Cheers up with the success of casting director David Rubin who has been elected as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Veteran director Rubin replaces outgoing academy’s president John Bailey. After so much buzz in the film industry, Rubin has been successful to leverage the 37th presidency of the academy. The decision was publicly announced on Tuesday night after a final meeting of AMPAS board of governors. And recently he sent a note out to members after his first official communication as the legal head of the Oscar organization.
In coming years, if any filmmaker will get a chance to create a biography of famous people, definitely David Rubin can be on the list because of his active contribution to the film industry.
Let’s throw some light on mini-bio of maestro David Rubin:
Initially, he started his career in New York on the making of ‘Saturday Night Live’. It had happened before to start active work on the casting of ‘Silkwood’, ‘Amadeus’, and ‘Ragtime’. After this, he moved to Los Angeles where he paired with expert casting director called Lynn Stalmaster on the release of ‘The Big Easy’, ‘The Name of the Rose’ and a couple of others.
Eventually, when he opened his own venture, he was ready to assemble talented casts for movies such as ‘Romeo + Juliet’, ‘My Cousin Vinny’, ‘Men in Black’, ‘Get Shorty’, ‘The Firm’, ‘Four Weddings’ and ‘A Funeral’ and a bunch of others.
From 1998 to 2004, his casting office stayed under the cover because he was more interested to produce movies with Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack at Mirage Enterprises. After that, he started to look casts for films and televisions such as ‘Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay’, ‘Gravity’, ‘Trumbo’ etc.
He got a couple of achievements for what he did for the film industry; in 2001 he received the Hollywood film festival award for his casting profession: Outstanding Career Achievement, presented by American film director, Sydney Pollack. Later in 2002, he received honorary Career Achievement Award from the Casting Society of America by Baz Luhrmann.
In an academy motion picture arts and sciences, he represents the casting directors department.
Next come the existence of motion pictures:
The academy of motion pictures arts and science is an unpaid organization works to achieve the goal to advance the arts and science of motion pictures. The whole management is supervised by the board of governors (Delegates from each branch). The maximum members are originated from the United States whereas its membership is open to all the qualified filmmakers across the world.
The academy is popular with the name, ‘The Oscars’. There is a wide list of awards under this academy such as
- Scientific and Technical Awards
- Student Academy Awards (Received by filmmakers at the undergraduate and graduate levels)
The academy decides the inauguration of Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles this year.
Origin of motion academy:
The idea of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences first came into existence with Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). He aimed to improve the industry’s status or image. He discussed this concept with a couple of people; Fred Niblo, director, Conrad Nagel, actor and Fred Beetson, head of the association of motion picture producers.
After discussion with these ace members of the film industry; on January 11, 1927, at a formal banquet, Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Mayer invited thirty-six people to improve the concept of this organization. The outcome of that meeting was revealed on May 4, 1927, that they finally replaced the word ‘international’ with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
At the initial stage, there were categories: actors, directors, writers, producers, and technicians come under the academy motion pictures and no awards were disclosed at that particular moment.
After that on May 11, there was first organizational meeting in which Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was appointed as the first president of the Academy and Fred Niblo was decided to be the first vice-president.
Currently, the academy’s headquarters is situated in Beverly Hills under the presidency of David Rubin. The director always plays a story in their directed films to impress the audience and same way the casting director Rubin has done some phenomenal work that makes him suitable for the presidency post.
Why David is the right option for the academy’s presidency profile?
One can direct a movie on David’s life, how he appoints motion pictures’ president. 14 years ago, the category of casting director wasn’t included by the union in the academy and even producers and studios (AMPTP) called them independent contractors. Rubin stood against AMPTP in 2005 to create the space for casting director in academy motion pictures. He began to aware the public on casting director’s work and importance. Later on, many realized that in a collective way they can allow the industry to perform together which is not possible by dividing the industry into different parts. In all of this, David had played a special role and his participation couldn’t be ignored in any case.
When he became a member of the academy, he worked to create a separate branch for casting directors. His efforts made things possible. He always looked at different stuff posted or printed by academy motion. His concern was to add casting branch into the limelight like others. He explained they can contribute more into the academy when they would get their own branch.
At last, the humble Rubin used different aspects to show the vital role of casting directors and it was demonstrated in small portions before the release of the movie. Fortunately, Rubin’s dedication and spirit were successful to get approved casting directors’ branch by the academy board on August 5, 2013, before the release of HBO.
He sets the record that at the 2016 Governor Awards he was the first casting director to receive an Oscar at the age of 88 years old. His versatile work and dedication towards academy motion pictures make him the president of this organization.
