Andy Maltz, who led the Academy’s Science and Technology Council for nearly two decades, was quietly let go from the Academy recently, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. He joined the Academy in 2003 as General Director of the Council and was promoted to senior VP of the Council in January 2020.
George Joblove, former Sony Pictures exec vice president of advanced technology and former co-chair of the Council, has been promoted to the new role of vice president of technology and standards. He takes on many of Maltz’s previous responsibilities.
In response, Academy CEO Bill Kramer said in a statement THR, “The Academy’s commitment to promoting and elevating the scientific and technological aspects of filmmaking is stronger than ever. We just approved the establishment of a new production and technology department and returned our science and engineering awards to an in-person event earlier this year. As part of this process, we have combined the teams working on the Awards and the Sci-Tech Council to create a unified Science and Technology unit at the Academy. In addition to recognizing and advancing the scientific and technological aspects of filmmaking, this combined team will have more direct ties to the Academy’s key archives, collections and conservation work.”
The new Manufacturing and Technology Division was announced last week and includes members previously classified as General Members who work in a variety of engineering and manufacturing roles.
Patrick Harrison, who was the top New York official, was also recently fired amid wider changes at the Academy led by Kramer and President Janet Yang, who assumed their positions in 2022.
SciTech Council initiatives that Maltz led during his time at the Academy included the study of vital issues surrounding the long-term preservation and archiving of film footage in the digital age, leading to the publication of reports The digital dilemma in 2007 and The digital dilemma 2 in 2012. In 2021, the KNAW launched the KNAW Digital Preservation Forum (ADPF), an online meeting place for exploring these issues.
During Maltz’s tenure, the Council also developed and launched the Academy Color Encoding System, an Emmy award-winning technology designed to enable consistent color management in digital production workflows across film, television and streaming content. In 2018, the Academy and Linux Foundation launched the Academy Software Foundation, initiated by the Council, as a neutral hub for the development of open-source software used in areas of the entertainment industry such as animation, visual effects, and sound.
