This week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that four categories at this year's Academy Awards would be presented during commercial breaks, and would have only the speeches shown during the telecast, without listing the nominees or showing examples of the work. Today, IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb released the following statement:

By denying four categories – three of them below-the-line – their equal share of television coverage, the Academy displayed a complete absence of the kind of creativity their awards celebrate.

IATSE members, including cinematographers, editors, and hair and makeup stylists, are the core of any motion picture production. They create the iconic scenes and looks that make this medium so memorable. Without their work, none of the most-beloved films in Hollywood history would have been possible.

It is an insult to the hardworking women and men of all below-the-line crafts to push these nominees and winners out of the spotlight. We demand that the Academy reverse course and treat all categories with the respect they deserve.