28th Annual
ACADEMY AWARDS OF MERIT
For Achievements During 1955

VOTING RULES

ONE

The Awards Year

Academy Awards of Merit shall be bestowed for achievements in connection with motion pictures first publicly exhibited for paid admission (previews excluded) in the Los Angeles area (defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles or Beverly Hills), between January 1, 1955 and midnight of December 31, 1955, 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. Entertainment Short Subjects which qualify under Rule Eighteen, distributed by a recognized distributing organization on a rental basis to 35mm. theatres for the profit of the producer and distributor, anywhere in Los Angeles County for a definite first paid play date of three consecutive days during the aforesaid period shall be eligible for consideration for the Awards.

TWO

The Annual Awards

Subject to the inability of the Producer 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. For the best performance by an actor in a supporting role. For the best performance by an actress. For the best performance by an actress in a supporting role.
ART DIRECTION:	For the best achievement in art direction of a black-and-white production. For the best achievement in art direction of a color production. (The Academy statuette shall be given to the Set Decorators on the pictures which win the Art Direction Awards.)
BEST PICTURE:	For the best motion picture of the year.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:	For the best achievement in cinematography of a black-and-white production. For the best achievement in cinematography of a color production.
COSTUME DESIGN:	For the best achievement in costume design of a black-and-white production. For the best achievement in costume design of a color production.
DIRECTING:	For the best achievement in directing.
FILM EDITING:	For the best achievement in film editing.
MUSIC:	For the outstanding achievements in music in connection with motion pictures: (a) Best scoring of a musical picture. (b) Best music score of a dramatic or comedy picture. (c) Best song.
SHORT SUBJECTS:	For the best achievement in each of three classifications: (a) Cartoons, 1,000 feet or less. (b) 1,000-foot subjects. (c) Subjects between 1,000 and 3,000 feet.
SOUND RECORDING:	For the best achievement by a studio sound department.
SPECIAL EFFECTS:	For the best achievement in special effects.
WRITING:	For the best motion picture story. For the best screenplay. For the best story and screenplay.

THREE

Other Awards

Not necessarily given each year.

1. Achievements or pictures eligible for Awards listed in Rule Two cannot qualify for Honorary Awards or Other Awards with the exception of the Documentary Awards, the Honorary Foreign Language Film Award and the Honorary Juvenile Award.
2. SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: For a device, method, formula, discovery, or invention of special and outstanding value to the art or science of motion pictures, and actually employed in the motion picture industry during the Awards year. The Class I Award (Academy statuette) shall be conferred for basic achievements which have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry; the Class II Award (Academy plaque) for those achievements which have a definite influence upon the industry, but merit recognition to a lesser degree than the Class I Award; the Class III Award (Certificate of Honorable Mention) for those accomplishments which are important to the progress of the industry. (See Rule Seventeen.)
3. IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD (Thalberg head): Shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences there is a deserving recipient, but not necessarily each year. It shall be given to the individual who has been responsible for the most consistent high quality of motion picture production for the current Awards year and the four preceding years. (See Rule Twenty-one.)
4. DOCUMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT (Statuette): For the best feature-length Documentary film and for the best Documentary Short Subject. (See Rule Thirteen.)

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 superlative and 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. Achievements or pictures eligible for Awards listed in Rule Two cannot qualify for Honorary Awards with the exception of the Honorary Foreign Language Film Award and the Honorary Juvenile Award.
3. Honorary Awards shall be in such form as the Academy Board of Governors may decide.
4. HONORARY FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM AWARD {not necessarily given each year}: This Award is intended to honor films made in a language other than English and first released in a commercial theatre in the United States during the Awards year. (See Rule Fifteen.)
5. HONORARY JUVENILE AWARD (not necessarily given each year): Shall be voted by the Academy Board of Governors for the most outstanding juvenile performance during the Awards year, when in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is a deserving recipient.

