The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now planning for future incidents after creating what they are calling a “crisis team” to handle any real time incidents similar to the slapping incident during last year’s ceremony in late March.
Bill Kramer, the Academy’s chief executive officer, described the “crisis team” in an interview as “something we’ve never had before.”
“We’ve run many scenarios,” he said. “So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”
Kramer first took on his role as CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last July and was confronted with the show’s lowest ratings in history. Kramer’s mission was to raise viewership at the awards. His resume includes spearheading the launch of the Academy Museum, which has brought in over 1 million visitors since September of 2021.
If Kramer can draw younger crowds to watch the Oscars in the same way he did with the museum, he may be able to grow viewership.
But Kramer is still dealing with fallout from the 'Oscars 2022 slap incident,' and believes that putting together a crisis team will give him a handle on the show and help control future incidents that could mar the award show’s legacy.
The team has reportedly “run many scenarios” in a process that they hope will “prepare them for anything”.
"Because of last year, we've opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars," said Kramer. "But these crisis plans—the crisis communication teams and structures we have in place—allow us to say this is the group that we have to gather very quickly.”
“This is how we all come together. This is the spokesperson. This will be the statement,” he said. “And obviously depending on the specifics of the crisis, and let’s hope something doesn’t happen and we never have to use these, but we already have frameworks in place that we can modify.”
This year the Oscars will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on March 12.