Posted: 2/25/19 at 1:53pm
The Oscars may have been hostless according to most but the true host was the set. It was warm, inviting, impressive and stunning. Kudos to David Korins on designing a standout in an otherwise mostly drab year. I hope he gets his Tony this year for Beetlejuice.
Updated On: 2/25/19 at 01:53 PM
Posted: 2/25/19 at 3:06pm
I found it to be one of the ugliest in recent memory. Notice how the proscenium looks like donald trumps hairline. It looked like bad contemporary art. The projections worked nice inside but otherwise a total miss for me.
Posted: 2/25/19 at 3:36pm
standingovation79 said: "I found it to be one of the ugliest in recent memory. Notice how the proscenium looks like donald trumps hairline. It looked like bad contemporary art. The projections worked nice inside but otherwise a total miss for me."
I agree. It looked like whipped merengue. The lighted red mini umbrellas for the MARY POPPINS RETURNS song was nicely done, so I give Korins good points on that one. He kept hyping the set up by saying it continually will be changing but I wouldn’t consider projecting colored lights on it as “changing.”
Posted: 2/25/19 at 3:46pm
It's time for the Academy to go in a different direction. I know Korins was the 'new' designer this year, but everything was reminiscent of what Rockwell has been doing for the past few years. And it was so odd to see the projection screen flying in and out every five seconds. For such an integral part of the night, so why not incorporate that into the design? The show also seemed unrehearsed technically. Lots of awkward live moves of those side-stage presenter backdrops, and numerous shots featuring that hovering camera above centrestage.
Perhaps the craziest thing, is to think of all the waste generated by this one night. Just imagine most of that set is thrown out.
Posted: 2/25/19 at 4:22pm
Posted: 2/25/19 at 4:37pm
I loved Derek McLane's work the past 3-4 years. It was always beautiful, classy, and glamorous. Last night was an abomination –– it looked like something on a cruise ship. "Ariel's grotto" was the first thing I thought of, but then someone said it looked like Megan Hilty's wig from SMASH! LOL. The Oscar statues made out of roses in the background reminded me of American Beauty (eek).
I've always felt that David Korins' sets were more "functional" than "beautiful." Nobody leaves Hamilton or DEH or War Paint talking about the set. (I do love his design of the new Bond 45 restaurant, but he co-designed it with the restaurant owner.)
Years from now, when people look back on this year's awards, they will shake their heads at some of the aesthetic choices... from the set, to Mahershala's beanie hat, to the abundance of velvet jackets, to Linda Cardellini dressed as a loofah.
Posted: 2/25/19 at 4:40pm
Tag, FYI, David Rockwell hasn't been credited with the Oscars set design for a few years now. Derek McLane has been doing the honors for the past several years, loading more and more baroque monstrosities onto the Dolby stage as the years went on.
I for one thought Korins' design was a huge improvement over some of McLane's most bloated looks. I loved the undulating waves of red roses wrapped in gold banding. I loved the abstract clouds of swarovski crystals. I loved how Korins basically landed on one design concept and repeated variations on that theme all night. So what if I wasn't particularly a fan of the Trump Hairstyle proscenium? Everything inside that frame had me applauding all night what a really talented Broadway designer can come up with if given the infinite budget of an Oscars telecast. Bravo!
Posted: 2/25/19 at 6:07pm
Ah yes I meant McLane!!!
I actually quite liked Rockwell's designs, particularly when he redesigned the orchestra seating configuration.
Posted: 2/25/19 at 7:48pm
I loved the sets this year. It was fun and interesting. I guess it won't be everyone's tastes, but it felt like something other than the usual glam/crystals.
Posted: 2/25/19 at 7:55pm
I watched the show with my thumb thoroughly on fast-forward. Nonetheless, the set made me wonder if I had taken my meds twice.
Posted: 2/25/19 at 10:16pm
Just doing a side by side comparison of Derek’s and David’s works I think I have to say David’s is better, though it’s really the proscenium arch that has changed. The actual stage itself seems like it hasn’t changed at all.
David https://www.instagram.com/p/BuSoVOdgOTY/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1o1n2qqpjo4wi
Derek https://www.instagram.com/p/BthB7XZBeZ_/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=ufwuzh5i179y
Posted: 2/25/19 at 10:46pm
I thought I liked it but now I can't see past the trump's hair comparison!
I do like how other examples show specific host areas to stand in, it gives it a sense of purpose.
I do feel like though I get tired of all of this stair business, what's wrong with a ramp? Doesn't seem very accessible.
Posted: 2/25/19 at 11:25pm
to anyone who can't go up stairs. What happens the year someone who wins an oscar has a broken leg and can't get on stage on live television to accept their award? Would they just wait for a handicapped nominee to decide on accessibility?
Posted: 2/25/19 at 11:40pm
Boq101 said: "to anyone who can't go up stairs. What happens the year someone who wins an oscar has a broken leg and can't get on stage on live television to accept their award? Would they just wait for a handicapped nominee to decide on accessibility?"
They would have said nominee/winner waiting in the wings backstage, just like the presenters and hosts.
Posted: 2/26/19 at 6:30am
Posted: 2/26/19 at 8:18am
TMZ and some other outlets are running stories this morning about the set and why it looked like Trumps hair. Between that, and the terrifying blood red Oscar statue army on stage, I’d say this was a huge swing and a miss. Well intentioned, but poorly executed. Looked like a cliff side, I half expected Alex from Free Solo to climb it.
Posted: 2/26/19 at 10:58am
Looking at it from a TV angles viewpoint, I though the proscenium made for some pretty pictures, depending on how it was lit - straight on though, it looks weird. I loved that they did for Bette's number, but Jennifer's backdrop was ugly. But I thought the use of the red and the patterns worked really well as backdrops to the speeches.
But what really annoyed me were those stairs. The last thing these people, who are so distracted thinking about what they're about to say in front of a billion people, want to think about is how to navigate those tricky stairs. I mean the paramedics had to come in and help Rami after he won stumbling down those things.
