Preparing for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards

Tomorrow brings what is considered the Superbowl for the Hollywood set. The biggest names in movies will converge on the Kodak Theater to pay tribute to an amazing year in film, 2010 edition. But before the stars can show up and be asked what they’re wearing (and be judged harshly for it), the stretch of road called Hollywood Boulevard between Highland and Orange, directly in front of the Kodak Theater, must be outfitted with tents, bleachers, fake hedges, and of course, the red carpet. More than a week before the biggest event in Hollywood begins, crews work endlessly set the stage for what is essentially the centerpiece on the table where Tinseltown serves up the best and brightest in the world of film.

I spent the other day wandering around the streets surrounding the spectacle and the entryway leading to the auditorium where the lives of many could change come Sunday night. While I had been there many times before for movie premieres or just to catch a film and a bite to eat, the first thing I noticed is that there was more security and police milling about than I had ever seen for any event in my life. There were times where it seemed there were at least 2 security guards for every 1 tourist or local who walked along that street. It was Thursday and it appeared all of the bleachers were in place and the red carpet was rolled out from the intersection of Hollywood and Highland all the way to the main staircase that leads into the theater. However, it was covered in a plastic sheet, presumably to keep it clean until Sunday night. I noticed an exposed part of the carpet just inside the entryway, draped over a table. Two men were guarding it with grim, vigilant stares, scanning everyone who came within 20 feet of that swatch of fabric. That’s how serious they take security. They guard the carpet. I did, however, find an exposed 1 square foot area at the foot of the stairway and was able to touch it without getting tackled and removed from the premises. I figured that unless I did something fairly important in the world of film, it would likely be the only time I’d get a chance to touch such an iconic piece of Hollywood. Then I realized that other than me, the only other people who really ever touch the carpet are the teamsters who unroll it. It’s not like Natalie Portman is going to crouch down in her one-of-a-kind custom-made dress to run her fingers through the fibers on her way to her seat. So that moment of personal triumph didn’t put me as much of an exclusive club as I thought.

While many of you might not find stuff like this all that interesting, I have to confess I’m a bit of a behind-the-scenes nut. I like seeing how it’s all put together and, later, torn apart. I used to sneak into the local hockey arena where I lived just to watch the crew set up the elaborate stages for big, nationally touring bands. If I had a chance to go to the Oscars tomorrow, I’d not want to sit in a seat wearing a stuffy suit. I’d want to stand out of the way in a backstage corner just to watch how it all comes together and, in some cases, falls apart. That’s where the real action happens. To me, the finely tuned process that keeps the show moving no matter what curve balls are thrown at the producers and crew is the award-winning drama I’m most interested in.

Check out some of the pictures I took and the quick 23 second video I cobbled together of the goings-on around the Kodak Theater just days before the biggest night in Hollywood.

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards airs on ABC Sunday, February 27th at 8pm Eastern time and 5pm Pacific.