FIVE

General Rules

1. Final 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 Class I Scientific or Technical Awards, for the Documentary Awards and for the Honorary Foreign Language Film Award. The Academy plaque shall be given for the Class II Scientific or Technical 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 Academy Board of Governors.
3. Final voting for Awards shall be by secret ballot. Printed forms and ballots shall be supplied by the Academy and shall be returned unsigned.
4. Ballots shall be opened and counted by a firm of certified public accountants designated by the Academy President.
5. Awards shall be conferred at an Awards Presentation Ceremony.
6. 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.
7. In the nominations voting, the marking and tabulation of all ballots shall be according to the preferential or proportional system. No “write-in” votes shall be counted on the final ballots.
8. The Board of Governors shall provide for such meetings, sub-committees and special showings, as may be desirable to insure a full and fair consideration of the merits of all eligible achievements.
9. It being the intention that motion pictures from all countries shall be eligible for consideration for the Awards listed under Rule Two, the rules shall be construed liberally to include such motion pictures, except that they must have been shown in the Los Angeles area (defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, or Beverly Hills) within the Awards year, must be in English or with English titles, and the producers or distributors shall provide prints when necessary for review showings. An exception to this rule shall be made in the case of the Short Subjects Awards. (See Rule Eighteen.)
10. If any picture has been recut, re-edited or changed after its first commercial release so as to alter the Awards eligibility of any achievement therein, the Academy Board of Governors may require proof that the changes have been made in all domestic release prints before ruling on the Awards eligibility of achievements affected by the re-release of the picture.

SIX

General Rules for Nominations Voting

1. Each Branch shall be permitted to work out its own Special Rules, provided the final ballot presents not more than five achievements and that final voting in each category is restricted to active Academy members. All Branches shall present their Special Rules for approval of the Board of Governors 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 a reminder list of all eligible pictures, but before distribution to voters, studios must check and assume full responsibility for errors, omissions and designations of actors as stars or supporting players.
5. The Academy does not adjudicate credits. Eligibility for all Awards can only be determined by credits as they appear on the screen and/or as certified to the Academy by the producing companies. This applies to all achievements in the Award categories defined by the Branches and approved by the Academy Board of Governors.

SEVEN

Special Rules for the Acting Awards

1. A reminder list including the casts of all eligible pictures shall be sent with the nominations ballots to all Class A and AJ members of the Screen Actors Guild and members of the Academy Actors Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference, for five Acting achievements in each category: Best Performance by an Actor, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress, 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. In the event that two achievements by an actor or actress shall receive sufficient votes to be nominated in the same category, only the one which, in the preferential tabulation process, first receives the quota (number of votes required to be nominated) shall be nominated. The votes for the second achievement shall thereupon be redistributed.
4. Performances by an actor or actress in any leading role shall be eligible for nomination only for the Best Acting Award. However, if performances or a performance by any actor or actress should receive sufficient votes to be nominated for both the Best Acting Award and the Award for Supporting Player, only the achievement which, in the preferential tabulation process, first receives the quota shall be placed on the ballot. The votes for the second achievement shall thereupon be redistributed.
5. Final balloting for the Acting Awards shall be restricted to active Academy members.

EIGHT

Special Rules for the Art Direction Awards

1. Each Art Director and Set Decorator in the motion picture industry shall be given the opportunity to submit one black-and-white production on which he has received single or joint screen credit. In addition, each Art Director and Set Decorator may submit an eligible black-and-white foreign production which he deems worthy of Awards consideration. In the event that two or more achievements by a foreign Art Director thereby occur, only the one receiving the greatest number of entries shall be listed on the Preliminary ballot.
2. The productions submitted in accordance with Paragraph 1 above, shall be listed on a Preliminary ballot. This Preliminary ballot shall be sent to all Art Director and Set Decorator members of the Art Directors Branch who shall vote for ten productions in the order of their preference.
3. The ten productions receiving the greatest number of votes from this Preliminary balloting shall then be screened to give all members of the Art Directors Branch an opportunity to see them under the same conditions.
4. Following the screenings, a Nominations ballot, listing the ten productions, shall be sent to all members of the Art Directors Branch who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Black-and-White Art Direction Award.
5. All Art Directors and Set Decorators in the industry shall be eligible to participate in the submission of entries (Paragraph 1). Only Art Director and Set Decorator members of the Art Directors Branch shall be eligible to participate in the Preliminary voting (Paragraph 2) . All members of the Art Directors Branch shall be eligible to participate in the Nominations voting (Paragraphs 3 and 4).
6. In order that the list of Art Directors and Set Decorators shall be complete, a list shall be obtained from the Society of Motion Picture Art Directors, the Allied Property Craftsmen, each studio, and any other available source, and shall be checked and approved by the Art Directors Branch Executive Committee. This Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of the preparation of a full and complete list of Art Directors and Set Decorators.
7. Final voting for the Black-and-White Art Direction Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

8. The voting procedure for the Award for Color Art Direction shall be the same as specified in the rules above governing the Black-and-White Art Direction Award.

9. Recognition in the form of an Academy statuette shall be given the Set Decorators of each production which receives an Award for Achievement in Art Direction.

