The Oscars‘ digital magazine, A.frame, is shutting down.
The website, created by the Academy to celebrate film, post behind-the-scenes interviews and share Academy member news, was run by one full-time AMPAS staff member and a small number of editorial contractors and freelancers. The staff member’s final day is Friday.
AMPAS declined to comment.
As part of a new strategy, AMPAS will continue to drive content and engagement with its over 18 million followers on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. The A.frame website will remain active and will continue to house digital assets linked from the Oscars’ social platforms.
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The latest cutbacks follow the organization’s restructuring in June, which resulted in layoffs following the merging and consolidation within the Sci-Tech council and the teams of the four L.A. theater operations. In June, Academy CEO Bill Kramer told PvNew that he was “looking at the Academy’s structure, including the museum and archive, to create a unified focus, mission, and vision.”
Hollywood studios and entertainment companies have been striving to create and monetize their content to serve their large global audiences over the past few years. Netflix’s Tudum, launched in 2021, offered consumers behind-the-scenes features, interviews, and more. In April 2022, most of Tudum’s contractors and full-time staff were laid off as part of a reorganization, although the site remains active.
AMPAS remains dedicated to DEIA initiatives and supporting its global membership amid a rapidly changing media climate. The Oscars and ABC, the awards show’s partner and distributor primarily since 1960, are gearing up to renegotiate the deal for the telecast. While the current agreement — negotiated in 2016 and reported to be upwards of $100 million — is set to expire in 2028, both ABC and the Academy say negotiations are expected to begin later this year.
Many publications covering Hollywood, studios and entertainment have been trying to recover from last year’s lost revenue due to the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
