RULES

Annual Awards of Merit 1931-1932

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. 1931 to July 31 , 1932, inclusive.

TWO

The Annual Awards

One Award shall be given annually 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 directing.
SOUND RECORDING	For the best consistent achievement by a studio sound department.
SHORT SUBJECTS	A certificate of honorable mention shall be given for the outstanding production selected under Rule Seven in each of three classifications; Mechanical, Comedy, Novelty.

THREE

The Special Awards

Upon recommendation by three-fourths of the Awards Committee, (the Committee to meet for this purpose not later than November 1. 1932), the Academy Board of Directors 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 year as defined in Rule One. (See Rule Nine.)
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. Only members of the Academy in good standing shall be eligible to participate in the Awards nominations and elections.
2. Nomination and voting for Awards shall be by secret ballot. Printed nomination forms and ballots will be supplied by the Academy to all members in good standing and shall be returned to the Academy unsigned and in sealed envelopes.
3. Nominations close September 22, 1932.
4. All productions appearing on the final ballot shall be made available by the Academy for showing to the membership, so far as is practicable.
5. Only ballots received before 5 p.m. on November 1, 1932, shall be valid.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 Directors.

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 CINEMATOGRAPHY and ART DIRECTION shall be by the members of the respective Sections of the Technicians Branch, each member being entitled to make five nominations.
3. Nominations for the SOUND RECORDING Award shall be by selective ballot of the members of the Sound Section, as further prescribed in Rule Eight.
4. 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.
5. 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 Five 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 Directors 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 not later than October 15, 1932, by a special committee, selected at a general meeting of members of the Academy (all Branches) who specialize in short subject production.
3. The nominations shall then be laid before the Awards Committee.

EIGHT

Sound Recording Award Rules

The procedure for selecting the SOUND RECORDING AWARD shall be as follows:

1. Each studio may submit five samples from 150 to 250 feet in length from separate productions qualified under Rule One; but if less than five pictures from any studio have been exhibited in the Los Angeles District in the year the studio must submit one sample from each production.
2. All samples submitted will then be exhibited to members of the Sound Section of the Technicians Branch under rules designed to insure a fair comparison. The scoring system of voting on the individual samples will chiefly consider the technical excellence of the sound recording. From three to five samples will be selected by the Sound Section for exhibition to all members of the Academy in good standing at a meeting or meetings to be called for the purpose, not later than November 1, 1932. At this exhibition a scoring system of voting will designate the studio sound department which is to receive the Award. The final ballots will be counted as in Rule Four, Section F.

NINE

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 nine 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 October 15, 1932, 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.