An Oscar for Stunts? The Hard (But Not Impossible) Fight For An Academy Award

[@Odin_All-Father]

I'd like to see 2 awards. Stunt Coordination in a Film and Best Stunt Performance. The first is awarded to the credited stunt coordinator(s) of the film, and the second is awarded to the Actor and Team who filmed the scene awarded on the day.

[@filmreviewer117]

That sounds fairest.

[@6thwilbury2331]

Agree with this. It mirrors what the ATAS presents at the Primetime Emmys, and it's more or less the two "largest" Taurus Awards. It slides right in, with plenty of precedent to back it up.

[@erakfishfishfish]

Or it could be one award that’s shared between coordinator and performer(s), similar to how a screenplay Oscars include both “written by” and “story by”. (In fact, in the early days of the Oscars, Best Screenplay and Best Story were separate categories!)

[@Jennyfisch]

Probably the best solution. My first thought was that the Stunt Coordinator should win, since for best Make-up it's not the people doing the make-up win but the person creating the looks - but then again, make-up-artists are not risking their life, are they.

[@maybetoby]

I think that's the best way to go

[@rafterscott]

I've worked in the film industry for 14 years. I've seen people dive off buildings, be set on fire and a hundred other things most people would never dare to do. It's a load of crap they don't get any more recognition than they do.

[@mattmarzula]

Sentiments aside as an insider... Would you agree that overtly and constantly recognizing the reality of things in Hollywood would detract from the main efforts of suspending beliefs? If all we gear things towards is acknowledging people doing their jobs, aren't we lending more and more towards the tropes of everyone getting an award? At some point, that level of entitlement is going to interfere with the production process. Sometimes, you just stow your feelings and do the job you're paid for without worrying about awards.

[@rafterscott]

​@@mattmarzula Couple thoughts: First off categories do get removed: Most recently two sound categories were removed as an Oscar category so it's not as much an award for everyone as you might think. Secondly, if categories like Costume Design or HMU (Hair/Makeup) exist which are closer in line to what you said about detracting from suspension of beliefs, an argument could then be made for outstanding stunt work as well (albeit as a "lower level category" than say Best Actor or Best Picture). Would getting an award take away from the fight work in Lord of the Rings as an example? Mostly there's no sense of entitlement that I see, people just do their shit and go home after 12-15 hours. Ego gets your ass fired now, even at the highest levels of a film set because no one wants to work 70 hours a week for 2-9 months with an asshole. Same for my group and I'm usually just a stand in.

[@guillaumelemage9860]

@@mattmarzula So if "recognition brings entitlement" there shouldn't be awards at all. I think this is a very strange point to make and rather disdainful against people who bring real performance and expertise to the craftmanship of movies, as much as things like production design or sound. And if Hollywood wanted to maintain the illusion of movies, why is there a visual effect award ? Stunts and physical spectacle are the very basis of cinema, I don't think we should discuss it's legitimacy for an award. "Everyone getting an award" is just a reactionary argument. It's not gonna be the case, and even if it was, good for them ?

[@kadosho02]

🫡 to those that create art, and telling a story, they are legends Stunts are an art form, it is an emotion, a movement, a feeling I totally agree with you, they deserve an award category There are so many amazing films out there

[@RafaelBernatto]

The idea that it's hard and necessary to decide to whom exactly the award should go is just silly... It doesn't have to go to anyone specifically. It could go to the whole movie. The physical award, the statue, may go to the studio. Who cares? Now, the fact is. Anyone who worked in the stunt department of that outstanding piece of work should and would be forever praised. That's the real prize.

[@alexman378]

Exactly, and maybe break it to “best stunts” and “best stunt performer” at most. VFX doesn’t get separate awards, they get it as a team.

[@alexman378]

Exactly, and maybe break it to “best stunts” and “best stunt performer” at most. VFX doesn’t get separate awards, they get it as a team.

[@JohnCine]

Academy award for stunt deserve and very much. They work a lot.

[@jockoadams3377]

You have Oscars for sound design, editing, art direction, costuming, cinematography, even Special Effects. Absolutely, stunts needs its own Oscar category. Without question.