NINE

Special Rules for the Best Picture of the Year Award

1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with the Nominations ballot to all active members of the Academy, who shall vote in the order of their preference for five Best Picture achievements.
2. The five pictures receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Best Picture Award.
3. Final voting for the Best Picture Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

TEN

Special Rules for the Cinematography Awards

1. Each Director of Photography in the motion picture industry shall be given the opportunity to submit one black-and-white production on which he has received single or joint screen credit as Director of Photography. In addition, each Director of Photography may submit an eligible black-and-white foreign production which he deems worthy of Awards consideration. Wherever possible, entry blanks shall also be sent to Directors of Photography of foreign pictures eligible under the general awards rules. In the event that two or more achievements by a foreign Director of Photography thereby occur, only the one receiving the greatest number of entries shall be listed on the Preliminary ballot.
2. The productions submitted in accordance with Paragraph 1 above shall be listed on a Preliminary ballot. This Preliminary ballot shall be sent to all Directors of Photography in the industry who shall vote for one or more, but not more than ten productions in the order of their preference.
3. The ten productions receiving the greatest number of votes from this Preliminary ballot shall then be screened to give all Directors of Photography in the industry an opportunity to see them under the same conditions.
4. Following the screenings, a Nominations ballot, listing the ten productions, shall be sent to all Directors of Photography in the industry who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for the Black-and-White Cinematography Award.
5. All Directors of Photography in the motion picture industry shall be eligible to participate in the submission of entries and the Preliminary and Nominations voting.
6. In order to include all eligible Directors of Photography, lists shall be obtained from the American Society of Cinematographers, the I.A.T.S.E. Cameramen’s Locals, each studio Camera Department and any other available source, and shall be checked and approved by the Cinematography Awards Eligibility Committee. This Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of the preparation of a full and complete list of Directors of Photography.
7. Cartoons shall not be eligible for this Award.
8. Final voting for the Black-and-White Cinematography Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

9. The voting procedure for the Award for Color Cinematography shall be the same as specified in the rules above governing the Black-and-White Cinematography Award.

ELEVEN

Special Rules for the Costume Design Awards

1. Each Costume Designer in the motion picture industry shall be given the opportunity to submit one black-and-white production, either his own work or that of another.
2. The productions submitted in accordance with Paragraph 1 above shall be listed on a Preliminary ballot. This Preliminary ballot shall be sent to all Costume Designer members of the Art Directors Branch who shall vote for ten productions in the order of their preference.
3. The ten productions receiving the greatest number of votes from this Preliminary balloting shall then be screened to give all members of the Art Directors Branch an opportunity to see them under the same conditions.
4. Following the screenings, a Nominations ballot, listing the ten productions shall be sent to all members of the Art Directors Branch who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Black-and-White Costume Design Award.
5. All Costume Designers in the industry shall be eligible to participate in the submission of entries (Paragraph 1). Only Costume Designer members of the Art Directors Branch shall be eligible to participate in the Preliminary voting (Paragraph 2). All members of the Art Directors Branch shall be eligible to participate in the Nominations voting (Paragraphs 3 and 4).
6. The Art Directors Branch Executive Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of the preparation of a full and complete list of Costume Designers eligible to submit productions under Paragraph l.
7. Final voting for the Black-and-White Costume Design Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

8. The voting procedure for the Award for Color Costume Design shall be the same as specified in the rules above governing the Black-and-White Costume Design Award.

TWELVE

Special Rules for the Directing Award

1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with the nominations ballot to all directors fulfilling the minimum qualifications for senior membership in the Screen Directors Guild and members of the Academy Directors Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for five directing achievements.
2. The five directing achievements receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Directing Award.
3. In the event that two achievements by one director shall receive sufficient votes to be nominated, only the one which, in the preferential tabulation process, first receives the quota (number of votes required to be nominated), shall be nominated. The votes for the second achievement shall thereupon be redistributed.
4. Final balloting for the Directing Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

