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81st and 82nd Oscars

Los Angeles, CA

81 08HC0923

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
Selected Awards
Emmy Awards: Outstanding Art Direction For Variety, Music Or Nonfiction Programming
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 Kodak Theater design was removed and replaced with a proscenium stage to bring the audience closer—allowing at-home viewers to see celebrity reactions.
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