[@DreamFearless]

“Even” special effects? 🧐

[@jacknotwest1200]

I feel it would have to be an over all “stunt coordination in a film” award probably taken by the areas lead, like hair and makeup or costume is. I feel it’d have to be for a whole film’s stunt work as apposed to just an individual stunt or a single stunt performance

[@JesseCohen]

And serious injury or worse during filming is an instant DQ. They have to be safe start to finish, and also be effective for driving the story forward in a compelling way. And what about SFX versus VFX? Ensemble and single stunt actor. Auto, armed, melee. Ground level v. Elevated v. Zero G? More and more it seems, much like Critics Choice, and SAG, as well as Emmy and Oscar, perhaps the best solution is that the Stunt Guild itself promote its own Stunt Awards. Who better to award stunt work than a body of stunt people, old and new.

[@silentm999]

They could do both

[@QuincyKane]

For those concerned that an award would just encourage more dangerous stunts, you need to take a look at the culture of skateboarding. Skateboarding has progressed to incredible levels of technicality and difficulty because of the skaters who pushed the limits to see what is possible on a board. You don't get good at skating by being RECKLESS; good skaters are very intentional about the risks they take, and very good at discerning whether or not they have everything they need to pull it off. Most importantly, they don't do it for an award; they do it for the sake of loving it. It's the same character of stunt performers; they LOVE what they do, and nobody's "forcing" them to take the risks they do. That's their decision to make, and if they're gonna do it anyway, and we're gonna enjoy watching it, we might as well show them some appreciation for it.

[@alexateachey9680]

Yes! Thank you! I just responded to the top comment with pretty much the same points. I couldn’t agree more with you

[@rnrose1922]

thanks for this insight I was indeed worried about

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

Should be multiple awards. Stunt Choreography, Stunt Design, Stunt Performer. Hell, if they don't want them "obvious" put them with the sci/tech awards ahead of the main ceremony. (Although I'd prefer at least Stunt Performer should be in the main ceremony.)

[@Badsauser]

This such an incredibly well made video! Had to rewatch it after oscar night. Keep up the good work cinefix it's been a pleasure seeing you guys grow and evolve over the years!

[@bogardeth]

I think they should do a Best Stunts/Choreography category. Reward stunts, dance, and others like it (and not just encourage every movie to do dangerous stunts).

[@wingyung976]

I believe the Hong Kong Film Awards have had awards for Best Action Choreography since the 80s, as action is HK's bread n butter (or was). Oscars really should have an award for stunts. The red tape is ridiculous 😢

[@QuincyKane]

Stunts definitely deserve more recognition, but the best way to award those who work in stunts is to go support their movies.

[@1da1a172]

Another wrinkle is that if we have an award for the "best" stunt, it could easily create an incentive for people to take unnecessary risks. I'm sure that can be ironed out, but I thought it was worth a mention. Also, yes, give the work _should_ be awarded.

[@Thomas15]

I think the perception that it would award risk taking is the main problem the Academy has.

[@thork6974]

Yes, that's the argument I've heard in the past.

[@sidman4040]

Jackie Chan also received a Governor's Award in 2016 and he is acknowledged as a pioneer of modern stuntwork. I would love to see an Oscar for Best Stuntwork for an ensemble. At least reward these men and women for their efforts to make the actors look good, to paraphrase The Unknown Stuntman...

[@alfielee2989]

I’ve always said that an award for ‘stunts and choreography’ would be more than fair

[@mattyt1961]

my only issues with a stunt award are. It needs to be for the whole film not 1 scene. it shouldn't be for fight scenes (not saying they aren't amazing, but to me they are a separate category to stunts). And they have to use minimal CG (so a lot of Marvel is out). But my biggest is trying to one up each other. As was said these performers are putting their bodies and lives on the line for these. By having as big an award as an Oscar, you easily run the risk for them to go bigger and more dangerous in pursuit of a trophy. I know many are doing it already (look at Fast series, Mission Imp, John Wick). No-one should die or be seriously injured for my entertainment. Nor should they be pushed or feel pressured to keep raising the bar and studios would push them harder and further just to win a trophy, after all, an Oscar = Money.

[@bamflyer]

Love this format, using your interviews to supplement video essay's that are topical and impactful

[@Apus7777]

Jackie Chan & Buster Keaton.. Legends of stunts

[@drumbum3.142]

One of which; "Obviously" and Definitely Borrows and Uses from the other. .

[@kwcy92]

Just don’t read about Chan outside of movies

[@tomjensen7950]

Mad Max Fury Road made me think, "These stunt performers and team, deserve an Oscar."