THIRTEEN

Special Rules for the Documentary Awards

1. Documentary films are defined as those dealing with significant historical, social, scientific, or economic subjects, either photographed in actual occurrence or re-enacted, and where the emphasis is more on factual content than on entertainment. The purely instructional film will not be considered.
2. Films eligible for Documentary Awards shall be divided into two groups:
   1. Documentary Features—films over 3,000 feet in length.
   2. Documentary Short Subjects—films of 3,000 feet or less.
3. Only one entry in each classification will be accepted from each producing unit.
4. To be eligible, a Documentary Film must have been exhibited for the first time in the United States to the audience for which it was intended, sometime during the calendar year.
5. Entries in the Documentary field will be limited to films either produced in or enlarged to 35mm, in which significant dialogue is in English or which have English sub-titles.
6. All entries must first be submitted in writing, with a description of the subject, to the Academy office, 9038 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood 46, California not later than January 2, 1956. Screenings will begin November 15, 1955 and will be completed during January, 1956. Notification of acceptance by the Committee will be sent by telephone or telegraph, and prints may then be forwarded for viewing. This rule is intended to avoid unnecessary shipping.
7. The Documentary Committee will sift all films entered in the competition and the Committee’s selection will then become the nominations. The nominations shall be screened for the active Academy membership, whose balloting will determine the awards.
8. Any member of the Documentary Committee who has actively participated in the making of any entry shall not be permitted to vote on films in that category. (Short Subjects or Features.)
9. Prints of all entries accepted by the Committee should be received in the Academy Film Receiving office, 1455 North Gordon Street, Hollywood 28, California as soon as possible after notification of acceptance. Screenings will begin Tuesday, November 15, 1955 and no film will be accepted for screening after Saturday, January 14, 1956. All subjects must remain with the Academy for screening until the presentation of the Awards in March, 1956. Films should be shipped express prepaid, and those not chosen as nominations for final balloting by the active Academy membership will be returned to sender, express prepaid by the Academy. The Academy cannot pay import or customs duties on foreign films submitted for Documentary competition. Our responsibility for return shipping costs applies only to transportation within the United States.
10. “Subject to the inability of the Producer 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 prints for commercial gain. Such prints 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 By-Laws, 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.
11. Both Documentary trophies shall be statuettes.

FOURTEEN

Special Rules for the Film Editing Award

1. Each Film Editor in the motion picture industry shall be given the opportunity to submit one production on which he has received single or joint screen credit, which shall be included on a Preliminary ballot to be sent to all Film Editors in the industry. In addition, each Film Editor shall be permitted to submit one production by another Film Editor and one eligible foreign production which he deems worthy of Awards consideration. In the event that two or more achievements by a foreign Film Editor thereby occur, only the one receiving the greatest number of entries shall be listed on the Preliminary ballot.
2. The productions submitted in accordance with Paragraph 1 above, shall be listed on a Preliminary ballot. This Preliminary ballot shall be sent to all Film Editors in the industry who shall vote for not more than ten productions in the order of their preference.
3. The ten productions receiving the greatest number of votes from this Preliminary ballot shall then be screened to give all Film Editors in the industry an opportunity to see them under the same conditions.
4. Following the screenings, a Nominations ballot, listing the ten productions, shall be sent to all Film Editors in the industry who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Film Editing Award.
5. All Film Editors in the industry shall be eligible to participate in the submission of entries and the Preliminary and Nominations voting.
6. In order that the lists of Film Editors shall be complete, a list shall be obtained from the Film Editors local and any other available source and shall be checked and approved by the Film Editors Executive Committee. This Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of the preparation of a full and complete list of Film Editors eligible to participate in the voting procedure.
7. Final ballots for the Film Editing Award shall be sent to all active Academy members.

FIFTEEN

Special Rules for the Honorary Foreign Language Film Award

1. To be considered for the Award, films must have English sub-titles or have been dubbed into English.
2. Two members of the Board of Governors and the head of each studio Foreign Department shall be invited to serve as a Nominations Committee under a Chairman to be appointed by the Academy President.
3. The Committee shall review the list of all foreign feature films first released commercially in the United States during the Awards year and shall make a report to the Board of Governors for their guidance and information.
4. The Governors of the Academy shall then view a selected number of foreign pictures and their vote shall determine the recipient of the Honorary Foreign Language Film Award.
5. The Honorary Foreign Language Film Award need not necessarily be given each year.

SIXTEEN

Special Rules for the Music Awards

1. All submissions of entries in both categories, Best Scoring of a Musical Picture or Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, shall be made only by qualified members of the Academy Music Branch but recognition of achievement shall not be limited to members of the Academy Music Branch.

