Motion Picture Academy Clarifies Staffing And Changes To Newly Created Collection & Preservation Department, Announces New Leaders

Pete Hammond
·5-min read

Today the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent a letter to its membership clarifying recent staffing changes across their collections and preservation teams at the Academy archive, museum, and library. It was reported at the end of October that 16 staff members had been laid off as part of a broader restructuring designed to bring all collecting, restoration, and preservation efforts together under the newly created Academy Collection and Preservation Department. Among those let go were Mike Pogorzelski — director of the Academy Film Archive for the last 24 years — and many veteran Archive staff members Sean Savage, Lynne Kirste, Joe Lindner, Melissa Levesque, Mike Brostoff, and Ed Carter. Longtime Academy librarian Anne Coco was also among those leaving the organization.

This move caused great distress among many in the film community, and even a petition sent to the AMPAS Board Of Governors, led by the group called Missing Movies. asking the Academy to rehire the 16 staffers laid off on October 31.

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Today’s letter, acquired by Deadline and just sent to members is designed to clarify the reorganization and reassure those, including Academy members, disturbed by the staffing changes that this is all a necessary move that does not alter AMPAS dedication to preservation. It is signed by AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer, who previously ran the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures. It emphasizes, as Kramer did personally to me at an Academy Museum event last week honoring Sophia Loren as part of a month-long retrospective of her films for her 90th birthday, that the Academy is in no way downsizing its committment in this area, and remains just as devoted as ever to the preservation of film and its history.

Bill Kramer
Bill Kramer

“Over the last two years, we have been focused on making strategic structural changes across the Academy to reduce silos and to ensure that we are working cohesively across teams,” Kramer writes. “This has allowed us to bring together departments that have shared roles and responsibilities. While these moments can sometimes mean people leaving the organization, they are designed to align our operations to create a more sustainable Academy.”

This includes the recent announcement of new items for their collection including Quentin Tarantino’s original Pulp Fiction script, among many other notable works. On another note, The Academy Museum also is announcing an extensive 2024/2025 Winter program including a Paul Newman retrospective; a celebration of film preservation; a cyberpunk film series with David Cronenberg; and a new gallery experience Animation And Me, among other programs.

This new department, Kramer says in the letter, is led by longtime Academy team member, Matt Severson (a respected figure in this part of the industry) and will oversee the entire 52 million item collection. 11 leaders of individual areas in the collection are also named by Kramer in his message to members.

“These leaders will work closely with Matt Severson and the Academy Foundation and Academy Museum Boards to create a unified collection strategy for the entire Academy – something that has long been needed,” Kramer writes. “As our collection grows, we are eager to continue to preserve and champion our global film history. And, of course, we are deeply grateful for the support of our members with this important work.”

Read the full letter here:

Dear Academy members,

As many of you have heard, we have made staffing changes across our collections and preservation teams at the Academy archive, museum, and library. We wanted to reach out and share some details related to this – and please know that we are not decreasing our commitment to our work in this area.
Over the last two years, we have been focused on making strategic structural changes across the Academy to reduce silos and to ensure that we are working cohesively across teams. This has allowed us to bring together departments that have shared roles and responsibilities. While these moments can sometimes mean people leaving the organization, they are designed to align our operations to create a more sustainable Academy.

As part of this process, we recently combined our collections and preservation departments – the archive, the library, and the collecting unit of the museum – and have spent the last several months assessing the structure of these teams. This has led to the creation of the new Academy Collection and Preservation Department, which oversees our entire 52 million item collection. The department is led by long-time Academy team member Matt Severson.

As part of this reorganization, some archive, library, and museum team members have left the Academy. However, it is important for everyone to know that the work of these divisions remains a core part of our mission. That is not changing.

Under the new structure, the following individuals will be leading key collections and preservation areas:

Film Preservation and Public Access: Taylor Morales

Film Traffic, Archivists and Vaults: Daniel Wagner

Library Special Collections (including the photograph and graphic arts collections): Warren Sherk

Library Graphic Arts: Meghan Doherty

Library Reference and Public Services: Elizabeth Youle

Library Conservation: Dawn Jaros

Library Core Collection (including books, publications and core reference files): Phillip Garcia

Credits Administration: Lucia Schultz

Museum Collection Preservation, Registration and Collection Management: Renée Kiefer
Oral History Project: Yousef Assabahi

Collection Acquisitions: Rachel Rosenfeld

These leaders will work closely with Matt Severson and the Academy Foundation and Academy Museum Boards to create a unified collection strategy for the entire Academy – something that has long been needed.

As our collection grows, we are eager to continue to preserve and champion our global film history. And, of course, we are deeply grateful for the support of our members with this important work. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Bill Kramer, CEO

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