[@kadosho02]

Honestly the Oscars are dumb for not having Stunts as a category. Seriously there are so many amazing moments that garner the spotlight Stunts deserve an award

[@darrenbermingham]

I can't believe we're still talking about this in 2024. It's egregious that it hasn't happened by now.

[@rnrose1922]

This is an awesome video !!!!!

[@mostlydregs]

Best Stunt Performance and Best Stunt Designer would be an easy couple to add

[@erakfishfishfish]

The Academy’s “Best Popular Film” Oscar was an attempt to boost ratings and it was rightly laughed off the stage before the broadcast. A Best Stunts category would be a far more legitimate way to nominate films that ordinarily wouldn’t get noms in other categories and thus might attract more viewers.

[@AntonAdelson]

The performers should get the award. They are the ones with the risk or at least the skill

[@yondie491]

I'm not sure why the music comparison seemingly isn't ever made. Think of it as a Stunt Composer, a Stunt Director, and many, many Stunt Performers. Follow the same rules setup for things like Best Original Score/Song, tweak it along the lines of Best Visual Effects/Costume/Makeup&Hair... seems to me that this is the route to go in terms of the structure of the award. All those categories are similar, to some degree, as a "group collaborative" effort, to stunts. Music moreso, of course.

[@LiveDonkeyDeadLion]

I feel like the easiest way to do it is award it to the stunt team, with the stunt choreographer collecting it with some of the team as most will likely be working on another project. The team are the one who take what the director and producer wants and makes it reality

[@Thomas15]

There should be a *Best Choreography* category, instead of one just for stunts that might encourage more and more outlandish and dangerous stunts and ultimately may reward risk taking - an understandable concern. Instead, a Best Choreography award could be given for a single dance, fight, or stunt action set-piece. Studios could submit one sequence from their film, and it would be awarded to the winning film’s credited choreographer or coordinator. This would broaden the category and allow dance sequences (think the opening of La La Land, or the ‘America’ sequence from West Wide Story) and action sequences (such as the opening of Saving Private Ryan, the truck scene from TDK, the hallway scene from Oldboy, or the stairway fight from John Wick 4).

[@glennrosenthal4927]

Three new categories: Stunt Coordination, Stunt Performance, and Choreography. Make Choreography more appealing by including fight choreography and dance choreography.

[@GitShiddy]

There absolutely should be some form of stunt Oscar. Personally I've been hoping to see a "Best Choreography" Oscar as a sort of catch all for stunts, dance, fight, even a particular piece of set/shot choreography (whatever that means). I think this because a more broad topic would appeal/appease more branches & wouldn't pigeonhole an award causing "Oscar bait stunts". Which is my only reservation. Given how hard coordinators & performers work themselves right now, will a naked gold name named Oscar result in an increase of pushing the limits? And if so, what's the breaking point? Because if people are literally dying for an Oscar, they'll just stop making that Oscar.

[@JamesGilbert_]

I think that stunts do deserve to get attention by the Oscars, but I don't think it should exclusively be them. If a category were to be created for stunts, I think that having it be "Best Physicality" or something would work better, that way scenes like musical dance numbers could also get acknowledgement for the work that would go into choreographing the scene and then performing it.

[@TheMadSentinel]

Stunt Design / Coordination, Stunt Editing, Stunt Performance / Male, Stunt Performance / Female. DECADES, I've been wanting to see these. Hell, add in Practical / CGI Stunt Integration.

[@peterbui3733]

If they ever do create this award they should award them out in the next 5 years with an award for a current year and a legacy award for past stunt work that were big achievements for film in the past.

[@willienelsongonzalez4609]

Stuntmen and women have been battling the Academy for years over this. There should be different sections for best stuntman, best stuntwoman, best stunt team, best stunt choreography, best stunt performance …… It is well and truly overdue!

[@Thomas15]

That would turn the Academy Awards into the Stunt Awards, which probably already exists!

[@charles9489]

@Top comment...No just no!

[@kaybouie1972]

OMG YES!!! thank you CF-IGN M&T- for putting together a video to at the very least start a wider conversation, about the main aspect of the visual art that people come to see and remember the most. Also pointing out that before FX, heck Sound, in motion pictures there were STUNTS!

[@robchuk4136]

I've been wanting this forever, and however many people work on it, the trophy should go to the head of the department. The person who's name is under "Coordinator." Easy. Where it gets complicated is what that means for the 'prestige' of the show. Because nobody wants it to say "Academy Award-nominated, Extraction". Never underestimate the snobbery of the Oscars 😉. Achievement in Stunt Choreography could be an award that ends up defaulting to war pictures.