2. Each Music Director who is a member of the Academy Music Branch shall be invited to submit one production on which he has received screen credit and which he deems worthy of Awards consideration for the Best Scoring of a Musical Picture to be included on a Preliminary Ballot to be sent to all members of the Academy Music Branch. In addition, whether or not he has an entry of his own to submit for the current year, each Music Director shall be permitted to submit one production on which another Music Director has received screen credit in this category. He may also submit one eligible foreign production which he deems worthy of Awards consideration. In addition all other members of the Music Branch will be invited to submit one domestic production, and one foreign production.
3. A list of the productions submitted in accordance with Paragraph 2 above, shall be prepared by the Academy office. A general meeting of the members of the Academy Music Branch shall be held to pass on the eligibility of the productions submitted. After this meeting, a Preliminary Ballot, listing the eligible productions, shall be sent to all members of the Music Branch who shall vote for not more than ten productions in the order of their preference.
4. The ten productions receiving the greatest number of votes on this Preliminary Ballot shall then be screened for the entire Music Branch to give them an opportunity to see the ten pictures under the same conditions.
5. After the screenings have been scheduled, a Nominations Ballot, listing the ten productions, shall be sent to all Music Branch members of the Academy who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. Only the Music Branch members who either attend the screenings or who certify that they have seen all ten eligible productions shall be allowed to vote. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Best Scoring of a Musical Picture Award.

6. Each Film Composer who is a member of the Academy Music Branch, and who has received screen credit for the Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture shall be invited to submit one production on which he has received screen credit and which he deems worthy of Awards consideration. Whether or not he has an entry of his own to submit for the current year, each Film Composer shall be permitted to submit one production on which another Film Composer has received screen credit in this category. He may also submit one foreign production which he deems worthy of Awards consideration. In addition, all other members of the Music Branch shall be invited to submit one domestic production and one foreign production.
7. The voting procedure for the Award for the Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture shall be the same as outlined in Paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of the rules governing the Best Scoring of a Musical Picture Award.

8. To be eligible for the Best Song Award, a complete continuous refrain or a complete continuous rendition of a verse and chorus song, or a chorus song without verse must be used vocally in an eligible motion picture. The song must have both lyrics and melody and both must be used professionally for the first time in the same picture. Musical accompaniment is not essential and the song must be recorded for use either in the body of an eligible picture or under the titles prior to any public performance in, or exploitation through, any of the following or similar media: radio, television, stage, night club, literary material, phonograph records or tapes, and publication in sheet music form available for purchase by the public. A visual rendition of the song is not essential and if the rendition is interrupted by dramatic action at any time, a significant portion of the song must be heard in the picture.
9. “Public performance” as used above is interpreted to mean any public performance for profit; public performance at a benefit where admission is charged; or public performance where admission is free, but open to the general public.
10. Commercial recordings may be made only after the song is committed to the picture. Phonograph records of the songs may not be released for sale to the public until after the song has been recorded for its use in the picture.
11. A song shall not be considered “used” in a picture if it is cut from that picture prior to the first regular commercial run of the film, even though it may have appeared at studio-arranged previews or trade showings. Such a song shall be eligible for an Award when used in another motion picture provided it is not exploited in any other medium or publicly performed as provided above prior to its use in the second picture.
12. If a song includes a substantial portion of lyric or music previously used in a motion picture, or exploited in any other medium so that the present use becomes what is known in the trade as an adaptation rather than a work original as to both music and lyric, or publicly performed as provided above, the song is not eligible for an Award.
13. In the case of songs transferred from one language to another, when the lyric in the second language is properly an adaptation, the adaptor does not share in the Award. Decision as to whether a second language lyric is an adaptation or an original work shall be made by the Executive Committee of the Music Branch under guidance from properly selected language experts. The decision of the Executive Committee of the Music Branch shall be final. When, however, the lyric in the second language is a totally new concept (a totally original lyric including a new title) then the second writer shall share the nomination and/or the Award with the original writer or writers.
14. A list of the songs submitted for awards consideration shall be prepared by the Academy office. A general meeting of the members of the Academy Music Branch shall be held to pass on the eligibility of the songs submitted. A Nominations ballot for the Best Song Award, accompanied by an eligibility list, shall be sent to all members of the Academy Music Branch. Each ballot shall have spaces numbered from one to ten for write-in voting in order of the voter’s preference. The five songs receiving the highest vote shall be nominated.
15. The active Academy membership as a whole shall vote for final selection in each category: Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, and Best Song.

SEVENTEEN

Special Rules for Awards for Scientific or Technical Achievement

1. Academy Awards for Scientific or Technical Achievement shall be made by the Board of Governors, upon recommendation of a Scientific or Technical Awards Committee, for devices, methods, formulas, discoveries or inventions of special and outstanding value to the arts and sciences of motion pictures, and actually employed in the motion picture industry.
2. Awards for Scientific or Technical Achievement may be granted in any of the three following classifications:

   THE CLASS I AWARD (Academy Statuette)
   For basic achievements which have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry.

