Film Academy lays off two percent of employees amid restructuring

Hollywood’s ongoing downturn is now affecting the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

On Oct. 30, the organization behind the Oscars and the Academy Museum laid off two percent of its employees—16 of its roughly 800 employees. Hollywood Reporter learned. The move comes as part of a broader restructuring that has been ongoing over the past 18 months and was described in May as an “organization-wide effort to bring teams together.”

All of the employees injured this week worked in the Academy’s collections and conservation departments. The most prominent among them were Mike PogorzelskiDirector of the Academy Film Archive, and Ann CocoDeputy Director of the Graphic Art Collection at the Margaret Herrick Academy Library. Both are respected experts who have been with the organization for many years.

An Academy spokesman declined to discuss personnel matters. But there was reportedly a feeling within the organization that some of the positions split between its archives and library were becoming duplicated. In addition, the Academy is looking to tighten its belt ahead of the 100th Oscars in 2028, after which its Oscars broadcast deal with ABC, its main source of income, expires and the new broadcast deal is likely to be smaller due to the overall decline in ratings, all awards telecasts will be asked for.

However, the Academy’s collection and preservation efforts continue at full speed, as evidenced by a press release issued this morning announcing the new acquisitions. Among them: the Studio Ghibli animation collection, including drawings Hayao Miyazaki; Quentin Tarantinooriginal draft handwritten script for Pulp Fiction; objects from Pinocchio Guillermo del Toro (2022); suits worn Jamie Lee Curtis, Kurt Russell, Meryl Streep And Joanne Woodward; and personal collections Curtis Hanson, Barbara Kopple, We Nile, Oliver Stone And Paul Verhoeven.

Below is a letter from the Academy’s CEO. Bill Kramer Academy staff who TPP received.

Dear Academy team,

As you know, over the past two years we have focused on strategic structural changes at the Academy. We work hard to bring together teams that share roles and responsibilities, and as a result of this we have had some colleagues leave the organization and others move on to new roles. While these can be challenging, they are intended to align our activities by aligning functions with common goals and priorities.

As part of our efforts to unify all of our collections and preservation departments—archives, library, and museum collections—we have spent the last several months evaluating the structure of these teams. As part of the work to create the Academy’s new Collections and Preservation Department, some team members will be leaving the Academy this week.

All affected employees have been advised of these changes – and although this affects less than 2% of our total workforce, we know it can be incredibly difficult to say goodbye to colleagues. We are deeply committed to supporting those leaving and are finalizing a new reporting structure which we will share soon.

The Academy is part of two rapidly evolving worlds – the film industry and the non-profit arts community. We are working hard to remain focused on our mission despite this defining moment. And while we know how difficult these times can be, we are confident in our steps to create a sustainable organization that is well suited to achieve our goals now and in the future.

We are deeply grateful for your work and support. Please don’t hesitate to contact if you have any questions.

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