[@pascalwilson6707]

I can't believe Jackie Chan wasn't mentioned here ..

[@sidman4040]

People forget... >_< Even forgot he received a Governor's Award in 2016!

[@lenchorubio332]

LOVED this video!!

[@sammyelliott_]

Okay, I have a few ideas on how it could work. 1) have a more specific name which has a specific title in it, i.e. best stunt coordination goes to the stunt coordinator(s) OR 2) have the producers/whoever decides who is nominated in which category decide on who the person/people eligible are - some movies may rely more on a certain person OR 3) Let the stunt team decide who gets it, with the acknowledgment that they are receiving it as a representative OR 4) give it as a group award - why does there need to be names on it? Like, just have 'best stunts - [movie]' and then the people involved pick the representative(s) to recieve it Basically theres a bunch of ways around it, just give stunt people an award already

[@scottbarkley496]

And award it to TOM CRUISE every year

[@GoldnApeKing]

And Jackie Chan deserves alot of the too

[@mikedelong1207]

Stunts, casting, voice over, and motion capture should be Oscar categories. The last two don’t need to be given every year, only when a minimum of three performances with a max of five nominations warrant it. Motion capture can be given to the actor and graphics team.

[@JessAnderson1988]

voice over should absolutely be oscar categories every year, given the amount of voice over performances in animated and live action films there are.

[@bryanalstoncoxing]

@@JessAnderson1988yeah Robin Williams’ voice performance as Genie in Aladdin was Oscar worthy tbh, a perfect example of having a special Voice Acting category

[@JessAnderson1988]

@@bryanalstoncoxing Robin Williams, James woods, Tony Jay, eartha kitt, Jack black, Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Cummings, Andy serkis, James earl Jones, Jeremy irons... and that's just the tip of the iceberg. So many great performances over the last century deserving of recognition, but I'm pretty sure the academy awards sees voice acting as less admirable than on screen acting.

[@archstanton6102]

Always thought there should be an Oscar for Best Trained Animal.

[@stephenkeen5737]

Gotta hand it to your animators for that sequence. A lot of details in a short time. Well done.

[@TheOdMan]

The only real argument against a Stunt Oscar, and I think it's a strong one, is that it would be dangerous, like actual life threatening danger to go down that road. It would create a cycle of bigger, more dangerous stunts being performed and everyone trying to top each other and it would lead to deaths. Do stuntmen deserve recognition for their work? Of course, that's obvious, they do amazing things. The question is how to reward them without incentivising big studios exploiting them in ever more dangerous ways. Sorry if I just repeated anything that was said in the video, I have not yet watched it.

[@mattmarzula]

They already do that without the award. Sometimes they'll get an award for "best visual effects". The difference is the VFX team gets the award and the stuntman who was set on fire doesn't. Either way, no studio in the business of making money is going take unnecessary risks. That's a good way to lose your insurance, shut down a film, get sued into oblivion, and never work in the industry again. By the way, you beat the top comment by 3 minutes and wrote it first. But, yes, the video addressed nearly everything about the proposed category.

[@lunatickgeo]

while I think that's a valid concern, an award can also be a really good way to stop a trend like that by _not_ nominating a stunt precisely because it is dangerous and showed disregard for the safety, healthy, or life of the performer

[@eon001]

@@mattmarzula Exactly! They are already risking their lives AND dying while doing it. Do people think they will take bigger risks just to win an award?

[@lunatickgeo]

I can think of two ways to get around the "who gets the Oscar"? Separate the awards into Stunt Design and Stunt Performer. I am _not_ knowledgeable about the ins and outs of stunt work but obviously there are different layers to how a stunt is made (as we saw in the video). The person who designs the stunt, the one who takes the initial concept and plans it out, from working out the moves, choreographing it, working out the pre-viz is nominated for Stunt Design. Then a stunt performer who does an exceptional stunt can also take a statue, and this can be awarded to a team but the focus is on the performance. Maybe there can be a third like Stunt Coordination which is like overall really good stuntwork for the entire film. The second way, which can also be used in the first suggestion, is let the production dictate who is nominated. They do anyway, "for your consideration we would like you to think of Marlon Brando to be nominated for Best Head of a Criminal Organization in the movie The Godfather", so even if there is only one award (the skinflint bastards! there should be at least two!) let the MI production team bring forth who is getting nominated for the stunt work that they are presenting for consideration, they would know who should be getting it.

