Oscars

Okay, so this post should have been done yesterday, technically. But I wasn't really that excited about the Oscars. I hadn't seen most of what was nominated, so I wasn't especially rooting for any particular movie.

So today's post is about an Academy Awards from the past. Specifically, 3 years ago.



Three years ago, I was in LA for a job. Because if you know me, you wouldn't have ever guessed I would be living in LA of all places. Aside from my then current job, this was one of the best things that ever happened to me. A schoolmate of mine called me up at random and asked if I'd like to PA for the pre-show that he was working on. After seeking permission from my then current employer, I eagerly said yes.

It was fairly easy work and I spent a lot of it with eyes wide open because while a lot of things were similar, a lot were different. The best part was the dressing up for the red carpet. We had to be able to blend in fairly well, except for the headset/radios we had to wear and our rather over-size nametag IDs. I found a fabulous dress at Nordstroms and sought out the most padded dressy shoes I could find.

The thing is, I didn't really calculate that by the time I put those fabulous shoes on, I'd have been running around for 3 days straight.

Needless to say, every step I took as the night wore on, was increasingly painful. But it was worth every step.

You probably didn't see me, unless you were overseas at the time and saw any random international footage. That's about the only time I really openly paced the red carpet.

All went well and then our little half hour show was done. After a brief break for multiple photo-ops, it was breakdown time. We had just finished when Jamie Foxx had won his award. Suddenly, we realized we had to leave... NOW. The show was almost over, and it was time to beat the crowds. And the amazing thing was, it wasn't very late at all. See the thing is, the Academy Awards start at 5pm local time. So when the parties start right after the show ends and go until the wee hours of the morning, that's some serious partying going on. Partying from about 8-9pm until ??? am. No wonder so many stars can hit more than one party and do more than just a courtesy stop.

It was very cool to be able to go past the police barricades that grew more and more complex the closer we got to show day. The security was incredible on the Kodak itself, everything was highly protected. And it takes more people than are actually listed in the credits to make that 3+ hour awards show happen.

In fact, I know a few little secrets for those sitting at home. If you're eagle-eyed, you may know it already! I'll divulge if you ask. And no, its not anything super-secret.

I enjoyed my brief time on the red carpet, and a chat with television stage managers about the difference between our jobs.

If you're working on the 81st Academy Awards, and you're hiring, I'm all for it!