in each of the two classifications. However, those members of the Short Films Branch who served on the Nominating Committee and who viewed all the nominated films are entitled to receive ballots by mail.
  13. Excellence of the entries shall be judged on the basis of originality, entertainment and production quality without regard to cost of production or subject matter.
  14. All technical and classification questions shall be resolved by the Executive Committee.
  15. “Except in instances in which the producer is unable to comply herewith, every award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards, and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.” [Academy Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 1, (f).] Unless notified to the contrary, the Academy will retain for its archives every print chosen as a nomination for final balloting in each category of the Short Films Awards.

Nineteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE SOUND AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Sound Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Sound Award.
  3. The talents of the rerecording mixers on a panel (not to exceed three) and the production mixer will be judged as contributing equally to a sound track achievement. On an Official Data Record supplied by the Academy, the producer (or his/her designee) and/or the sound director shall designate the eligibility of the co-rerecording mixing collaborators and the production mixer for Academy Award purposes. In the event an additional rerecording mixer or an additional production mixer is used, the sound director shall designate the three-man rerecording mixing staff and the producer shall designate the production mixer of primary contribution.
  4. Following a review of the Official Data Records, determination of nomination eligibility shall be the responsibility of the Academy, as provided in General Rule Six.
  5. The Theater Sound Inspection Committee shall inspect and approve the projection sound system of the Academy’s theater at least four weeks prior to the annual screening of nominated achievements. No changes may be made in the sound system after final approval by the committee. Any production that deviates from the normal sound system, or requires modification of the system, must be approved by a majority of the committee before the final check of the system. Notification of such deviation or modification requirements must be submitted to the Academy at least three weeks in advance of the inspection and approval of the sound system. Any composite release print that plays on the normal projection sound system of the Academy’s theater requires no special approval of the committee.
  6. Before screening films nominated for the Sound Award, representatives of the pictures to be shown may run portions of their pictures to determine fader settings. However, at the actual screenings representatives may make any adjustments they deem necessary, but only during the first ten minutes of dialogue. No further fader adjustments may then be made.
  7. Final voting for the Sound Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Twenty

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE VISUAL EFFECTS AWARD

GENERAL RULES
  1. An Academy Award for achievement in visual effects shall be made if the criteria for this award are met as determined by the Visual Effects Award Committee.
  2. An award may be made (a) by vote of the active members of the Academy for productions nominated by the Visual Effects Award Committee, or (b) by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the Visual Effects Award Committe [sic]. (c) The Visual Effects Award Committee may also determine that no award be made in a given year.
PROCEDURES
  1. The Academy President shall appoint a chairman who will form a committee of qualified art directors, cinematographers and other recognized experts of visual effects technology. This committee shall review a reminder list of all eligible pictures and shall consider further those productions containing meritorious achievements.
  2. The producers of those productions (or their designees) shall be requested to provide the committee with:
    1. written descriptions explaining the manner by which the effects were accomplished and
    2. film excerpts showing the effects as they actually appeared in the general release versions of the productions.
  3. The committee shall study the descriptions, view the excerpts and vote upon the achievements at a meeting called specifically for that purpose. Results of that meeting shall determine one of the following:
    1. the selection of two, or a maximum of three, productions to be announced among the films nominated for the annual Academy Awards and placed on the final ballot with other achievements of that year, or
    2. the committee’s recommendation to the Board of Governors that a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects be made to a single production which best reflects the high standards set by the committee, or
    3. the committee’s report to the Board of Governors that, in its judgment, no award be made that year for achievement in visual effects.
CRITERIA
  1. Achievements under consideration for this award shall be judged on the basis of:
    1. the necessity of the visual effects employed to overcome economic infeasibility and/or physical impracticality,
    2. the skill and fidelity with which the visual illusion is achieved and
    3. consideration of the contribution the visual effects make to the overall production.
QUALIFICATIONS
  1. The producer of a film selected for award consideration shall provide the committee with written descriptions of the visual effects and the film excerpts of those scenes.
  2. The producer shall identify the individual(s)—not to exceed four in number—directly involved with, and primarily responsible for, the visual effects achieved.
  3. The producer shall select a qualified representative to attend the meeting of the committee to identify and describe the visual effects as they appear on the screen.
  4. Copies of the written descriptions shall be distributed to the committee in advance of the meeting and screening of excerpts.
  5. Guests attending the meeting and screening of excerpts, but who are not members of the committee, shall be requested to leave prior to the committee’s voting procedures.
VOTING
  1. Following the presentations of film excerpts and discussions relative to them, voting shall be conducted as follows:
    1. A ballot listing those productions under consideration shall be cast. Each member must mark a 10, 8, 6 or 4 opposite each of the productions. This point system shall represent a rating of excellent (10), good (8), fair (6) or poor (4). After the ballots have been tabulated, only those productions achieving an average score of 8.0 or more will be considered further.
    2. If no production achieves an average score of 8.0 in this balloting, the committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that no award be made for achievement in visual effects that year.
    3. Excerpts from the productions to be considered further may be screened again at the option of a majority of the committee.
    4. A nominations ballot listing the productions retained shall be cast. Voting for the achievements shall be on the basis of the criteria set forth in Paragraph 6 of these rules on a diminishing scale of 10, 9, 8, 7 or 6. A maximum of three productions, achieving the highest average point score of 8.5 or more, shall become the achievements nominated for the Visual Effects Award.
    5. If, as a result of the nominations ballot tabulation, only one production achieves an average point score of 8.5 or more, the committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects be made to that production.
    6. Nominees or recipients of an award for achievement in visual effects shall not exceed four in number from any given production, and who shall have been identified in accordance with the requirements of Paragraph 8 of these rules.
  2. Such other rules as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of this award shall be adopted by the Visual Effects Award Rules Committee, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors.

