Thrilled to announce I have been invited to be a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, class of 2018.  Honored to join such a esteemed group of talented filmmakers and actors, it's really a dream come true for this animator.  -Patrick Smith
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), also known as simply the Academy, is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion pictures.

The roster of the Academy's approximately 6,000 motion picture professionals is a "closely guarded secret". While the great majority of its members are based in the United States, membership is open to qualified filmmakers around the world.

The Academy is known around the world for its annual Academy Awards, now officially and popularly known as "The Oscars".

In addition, the Academy holds the Governors Awards annually for lifetime achievement in film; presents Scientific and Technical Awards annually; gives Student Academy Awards annually to filmmakers at the undergraduate and graduate level; awards up to five Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting annually; and operates the Margaret Herrick Library (at the Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study) in Beverly Hills, California, and the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The Academy plans to open the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles in 2019.