   THE CLASS II AWARD (Academy Plaque)
   For those achievements which have a definite influence upon the industry, but merit recognition to a lesser degree than the Class I Award.

   THE CLASS III AWARD (Certificate)
   For those accomplishments which are important to the progress of the industry.

3. The Scientific or Technical Awards Committee shall endeavor to acquaint itself with the motion picture scientific or technical achievements of the Awards year.
4. To assist the Committee in its search for outstanding achievement, letters shall be sent out requesting information from all motion picture sources. All individuals, groups of individuals, or organizations which have to do with the development of the scientific or technical advance of motion pictures shall be requested to submit entries for these Awards.
5. Where entries are covered by patents, copies of the patents shall be made available to the Committee upon request. In submitting entries, full claim for originality and development of the achievement must be established with the Committee, and the person or persons claiming such credit must be named. If any controversy should arise as to the origin or development of the achievement in question, the Academy Board of Governors shall set such entry aside until full credit shall have been established to the satisfaction of the Board.
6. The Committee shall then conduct a series of meetings, examinations, and demonstrations in order to evaluate such achievements and make recommendations for action by the Board of Governors.
7. In reviewing the entries the Committee shall, to the best of its knowledge, also give consideration to devices, methods, formulas, discoveries, or inventions not entered for consideration but similar to one or more of the entries received.
8. If, in the opinion of the Committee, a device or invention shall merit consideration and has not been entered, it shall be at the discretion of the Committee to so consider the device.
9. The Committee shall appoint subcommittees, consisting of representatives in the various professional fields within which entries are submitted to assist the Committee in appraising the entries. It shall be the responsibility of those submitting entries to arrange demonstrations for the Committee. If this is not feasible because of the nature of the entry or due to its location, the Committee shall be furnished with full and detailed information on the entry.
10. The Committee may notify all individuals and/or organizations credited with participation in each achievement, and each individual and/or organization may be requested to confirm the individual or joint credit as set forth in the entry; this confirmation to expressly state whether in the opinion of that individual and/or organization the achievement is a single or a joint credit.
11. The Committee shall recommend to the Academy Board of Governors the person, persons and/or organization to whom an Award shall be bestowed, and the type of Award.
12. In recommending Awards, the Committee will judge to the best of its ability the scientific or technical merit of the achievements, but does not warrant that the person or persons named in the entry are responsible for the origin and development of the achievement named in the Award.
13. It shall be within the discretion of the Committee to recommend no Awards if, in its judgment, there has been no achievement worthy of recognition.
14. Such other rules as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of this Award shall be put into effect by the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.