[@ramontrevi10]

Great video, guys... As always

[@CaseNumber00]

0:46 You can make that argument about best actor/actress. Who gave the actor their lines? Wardrobe? Pointers? Made them look attractive? Made them look good on film? Wait. They do give those all out at the award ceremony.

[@LelekPLN]

I believe there are three additional reasons why the Academy is shy about starting a Stunt category: 1. They just don't have the respect for Action cinema and would prefer not to award it (although a stunt choreography would probably allow musicals to also be nominated) 2. Far less movies use any stunts than VFX for instance so it would be a niche category (but they already have a far more niche category - Animated movies where they nominate 5 movies out of maybe tens that came out that year. Far more movies use stunts than are animated) 3. There is a much higher risk of death in stunts and it would be a bad look to not nominate someone who gave his life on the set but again it would be a bad look for the industry to nominate them and highlight how dangerous it can be.

[@sammyelliott_]

I agree on the first two (except the musicals thing, stunt choreography is different to regular choreography) Your 3rd point, I understand what you mean but surely if someone died as a result of the stunt then its not the best? Like one of the things that makes a great stunt (for me at least) is that it was done safely. The stunt team have to figure out how to do it safely, and that should be considered as part of the criteria for the award. If someone died, something was probably wrong on the safety side, excluding them from eligibility.

[@DRGNSXBITE]

I believe if they were awards for stunts Jackie Chan would have won mostly all of them #jackie Chan VERY UNDERRATED

[@samuraikitty18]

I very much believe that stunts are both an art and a science!

[@mikhail5428]

*Best stunt choreography and best stunt performer, that's the only 2 categories that can survive the process*

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

If they can give them to dress designers and makeup (not knocking them, but those aren't usually going to be life threatening!), they can give them to these awesome people.

[@DAS_k1ishEe]

I think one aspect missing is stunt work being so dangerous given an oscar will lead to more extreme stunts getting oscars leading to a death spiral for even more dangerous stunts being made until the coffins culminate in LA. It would be a PR Nightmare for the whole industry.

[@robert3333]

I was very surprised that this point was never discussed in the video.

[@andrewbevan4662]

The problem is these days most stunts are heavily augmented by CGI..30 years ago a stuntman would jump 100 feet off a building and land on a crash mat ,now they jump 20 feet with a harness and the CGI makes it look like a 100 feet and removes the harness

[@TheCreepypro]

great question and conclusion

[@8teenOfficial]

They should just make an award giving body for stunts only to have a jury or judges that really knows STUNTS and not just people in the Academy who only just watch 2 hour Oscar bait films and don't even recognize genre films unless they rake in a ton of money

[@wdstrut]

12 minutes in and I am more confused than when I started. I agree with your plight.

[@mr.shyryhud1659]

It would be fun to go back 20 years and say what movies would have won best Stunts

[@wolfishxwillow]

This was all so interesting to listen to and think about. I hadn't realized how complex it all was, even though I really should have with how many people are involved in putting these things together!

[@lanewerwinstunts]

Stunts is about making the actors look good and making sure everyone goes home safe. We don’t do this for recognition. We come from background and our anonymity is important. Its not abut us.

[@drumbum3.142]

Oscar for Best (type) of Stunt,?.. 👍Make It Happen,!👍 Though there's a *GREAT* Concern it might be biased... There's other scenes, sequences, if not entire Films that share the roost with Hunt and Wick... Including, but definitely not limited to: The Entire Filmography of Buster Keaton (am thankful there was an ever so brief mention of him here), Revenge, the opening of Dredd, The Batman, Both Largo Winches, the Barrel of Monkeys airplane sequence from iron man, the mansion shakedown/shootout from the Bourne Legacy, Mad Max Fury Road, the train/big rig axel dumping tutorial in The Island.. ...among (I'm sure) others.. .

[@wylon87]

Clint, that is a beautiful beard good sir!

[@WalterFrith]

For people who risk their lives, they definitely deserve an Oscar for best stunt and members of the academy need to BOYCOTT the Oscars with the same passion that the actors had when they went on strike recently.

[@wirdoasymmetry]

Maaan, what a beautifull work.

[@mpetersen6]

If they add an Oscar for stunt make it no Green Screen Allowed!

