There is no turning back: the Oscars are just around the corner. The most famous awards in the world of cinema (and may even be held, in general) will be held on Sunday, March 2 and the celebrations have already begun. They have done it four days before and with all Boato, in the deployment of the red carpet that thousands of celebrities will step on Sunday before entering the gala and that millions will continue from their homes.
The presenter of the gala, the comedian debutante Conan O’Brien, has been in charge of unrolling the more than 270 kilos of carpet —600 pounds, those responsible have commented – on the Paseo de la Fame of Hollywood, at the doors of the Dolby Theater. He has been accompanied by three of the technicians who have been assembling it for days, Anthony, Rudy and Ignacio, who have given effusively, hugged and who has affirmed that “they are the heroes.” The three are part of a team of 14 people who have been working on the mat, since Monday, and will continue to do so until Sunday, so that it looks perfect. Then, he will die: The carpet is thrown and recycled, they have declared the three to El País.
Very elegant, O’Brien has posed formal with the carpet, has stretched arms and legs, in case the exercise was hard, it has been made photos of it by making military greeting, and pulling its comic vein has gradually deployed it until you lie on the remaining roll, knowing how to cause photographers. After just four minutes he has left, thank everyone and summoning them for Sunday, when the ceremony will take place, starting at four in the afternoon (one in the morning of the next day, Spanish peninsular time).
But from a couple of hours before, the carpet will be the star, the basis by which global celebrities will wear the most exclusive costumes and jewels in the world. More garnet than last year, for its 270 meters, most of the 3,400 guests to the gala will pass, from nominated as Karla Sofía Gascón, which will go to the gala, to presenters as also the Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. From this Wednesday until Sunday, the technicians strive to gather the 10 meters wide of the carpet – there are reality several rolls – and that is smooth, without imperfections, not only for those who walk, but for the images that will see 20 million viewers in the United States (and many others in the rest of the world). During these days, the technicians join the carpet, stapling it and then fixing it with a plate at about 175 degrees of temperature. In the base it has a thermaling material, similar to that of textile patches, which with the heat manages to stick to the ground and so it does not move.
The deployment paralyzes the city, because the carpet actually occupies a piece of street, Hollywood Boulevard, between Orange and Highland avenues. It is in the pure heart of Hollywood, where there are other famous cinemas such as the Chinese theater and the captain, and where the famous pink stars rest, as well as many businesses, for which these awards are not especially grateful. Because that little piece of about 400 meters, central in the city, was already cut on Thursday 20 and will be practically closed (completely to traffic and with narrow sidewalks for pedestrians) until Wednesday, March 5.
There are two long weeks, but it is the necessary time to mount and disassemble the great event of the season, but quite uncomfortable the area, the most visited in Los Angeles. It is time to deal with huge deviations, for tourists’ suffering (50 million a year), merchants and neighbors, already accustomed to constant cuts by the theaters of the area, but that this time lasts almost two weeks. Not even the subway for Hollywood station throughout Sunday. Everything is because nothing detracts from the brightness of the garnet carpet and its routilating stars.