Stunt performers are the ninja of the movie industry; you don’t realise that you’ve seen them, they do incredible things and now they’re demanding recognition for it.
This year’s Academy Awards will be the 88th time the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have honoured people from all walks of the movie industry. Well, not quite all; and because of this, stunt performers have held a protest outside the Academy’s offices in Beverly Hills.
According to Deadline, who reported the news;
“It’s an insult to our profession,” said veteran stuntman and Academy member Conrad Palmisano. “We take the written page and breathe life into it. People love action; that’s why people go to the movies. No disrespect, but who goes to the movies to see the hairstyles?”
This conflict over stunt performers being included in the event isn’t exactly a new occurrence. Back in 2011, the dispute flared up again, five years after the Academy voted against including a stunt performers category because according to CNN;
“When the Academy governors voted five years ago against a stunt Oscar, it appeared that the development of computer-generated imagery (CGI) would reduce demand for live stunt performers in movie production”
Well, regardless of how long this dispute has been going on, it’s unlikely that it’ll be resolved in time for this Year’s Academy Awards, which will take place on the 28th of February.