[@JakeRaven1970]

I am yet to hear a reason against a stunt Oscar(or several stunt Oscars) that isn't totally flawed, if you consider the other disciplines Oscars are awarded for. As the video says, it doesn't have to be complicated. And it would make the ceremony so much more interesting

[@twosense7723]

I know my comment is unrelated, but please bring back the walking dead what's the difference. The fans miss those awesome videos.

[@thork6974]

Regarding who gets credited: could Tom Cruise, as a principal actor, even *get* nominated in a Stunt category? Would it depend on whether the category was defined as Best Stunt Performer, or Best Stunt? Would he have to be credited additionally as a member of the stunt team? And wouldn't he have an unfair advantage over actors who don't produce their own films, minimizing the studios' insurance risk?

[@eee2861]

While stunt teams definitely deserve recognition, the problematic aspect is glamourizing risking one's life for entertainment. That is something the industry has worked hard to eliminate for a century now.

[@Riz2336]

There should be an an Oscar for this

[@ListenNLoveItYTC]

What about the Taurus World Stunt Awards. Has anyone heard about them?

[@Jennyfisch]

I'm all for it, the only problem I would see that the claim of actors that "I do all my own stunts" would get out of hand in order to get another shot at an Oscar

[@starkparker16]

Heck yeah

[@mrpink7773]

It absolutely infuriates me that golden globes made a new category not only is it not for stun coordination but it’s for BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT?!??? What the hell is that, you don’t need an award for making money, they money is the award😭

[@mollywoodshots6503]

I have been telling this for a while. Introduce Oscar for SFX & stuntwork

[@yondie491]

While in industry terminology, SFX and VFX are two separate things, the category "Best Special Effects" was renamed to "Best Visual Effects" and covers both. I'm curious if you mean that SFX should be separated from VFX so that there are two Effects awards.

[@mollywoodshots6503]

@@yondie491 yup. Practical effects & CGI should be given awards separately

[@yondie491]

@@mollywoodshots6503 okay to confirm (sincerely btw, I want to be clear since this is text) you do mean "go back to the way it was because it was stupid to combine these categories"? I... *basically* agree w/ that. I think I understand why they did it. My guess is that it's because technology and practical effects are used together so incredibly frequently that what matters is the end result, not the discipline that created that result. Mad Max Fury Road is an amazing example. The CGI used is PERFECT, and it's indistinguishable from the practical effects that it is used to enhance. So if THAT is why they combined the awards... that makes sense... I just don't think we're there yet. Fury Road was the exception. It should be the norm. It's kinda like Sound Design. Editing and Mixing were separte categories until just a few years ago. HOWEVER... those two disciplines have been intertwined for generations. There are no movies (aside from Dogme 95 type stuff) that don't use both fully together... so those two awards were long overdue to be combined.

[@wyn0342]

Tom would have a 100 Oscars!

[@porrepokemon]

Love the non shitty podcast uploads

[@gorter23]

could it be that if you put a reward up for it the stunts will become more dangerous over time indirectly rewarding riskier stunts

[@Featinwe]

19:13 - this is ridiculous... there should be a public response to such proposal of a new category, with obligatory extensive justification of rejection (or acceptance). Dunno, "the Academy" seems like shady organization to me which looses more and more integrity every year.

[@darkones12345]

while it makes sense on paper, there's a real chance of slippery slope here as they try to outdo each other with more and more danger.

[@vorpal120]

Exactly. This is the kind of category that rewards danger. It wasn’t in the inception of the awards and should not be now. I think they knew that risking life isn’t what movies are about.

[@mattmarzula]

They already do that to a point but, there's also a risk to reward consideration. Even still, the stunt should evolve the plot without being central to it. I would say that the vast majority of professional stunt teams and studios don't take unnecessary risks for entertainment. Even the Jackass crew. When you can potentially lose billions of dollars in future earnings, you do everything to protect your investments while bringing entertainment to the screen. Then again, you still have your Vic Morrow, Brandon Lee, and Alex Baldwin incidents. None of which were trying to make it bigger or better than anyone else necessarily. They were trying to portray realism and neglected the details.

[@lunatickgeo]

you aren't wrong, but conversely the award can be used to mitigate the escalation by purposefully _not_ nominating a stunt that endangered its crew

[@scarlettmi]

This is such a silly argument.

