RULES

Annual Awards of Merit 1932-1933

ONE

The Awards Year

The achievements for which the Academy Awards of Merit are bestowed must have been in connection with motion pictures first publicly exhibited (previews excluded) in the Los Angeles District from August 1, 1932 to December 31, 1933.

TWO

The Annual Awards

One Award shall be given for each of the following achievements:

PRODUCTION:	For the most outstanding motion picture production.
ACTING:	For the best performance by an actor. For the best performance by an actress.
DIRECTION:	For the best achievement in directing.
WRITING:	For the best original motion picture story. For the best adaptation.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:	For the best achievement in cinematography of a black-and-white picture photographed in America under normal production conditions.
ART DIRECTION:	For the best achievement in art direction of a picture photographed in America under normal production conditions.
SOUND RECORDING:	For the best achievement by a studio sound department.
SHORT SUBJECTS:	A certificate of honorable mention shall be given for the outstanding production selected in each of three classifications: Mechanical, Comedy, Novelty.

THREE

The Special Awards

Upon recommendation of the Awards Committee, the Academy Board of Governors may bestow Special Awards as follows:

1. SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: For a device, method, formula, discovery or invention of special and outstanding value to the art, science, or industry of motion picture production, and actually employed in production within the Awards period.
2. OTHER SPECIAL AWARDS: For outstanding achievements coming within Rule One but not strictly within the categories listed in Rule Two. These achievements may be in connection with foreign as well as domestic productions.

FOUR

General Rules and Time Limits

1. Nomination and voting for Awards shall be by secret ballot. Printed nomination forms and ballots will be supplied by the Academy to all members, and shall be returned to the Academy unsigned and in sealed envelopes.
2. Nominations close February 19, 1934.
3. The ballots shall not be opened for counting until the night fixed for the bestowal of Awards. They shall then be opened and counted by a Board of Tellers, to be composed of one Academy member from each Branch, appointed by the President. This Board shall certify to the President the candidate receiving the highest number of votes for each Award, and the Awards shall be thereupon bestowed. This bestowal shall be at a dinner meeting of the membership, Thursday, March, 15, 1934.
4. Each regular Award shall be in the form of a gold statuette emblematic of the motion picture profession, and the designation of the particular achievement for which it is bestowed will be engraved upon the base.
5. Special Awards shall be in the form of similar trophies or certificates of honorable mention, or in such other form as the Awards Committee may recommend to the Academy Board of Governors.

FIVE

Rules For Nominations

1. Nominations for achievements in ACTING (actor and actress) DIRECTION, PRODUCTION and WRITING (original story and adaptation) shall be by the members of the respective Branches concerned; each member shall be entitled to make three nominations for each achievement, except in connection with the nominations for PRODUCTION, in which case each member shall be entitled to make eight nominations.
2. Nominations for achievements in ART DIRECTION, CINEMATOGRAPHY and SOUND RECORDING shall be by the members of the respective Sections of the Technicians Branch, each member being entitled to make five nominations.
3. All nominations 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 shall name both the individual and the one picture in which the achievement occurred.
4. In connection with the Writing Awards, all eligible pictures shall be classified by the studios and listed for the guidance of the Writers Branch on the following basis:
   1. Pictures listed for the Adaptation Award shall include all those in which a play, novel, short story or other story has been adapted to the motion picture medium;
   2. Pictures listed for the Original Story Award shall include only those pictures in which the integrity of an original story written especially for the screen has been preserved in the completed production.

SIX

Counting of Nominations

1. Nominations filed as hereinbefore provided shall be counted by a Board of Tellers appointed by the Chairman of the Branch or Section concerned.
2. The tellers shall certify the three qualified achievements receiving the highest number of nomination votes for each Award, with the exception of the Production Award, in which case they shall certify the eight highest.
3. The tellers shall ascertain and certify the individual or individuals to whom credit is due for each of such achievements as are nominated by names of pictures only, recommending in such cases to the Board of Governors of the Academy the manner in which divided or joint credits shall be recognized. (This section does not apply to the PRODUCTION Award.)
4. No individual shall be entitled to nomination for more than one achievement. In case any individual receives enough votes for different achievements to be entitled to more than one nomination, only the achievement polling the highest vote shall be listed, and his other achievements shall be disqualified. (This section does not apply to the PRODUCTION Award.)
5. In case of a tie under Section C the tied nominations are to appear on the final ballot.

SEVEN

Short Subjects Awards Rules

1. Nominations for Awards for SHORT SUBJECTS shall be in three classifications: Mechanical, Comedy and Novelty.
2. These nominations shall be made by a special committee, selected by members of the Academy (all Branches) who specialize in short subject production.
3. Subject to review by the Awards Committee and the Board of Governors, this special committee shall determine the rules for final vote or judging.

EIGHT

Scientific or Technical Awards Rules

Awards for SCIENTIFIC or TECHNICAL achievement if any shall be for a device, method, formula, discovery or invention of special and outstanding value to the art, science or industry of motion picture production and actually employed in production during the year. The manner of deciding such Award shall be as follows:

1. The chairman of the Technicians Branch shall appoint a Board of qualified Judges, members of the Branch, who shall take notice of all achievements within or of the industry as herein described, acquaint themselves as to the merits of such achievements and thus be able at the end of the Awards year to render a just decision.
2. After the appointment of such Board of Judges any individual or company may submit to the Judges in writing nominations for said Award.
3. The Judges shall meet at such times as they elect to consider nominations and achievements whether nominated or not, and shall thereafter, not later than February 15, 1934, recommend to the Awards Committee the person, persons or corporation on whom the Award shall be bestowed, and the manner in which such recognition shall be accorded.
4. It shall be within the discretion of the Judges to divide the Award, or to make no Award.

NINE

Rules for Award to Assistant Directors

A Certificate of Merit shall be given to the Assistant Director at each studio for the best consistent year’s work, or the year’s outstanding achievement, to be selected by the following method:

1. The members of the Assistant Directors Section shall nominate two assistant directors or unit managers from each studio for consideration for this Award.
2. Ballots containing the names of the two assistant directors nominated from that studio shall be distributed to members of the Actors, Directors, Producers and Technicians Branches at each studio, these ballots to be filled out and returned to the Academy office in accordance with the regular Academy Awards procedure.
3. A tellers committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee from the Assistant Directors Section to count the ballots cast for this Award.
4. Results of the balloting on this Award shall be announced at the Annual Academy Awards Dinner March 15, and the certificates presented at that time.