O'Connell Responds to Minkler's Remarks

Thanks to Kris Tapley at In Contention for posting this statement by Kevin O'Connell:
I would first like to thank all of you for the overwhelming response to my mother's passing. To see such a positive response at one of the darkest times in my life has been unbelievably comforting, not just to me, but to my entire family as well.

As for all of your responses to Mr. Minkler's backstage comments:

I have never seen a community get together and rally around one of their own as you all have. It is deeply appreciated. Many people forwarded some of your responses to me, and I found them to be quite comforting.

On Thursday morning, March 1st, I was forwarded a letter from Mr. Minkler, in which he wrote:

"Dear Kevin, At a press event after the Oscars, I responded to what I thought was a misplaced question with a silly, sarcastic, and offhanded response. Regrettably, my remarks were not stated, understood, or reported in the spirit they were intended. It was not my intention to impugn your professionalism, your work, or your achievements. I wish you the best in the future. Best regards, Michael Minkler"


That said, I think it is time for all of us to move on in the best interest of the sound community, and put this behind us. I cannot express how moved I have been from all of your support. There is no doubt that I belong to a brotherhood that is unified, strong and proud, and exemplifies some of the finest human spirits in the motion picture industry.

I will be forever grateful.

Respectfully,
Kevin O'Connell
Click here to get caught up on the events.

Comments

sophomorecritic said…
Great blog. I like your stuff, and i'd love to be able to keep in touch with you on film issues and stuff.

I always thought there was a little more to it than Michael Minkler being a jerk when I saw those comments. I reasoned that it probably had something to do about the press not caring anything about sound mixing at the oscars (look at your oscar class of 2006 picture: it only shows actors) and how people like Richard Roeper are saying that the smaller awards should be given a seperate ceremony. The Oscarcall guys are also saying like the grammys, that more technical awards that appeal less to the general public are relegated to a seperate ceremony in the Grammys.

I think that creates some tension beneath the surface of equal treatment in terms of facetime on tv for the smaller categories. Similarly, the press room full of film critics has to come up with similar questions to field to a group of artists that they probbaly know nothing about. I have no freaking clue what sound mixing is, what it takes to be a good sound mixer, and of course which movie had the best sound mixing.

So maybe the only question I might be able to come up with to a sound mixing winner is "so what do you think about that other guy, who hadn't won 18 times, he should've won. That would've been a more interesting story for us to have written about." But the truth is that that's an insensitive question and will get on the guy's nerves who is taking the award on stage. And this guy didn't handle the pressure well. They should ask him questions about his sound mixing craft like they do with the acting winners or the directing winners, but who really has any f*ing clue? that's the problem.
Mattie Lucas said…
If they start handing out 'lesser' categories at a seperate ceremony like the Grammys do...I might stop watching altogether. The very idea is an insult.

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