EIGHTEEN

Special Rules for the Short Subjects Awards

1. Short Subjects eligible for these Awards shall be limited to a maximum of 3,000 feet in length; shall have been made and distributed for the profit of the producer, distributor and exhibitor, and must be distributed on the same basis by a recognized distributing organization to 35mm. theatres. To compete for these Awards, short subjects must be released in the Los Angeles County for a definite first paid play date of three consecutive days during the Awards year. Newsreels, previews, and films made for advertising purposes shall be excluded.
2. The producer or distributor of any short subject which has had only one paid play date of three consecutive days during the Awards year must furnish proof of commitments for general distribution at the time the picture is submitted for Awards consideration. Any picture disqualified under this rule will be accepted for the following year if it then qualifies.
3. Nominations may be submitted in three classifications:
   1. Cartoons, of 1,000 feet or less, utilizing animation or other cartoon techniques as the basic medium of entertainment.
   2. Short Subjects of 1,000 feet or less, not classifiable as cartoons.
   3. Short Subjects of 1,000 to 3,000 feet.
4. Any films on which there are questions as to eligibility or classification, as defined in Rule Three above, shall be screened by the Short Subjects Branch Executive Committee before the preliminary screenings are held. A majority vote of the Committee shall decide these questions; but the Committee may, at its discretion, request that a special showing be held for the full Branch. In this case, a majority vote of Branch members who attend the screening shall be decisive.
5. Short Subjects producers shall be permitted one entry from each series of shorts produced for regular release, i.e., if a studio has two or three series of cartoons, several series of one-reelers and two-reelers, etc., then one short from each series may be presented for nominations balloting.
6. Short Subjects entered for these Awards may also be submitted for Documentary Short Subjects Awards, providing they qualify as Documentary films. (See Rule Thirteen.)
7. Entry prints must be available for screening in Hollywood on dates to be specified.
8. There shall be three nominations screenings if necessary; one screening of cartoons only, one screening of one-reelers, and one screening of two-reelers. The running order of subjects in each classification shall be determined by lot.
   1. The Nominations Committee shall consist of three Academy Short Subjects Branch members from each studio and/or distributing organization, to be chosen by the heads of the studio Short Subjects Departments; but no more than a total of three shall represent the studio and/or distributing organization combined. In the event a studio and/or releasing organization is unable to supply such three members, alternates from the Academy Membership may be chosen by the entrant. In the event insufficient names are submitted by the entrant, the Academy Office shall, with the approval of the Executive Committee, select names from the general Academy membership list to complete the number of voters required. The Point System of voting, i.e., 10, 8, 6, is to be used at this Preliminary Screening only. (10 Excellent; 8 Good; 6 Fair.)
   2. Nominations for final balloting shall be not more than five in each category, but may be reduced to less than five by the procedure outlined in (c) below.
   3. If, in the tabulation of the nominations ballots (after the preliminary screening), the subjects which place fifth and/or fourth on the list do not achieve a total score of 8.0 (the mean average in our point system of 10, 8, 6), these subjects shall not be declared nominated and the nominations for final balloting may, by this method, be reduced to four or three in any or all three categories. If, however, the subject which places third on the list has a total score of less than 8.0 it shall be declared a nomination. The intent of this rule is to present at least three nominations for final balloting in each short subject category.
9. The final vote shall be taken at a special exhibition of the nominated subjects for Academy members and guests. All active Academy members present shall participate in the final voting, and shall vote for only one entry in each classification. The running order for the final judging shall be: one-reel subjects, two-reel subjects, and cartoons; the order of showing within each group being decided by lot.
10. In both preliminary and final voting, the excellence of the entries shall be judged on the basis of entertainment, originality and production quality, without regard to cost of production or subject matter.

NINETEEN

Special Rules for the Sound Recording Award

1. The Director of each motion picture sound department shall be given the opportunity to submit one production for consideration for this Award. To be eligible, a production must have been recorded, scored, and re-recorded in its entirety by the submitting organization.
2. The Sound Recording Award Committee shall survey the field of other meritorious films, and shall include any deemed worthy of Awards consideration.
3. A Sound Recording Award Nominating Committee, which shall consist of two representatives and one alternate, who are sound technicians, from each sound department, shall view all the pictures submitted in accordance with Paragraphs 1 and 2 above. In order that the recording of each production may be judged on the same basis, all productions shall be run in one projection room, selected by the Sound Recording Award Committee. To be qualified to vote, each member of the Committee or alternate shall have viewed all the productions in this projection room.
4. Following the screenings, a Nominations Ballot, listing all productions under consideration, shall be given to each member of the Sound Recording Award Nominating Committee, who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of his preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Sound Recording Award.
5. It is specified that all voting by the Sound Recording Award Nominating Committee shall be by the preferential system, except that counting of the votes shall be by a weighted system adopted by the Academy Sound Branch. No Committee member may vote for the production which he represents.
6. Such other rules as may be necessary for the proper conduct of this Award shall be adopted by the Sound Recording Award Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Awards Rules Committee.
7. Final voting for the Sound Recording Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

TWENTY

Special Rules for the Special Effects Award

1. The following basic requirements shall be used to judge all Special Effects achievements under consideration for nomination for this Award:
   1. Dramatic necessity of the effects to the picture.
   2. Economic necessity to the picture; it should be physically or economically impossible to produce the picture without the effects.
   3. Illusion of actual reality should be accomplished with such skill that the mechanism by which the effect is achieved is not apparent in the final result.
2. The President of the Academy shall appoint a Special Effects Award Nominating Committee consisting of at least fifteen technicians, representing each of the various special effects fields. This Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of nominating three productions representing in their judgment the best special effects work of the year.
3. In making nominations for this Award, the Committee shall decide which categories of special effects in each production are worthy of consideration. Pictures may be submitted for sound effects and for the following five visual effects: full-sized mechanical, matte painting, miniatures, optical effects, and transparency projection.
4. The Committee shall view the special effects sequences submitted for consideration before voting to select the productions to be nominated for this Award. It is specified that to be qualified to participate in this vote a member of the Committee must view all of these sequences during one consecutive viewing and in the same auditorium. A Committee member may not vote for a production submitted by the studio which he represents.
5. It is further specified that if, after the group of productions under consideration is selected, any studio producing any of these productions is not represented by at least two members on the Committee, the President of the Academy shall increase that studio’s representation by an additional appointment or appointments.
6. Cartoons or sequences containing intercut live action and cartoons are not eligible for this Award.
7. It shall be within the discretion of the Special Effects Award Nominating Committee to recommend no award if in its opinion there has been no achievement worthy of awards consideration.
8. Such other rules as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of this Award shall be put into effect by the Special Effects Award Nominating Committee subject to the approval of the Academy Awards Rules Committee.
9. Final ballots for the Special Effects Award shall be sent to all active members of the Academy.

