Weinsteins Want Miramax Name Back 
'Saw 3D' vs 'Paranormal Activity 2' Battle … 
TV TUG OF WAR: It's Ellen vs Simon, And … 
Robert De Niro Returns To CAA From WME; Jane … 
Fox Wins Studio War For Robert Rodriguez' … 
Weinstein Co Gets "New Lease On Life"? 
Nicole Kidman Hires Angelina's Manager 
So What Are The Hot Films At Sundance? 
Huge $70M Settlement In TV Writers Age … 
TOLDJA! Momoa Chosen 'Conan' Barbarian 
Oscar Campaign Badmouthing Has Begun! 
9 PM UPDATE: No deal yet, but negotiations are underway.
What a shocker that the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is seriously considering a director who actually knows how to helm a ratings- and audience-grabbing awards and music telecast. Or has actually watched television. I'm hearing that British director Hamish Hamilton may be hired by Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman to direct the 82nd Academy Awards. Hamilton has a string of TV direction credits a mile long, including the MTV Video Music Awards (2009 & 2007), Neil Diamond: Hot August Night/NYC (2009), Be the Change Inaugural Ball (2009), Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (2008 & 2007), MTV Europe Music Awards (2008 & 2007), Josh Groban: Awake Live (2008), Christina Aguilera: Back to Basics - Live and Down Under (2008), etc.
Loading ...
Victoria’s Secret Fashion show, eh?
I think I’ve figured out a way they can get people to actually watch the Oscars.
A good common sense decision, i salute it.
It’s good to see they’re actually making an effort to make the show more watchable. I just hope choosing someone with so much MTV on his resume doesn’t turn it into a joke.
If it has Katherine Heigl wearing a red dress, i’am all in.
Sometimes it’s the details that capture our imagination.
Yes, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show director. Get those Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress nominees into negligees and high heels. Woohoo. Ratings bonanza!
When are they going to give out Oscars for categories like Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing at a dinner on a separate night? I mean seriously, who cares???
He’s a great choice. The film he did of U2’s 2001 Elevation: Live in Boston show is brilliantly directed.
Frankly, I always thought Louis J Horvitz did a great job. It’s not the director that’s been the problem, it’s the way it’s produced and the calibre of writers. Also, a really good host (not hosts) is essential.
Hamilton is a brilliant multi-cam TV director. His U2 Live in Boston DVD is a standout in a form where there aren’t many standouts. Though his visual style is generally aggressive, I’m sure he’ll tailor the look to the occasion.
Oh geezus, here comes 24psf stutter-cam and dutch angles on every walk to the stage. That’ll bring the viewers into the tent!
Actually, 24 doesn’t give you the “stutter-cam” effect… but, hey, you clearly know more than everybody else!
I can’t believe they would bring in a British director for an American television show. There are plenty of American television variety show directors in this country who are just as good if not better. In this economy is right to give away the work to an English accent? It certainly isn’t reciprocal on the other side of the Atlantic.
Please…MTV does not have the same class as the Academy Awards. This is a scary trend.
I can’t believe the Academy would hire a British TV director for an American awards show. There are plenty of American Variety TV directors who are just as good if not better. In this economy is it right to give away the job to an accent? It certainly isn’t reciprocal on the other side of the Atlantic.
I agree with Roger that it’s what the producers put on the stage, not the director who’s shooting it. I’m offended that it’s a British director. There are plenty of qualified American directors out there who know how to cut multi-camera and not have their vision mixer do the work for them. Hamish may be great with music but there’s not a lot of it on the Oscars. It’s an awards show not a music video.
Why not hire KENNY ORTEGA to direct The Oscars ?
Kenny has earned the offer. Offer the gig to Kenny.
Hi Nikki,
As someone who works in the live variety/music/award show circuit I have to say I’m offended about how you start this piece — “finally a director who knows how to helm a ratings and audience grabbing music telecast” — that is a huge slight to all the extremely competent directors who have helmed the oscarcast in years past. What is more disturbing to me is how there is a current trend to bring in British directors who in turn bring in British ads, tds (vision mixers) and cameramen. In a time of recession and major budget cutbacks on every show that I do, I am incredulous that the academy would chose Mr. Hamilton and pay for the work visas for all that come with him.
Work is hard enough to come by these days and the fact that so many of our top shows now have British directors and their teams (Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent) and have squeezed out our many capable music-variety directors, ads, stage managers and cameramen while we are constantly being told to cut our salaries — is troublesome.
I’m not disputing that Mr. Hamilton is a talented director. I just don’t know why we in Hollywood are so accommodating to bringing in crews from overseas when it is not the same for us when we want to work in another country. In England for example you must prove that there is not a qualified person in the country first before hiring abroad.
If Mr. Hamilton wants to work here, he should have to use the many qualified ad, stage managers, tds and cameramen instead of being allowed to bring in people.
Thanks for your time — I enjoy your site.
I find some of this negative attitude to Mr Hamilton quite baffling.. The Oscars are a worldwide phenomenon and not strictly American. Just because they are filmed in Hollywood what gives anyone the right in the industry to determine that the whole crew has to come from the USA.. Hell the host last year was Australian! Where do we draw the line.. should the awards only be given out to US citizens!
Surely when we get to this level of show it should be based on ability and personality and NOT nationality. I do not know Hamilton personally but have worked on some of his shows and one thing I do know is that he brings professionalism, passion and vision to a project that I have not seen in a long time. He is definitely a team player and completely accepts that it does take a great team to make a great show – not just one man. I think we all need to take a step back and rather than vilify this Brit, we should his embrace his work ethic.
Oh and to add to the point that oe made above that Brits can just come over to the states and just work is really not the case. In speaking to some overseas colleagues who have visas and have had to join the Dga to work here it was a long process in which that had to earn their dues – and with respect to them they pay dues like the the rest of us. I respect that the industry is facing some difficult times, but that is the case worldwide not just in Hollywood. Lets give the new boy on the block a chance is what I say.
“In this economy is it right to give away the job to an accent?”
Are you serious? That’s really classy a-hole. Why don’t we just start using the N word on this blog too. People have got no class. Wow. Really shocking to see the true American arrogance come through on some of these comments.
I am shocked to read some of these comments that are judging someone solely on where he comes from, that’s racism right????
Who wrote the rule book?
Is no one ever allowed to work outside the country they were born?
I doubt very much the big-wigs at The Academy would have handed over the Directors gig to Mr Hamilton without him having gone through some extensive interviews/meetings. And surely his catalogue of work speaks for itself.
I for one am looking forward to seeing what he is going to do as his previous stuff looks amazing.