81st and 82nd Oscars

Los Angeles, CA

Theater

How can the biggest show on earth also be the most intimate one?

The annual Oscars ceremonies have become one of the greatest shared rituals of our time. Rockwell Group reimagined the stage on which the ceremony takes place, creating an immersive experience to engage an international television audience of more than 37 million people each year.

Client: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Project Category

Theater
Event

Select Awards: Emmy Awards: Outstanding Art Direction For Variety, Music Or Nonfiction Programming

Aerial view of Oscars set. — As the first architect invited to design the set of the Academy Awards, Rockwell Group brought cutting-edge theatrical production techniques to the 80-year-old ceremony.

The pit-like separation between performers and the audience vanished.

Only four steps separate the audience and presenters. Seating from Rockwell Group’s 2001 Dolby Theatre design was removed and replaced with a proscenium stage to bring the audience closer—allowing at-home viewers to see celebrity reactions.

Oscars set close-up. — At the 82nd annual awards, dynamic sets integrated LEDs, projected images, and moving sets to create a constant play of light and activity.

“Our goal was to create a live encounter for television viewers.”

David Rockwell

Crystal curtain and hanging tassle shades.

Hands tending to Oscars set crystal strands.