TWENTY-ONE

Special Rules for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

1. The Board of Governors shall review the achievement records of individuals responsible for motion picture production and verbal nominations shall be made from the floor.
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 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 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 every three years.

TWENTY-TWO

Special Rules for the Writing Awards

1. A reminder list showing the pictures eligible in each category: Best Motion Picture Story, Best Screenplay, and Best Story and Screenplay, shall be sent with nominations ballots to all writers eligible for active membership in the Screen Writers Guild and members of the Academy Writers Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for five writing achievements in each category.
2. The five writing achievements in each category receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Writing Awards.
3. In the event that two achievements by a writing team or writer without collaborator shall receive sufficient votes to be nominated in the same category, only the one which, in the preferential tabulation process, first receives the quota (number of votes required to be nominated) shall be nominated. The votes for the second achievement shall thereupon be redistributed.
4. Final balloting for the Writing Awards shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Twenty-eighth Annual Awards - 1955 Calendar Year
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

AWARD	NOMINATIONS BALLOTING		FINAL BALLOTING
	MAXIMUM NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS	NOMINATING GROUPS
ACTOR ACTRESS SUPPORTING ACTOR SUPPORTING ACTRESS	5 5 5 5	ACADEMY ACTORS BRANCH MEMBERS SCREEN ACTORS GUILD —   CLASS A & AJ
ART DIRECTION   Black-and-White   Color	5 5	Entries by all Art Directors and Set Decorators in the industry. Preliminary Balloting by Art Director and Set Decorator members of the Art Directors Branch. Nominations Balloting by members of the Art Directors Branch.
BEST PICTURE	5	ALL ACTIVE ACADEMY MEMBERS
CINEMATOGRAPHY   Black-and-White   Color	5 5	Entries, Preliminary and Nominations Balloting by all Directors of Photography in the industry.
COSTUME DESIGN   Black-and-White   Color	5 5	Entries by all accredited Motion Picture Costume Designers. Preliminary Balloting by Costume Design members of the Art Directors Branch. Nominations Balloting by members of the Art Directors Branch.
DIRECTING	5	ACADEMY DIRECTORS BRANCH   MEMBERS SCREEN DIRECTORS GUILD —   SENIOR MEMBERS
FILM EDITING	5	Entries, Preliminary and Nominations Balloting by all Film Editors in the industry.
MUSIC: SCORING OF A   MUSICAL PICTURE MUSIC SCORE   OF A DRAMATIC OR   COMEDY PICTURE ORIGINAL SONG	5 5 5	ACADEMY MUSIC BRANCH MEMBERS
SHORT SUBJECTS: CARTOONS, 1,00 feet   or less 1,000 FOOT SUBJECTS SUBJECTS BETWEEN   1,000 and 3,000 FEET	5 5 5	Three Academy Short Subjects Branch members from each studio and/or distributing organization.
SOUND RECORDING	5	Sound Recording Award Nominating Committee (comprised of three representatives from each Sound Department.)
SPECIAL EFFECTS	3	Special Effects Award Nominating Committee.
WRITING: MOTION PICTURE STORY SCREENPLAY STORY AND SCREENPLAY	5 5 5	ACADEMY WRITERS BRANCH   MEMBERS SCREEN WRITERS GUILD —   ACTIVE MEMBERS

OTHER AWARDS:
DOCUMENTARY AWARDS	Nominations by Special Committee—Final Voting by Active Academy Membership at Special Screening.
SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL AWARDS	Voted by Board of Governors, Based on Recommendations of Special Committee.
THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD	Voted by Board of Governors.

HONORARY AWARDS:
HONORARY FOREIGN LANGUAGE   FILM AWARD	Voted by Board of Governors, Based on Recommendations of Special Committee.
HONORARY JUVENILE AWARD	Voted by Board of Governors.
ALL OTHER HONORARY AWARDS