New Academy Rules for Animated Features

From AnimatedNews.com…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved several new rule changes to take effect starting with the 80th Annual Academy Awards. Among them is a change in the definition of an animated feature film. The revision appears to have been made to avoid any possible controversy with motion capture technology now being used in the production of some movies. The previous rule stated that “An animated feature film is defined as a motion picture created using a frame-by-frame technique of at least 70 minutes in running time with a significant number of the major characters animated, and in which animation figures in no less than 75% of the picture’s running time.” The new rule states that “An animated feature film is defined as a motion picture of at least 70 minutes in running time, in which movement and characters’ performances are created using a frame-by-frame technique. In addition, a significant number of the major characters must be animated, and animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time.”

Yeah, that really clears up the confusion.

So what does this mean? Motion capture is or is not a “frame by frame technique”? Seems to me it really isn’t, but I can see how folks would argue that it is if people “clean up” or “plus” the performance. So for all the cloudy wording that existed before, this new batch of wording seems just as cloudy. Oh well.