2024

2024-03-10
2023 (Academy Award)

English (Original)

Moving image

The production and post-production for the Academy Awards broadcast involves the creation of multiple different versions of the ceremony’s broadcast that the Academy Film Archive keeps in their holdings. These different versions are each given their own Manifestations under the Work record for the ceremony, with bracketed designations in the title field. The following are definitions for the most common versions.

Pulled Blacks
Following the ceremony broadcast, a “pulled blacks” version is created in post-production. In this version, all commercial breaks are replaced with a few seconds of a black screen referred to as “pulled blacks.” In some cases, post-production is also able to fix technical errors that occurred during the broadcast (such as audible pops, microphone issues, drops in the audio, breaks in the picture, typos, incorrect cutaways, or the airing of the wrong clip or picture); this version includes those post-production edits. Generally, language that was censored during the broadcast is included uncensored in the “pulled blacks” version. The presence of graphics or text on this version is usually given the further designation of “clean” or “dirty,” defined below.

Network Return
This is the ceremony as it was initially broadcast on television, including any technical errors that occurred. Generally, language that was censored during the broadcast remains censored in this version. Station identification and commercials are present in this version, but they differ depending on the feed. The KABC Feed, for example, includes commercials that aired nationally along with the local commercials that were broadcast by the Los Angeles ABC affiliate, KABC. The East Net Feed is the version ABC broadcast to its affiliates; it contains only national commercials, with a black screen shown during commercial breaks when local commercials would be inserted.

Truck Feed
This is the version of the show as it was recorded in the control truck before being sent to the network. In place of commercials, there is typically a title card for the show with a countdown clock or a stationary shot of the stage. All technical errors remain unedited and any language that would be censored in the broadcast remains uncensored. The presence of graphics or text on this version is usually given the further designation of “clean” or “dirty,” defined below.

Clean/Dirty
Not to be confused with Censored or Uncensored, the terms “clean” and “dirty” refer largely to the version’s inclusion (or lack) of graphics or text. A clean version is as close to the camera original as possible, while the dirty version includes graphics and text that have been added to the broadcast, such as the names of nominees, films and categories at the bottom of the screen. While the clean version may have some production credits at the very end, the dirty version will have the most complete credits.

Condensed Version
This version of the Academy Awards show was created by the Academy Film Archive in order to furnish the public with a viewing copy that does not include any material copyrighted by outside sources. It has been edited to omit the following: Commercials, film clips, montages, musical performances, and the In Memoriam segment.

International Version/Edited International Version
The international version of the ceremony is sent out to international market on the night of the broadcast. It does not include any sponsorship segments or lead-ins to commercials, but otherwise does not differ from the truck feed that is sent out to the network. There is also an edited international version, which is a cut-down (typically 90 minutes) version of the program made available for international purchase 48 hours after the live broadcast. In this version, not all awards are broadcast in their entirety, but the end features video clips and voiceover reading the name of the winners in the categories that were not included.

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