[@AerialAssault87]

Tom Cruise hangs off of planes and buildings. We've surpassed that. Also, stunts these days are FAR safer than in years before because of safety regulations. An award will not change anything except giving more opportunities and negotiating leverage for stunt performers and coordinators.

[@ashleyphotog]

the problem that could happen with an oscar for stunt performace, is it could be something that compelles people to take higher and higher risks, but good stunt work in reality is about doing the opposite.

[@masmanado]

Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan, Keanu Reeves and Zoe Bell would won that award

[@nolaffinmatter]

Everything that’s said in the conversation about stuntwork should also be applied to dance. Whether the dance award is a separate category from stunts or whether they’re blended into a “Choreography” award, dance is just as technical, just as visceral, and just as influential in the history of cinema as stuntwork. It’s a shame that we don’t have nearly as many dance movies these days.

[@DragonRafify]

This would make sense 20 years ago. But since the Oscar's are basically dead, this won't bring people anymore

[@adamwiggins9865]

God forbid they give us a reason to spend $18 on a movie ticket + wildly expensive snacks

[@andybobandy641]

Figure out how to monetize a stunt award to give the academy members their fair share and usual Kickback and then you will have your stunt Awards section in the academy awards. There's no personal profit in that category for Academy members so you'll probably never see it until that happens.

[@Sleepingfishie]

For the slippery slope crowd bigger doesn’t always means better. The academy just has to choose nominees that aren’t always the most dangerous

[@mattmarzula]

So close... Should have stopped at the first sentence. You made the nomination more subjective and polarized. If you fail to nominate a stunt sequence, stunt actor, stunt, coordinator, or stunt team because something was too dangerous, you literally set the whole concept back and neuter it. You reduce it to a bland watered down category that panders to a board. The Oscars are for bold portrayals on film that typically mirror reality or go beyond the imagination. Not milquetoast people and laughable actions that fail to suspend belief. This is why when Tom Cruise was told a stunt was too dangerous, he got another stunt advisor. The man is a movie superstar who knows after 40 some years what looks good on film, will work with audiences, and are acceptable risks.

[@nwansley22]

Funny that they keep showing dial of destiny, there was so much CGI in that movie

[@gamleskalle1]

Jackie Chan got a life time award in the mid 90s well deserved.

[@CWS-g6h]

If you want a stunt award from the start, I think Hong Kong will win a lot (Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan).

[@kwcy92]

Hong Kong Film Awards actually have a Best Action Choreography category

[@tylerdurden4006]

We do not need awards for stunts or we would get empty movies like the latest MI. They only cared about the bike jump and tried to make a movie around it and came up with the dumbest string of excuses to get to that jump. Their wasn't even a script during filming, just the stunt.

[@thulcandran]

If they were to give out an award for best stunt choreography in a film at this year’s Oscars, which five films do you think should be nominated?

[@thulcandran]

My picks would be John Wick 4, Sisu, Equalizer 3, Mission Impossible, and Fast X.

[@6thwilbury2331]

Shauna Duggins, please report to the white courtesy phone...

[@hunterwyeth]

I’m waiting for Oscer to finally create a “best character category

[@mattmarzula]

You do realize that nearly every award for best actor is an award for the best character right? Think about how many great characters are portrayed by actors who phone in performances? Or worse. Like how great actors get terrible roles and still phone it in. I cite Dennis Hopper as Shooter Fletch in "Hoosiers" winning an Oscar and later playing King Koopa in "Super Mario Brothers" and winning a paycheck.

[@hunterwyeth]

@@mattmarzula not true. Remember back in 2013 Daniel Day Lewis won best actor but it was for Abraham Lincoln who was actually a real person. If they had a best character award then obviously it would go to Bilbo Baggins for the hobbit

[@Vahktang]

No. That’s what the People’s Choice, Kid’s Choice and MTV Movie awards are for.

[@capybara2671]

Well they still haven't given horror a category and that'd be an easy add.

[@jktomas]

I don't want anyone to risk their lives for my entertainmet. If you have to risk your live, do it for a more noble goal.

[@geraldhenriksen3664]

Simple answer. The Oscars are already far too long and need to be shortened to fit modern life, yet removing minor awards has been stymied by outrage from a small number of vocal critics Adding more awards and making the show longer is a non-starter

[@vhscopyofseinfeld]

Because stunts aren’t an art. They’re a science.

[@Harrock]

Could that lead to more extreme stunts that lead to more deaths just to het the Oscar ?