Twenty-one

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE WRITING AWARDS

  1. An award shall be given for the best achievement in each of two categories:

    Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
    (may be based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced)

    Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

  2. A reminder list of all pictures eligible in each category shall be sent with nominations ballots to all members of the Academy Writers Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions in each category.
  3. The five productions in each category receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Writing Awards.
  4. Final voting for the Writing Awards shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Twenty-two

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD

  1. Nominations for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award shall be made at a meeting of the Board of Governors called for that purpose. Consideration for this award shall be limited to creative producers whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production.
  2. When the nominations are completed, a written secret ballot shall be taken and if one candidate receives a majority vote of the Governors present, he or she shall receive the Thalberg Award.
  3. If, on the first ballot, no candidate receives a majority vote of the Governors present, a second ballot shall be distributed listing the two candidates who received the highest number of votes on the first ballot. If a tie for second place occurs on the first ballot, the second ballot shall list three names.
  4. If one of the candidates on the second ballot receives the majority vote of the Governors present at the meeting, he or she shall be declared the winner of the Thalberg Award. However, if the second ballot should result in a tie for first place, a third and final ballot shall be taken on the two names tied for first place.
  5. If no candidate receives the majority vote of the Governors present on the second or third ballot, no Thalberg Award shall be given that year.
  6. No proxies shall be permitted in balloting for the Thalberg Award.
  7. No individual shall be eligible to receive the Thalberg Award more than once.

Twenty-three

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD

  1. Nominations for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award shall be made at a meeting of the Board of Governors called for that purpose. Consideration for this award shall be limited to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.
  2. When the nominations are completed, a written secret ballot shall be taken and if one candidate receives a majority vote of the Governors present, he or she shall receive the Hersholt Award.
  3. If, on the first ballot, no candidate receives a majority vote of the Governors present, a second ballot shall be distributed listing the two candidates who received the highest number of votes on the first ballot. If a tie for second place occurs on the first ballot, the second ballot shall list three names.
  4. If one of the candidates on the second ballot receives the majority vote of the Governors present at the meeting, he or she shall be declared the winner of the Hersholt Award. However, if the second ballot should result in a tie for first place, a third and final ballot shall be taken on the two names tied for first place.
  5. If no candidate receives the majority vote of the Governors present on the second or third ballot, no Hersholt Award shall be given that year.
  6. No proxies shall be permitted in balloting for the Hersholt Award.
  7. No individual shall be eligible to receive the Hersholt Award more than once.

BALLOTING INFORMATION CHART
53rd Annual Awards - 1980 Calendar Year
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

AWARDNOMINATIONS BALLOTINGFINAL
BALLOTING
MAXIMUM
NUMBER OF
NOMINATIONS
NOMINATING GROUPS
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
5
5
5
5
Academy Actors Branch Members. Final Balloting by Active Academy Membership
ART DIRECTION 5 Nominations Balloting by all Members of the Academy Art Directors Branch except Costume Designers.
CINEMATOGRAPHY 5 Nominations Balloting by Academy Cinematographers Branch Members.
COSTUME DESIGN 5 Nominations Balloting by Costume Designer Members of the Art Directors Branch.
DIRECTING 5 Academy Directors Branch Members.
DOCUMENTARY AWARDS:
  FEATURES
  SHORT SUBJECTS

5
5
Documentary Awards Committee.
FILM EDITING 5 Nominations Balloting by Academy Film Editors Branch Members.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE
  FILM AWARD

5
Foreign Language Film Award Committee.
MUSIC:
  BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
  BEST ADAPTATION SCORE
  BEST ORIGINAL SONG

5
5
5
Nominations Balloting by Academy Music Branch Members.
BEST PICTURE 5 All Active Academy Members.
SHORT FILMS:
  ANIMATED FILMS
  LIVE ACTION FILMS

5
5
Academy Short Films Branch Members.
SOUND 5 Nominations Balloting by Academy Sound Branch Members.
VISUAL EFFECTS 5 Visual Effects Award Committee.*
WRITING:
  BEST SCREENPLAY WRITTEN
    DIRECTLY FOR THE SCREEN
    (may be based on factual
    material or on story material
    not previously published or
    produced)
  BEST SCREENPLAY BASED ON
    MATERIAL FROM ANOTHER
    MEDIUM






5


5
Academy Writers Branch Members.

OTHER AWARDS:
SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL AWARDSVoted by Board of Governors, based on recommendations of the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDSVoted by Board of Governors.
IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARDVoted by Board of Governors.
JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARDVoted by Board of Governors.
HONORARY AWARDS:Voted by Board of Governors.

* In the event there are fewer than two nominations, a Special Achievement Award may be voted by the Board of Governors.