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Sights and Sounds from the Oscar Red Carpet

2010-03-09T20:42:57Z

Video journalist Josh Miller brings you these sights and sounds from the 82nd Annual Academy Awards arrivals:

Tight Security At The Oscars

2010-03-09T17:14:26Z

By Jillian Leff -- 03/08/2010

The plastic was lifted and security was tightened this Sunday at the Kodak Theatre for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Officers lined the bottom of the parking garage by the theatre to check everyone who was carpet bound. Early in the morning the lines were short. As the day progressed the lines got longer and security officials grew more impatient. The officers and Academy were especially cognizant of the credentials on the carpet, making sure everyone had the passes on them at all times. If for any reason someone left a credential unattended, it was automatically revoked. Deep within the red carpet is the security tent where the stars will pass through privately before they take their walk down the line of press and photographers. The entire security staff was on their "A" game, making this year's event safe for everyone involved.

JC Spink And Taking Risks in Hollywood

2010-03-07T19:40:36Z

By Brett Connolly--- 03/06/10

When you having nothing to lose it is very easy to be extremely brave. This
is the advice of a successful Hollywood producer with blockbuster movies to
his credit. But the road to success for JC Spink was not easy and first
required a mental shift.

"When I graduated college I was deathly afraid of
moving out here," says Spink. He had taken screenwriting classes in college but
was not sure how that would translate to the challenges he would face in
Hollywood.

He finally made the move to Los Angeles and searched tirelessly
for an entry level job. "I tried to get my foot in the door at all these
places and no one really cared," says Spink. But he did eventually land his first job which was at "Xtra Television Magazine" as an assistant music programmer.

As he started to learn the business Spink felt confident enough to start his own
company, or so he thought. Spink joined forces with Chris Bender in 1998 to
launch Benderspink, a management and production company. Spink admits youth
in the business helped his cause. "In hindsight had I known how tough it is,
we never should have started our own thing. But I think the fact we had no
idea that we shouldn't start our own thing was why we started it and why it
worked. The odds are so great against any companies out here working that
when you're clueless to that, it's a lot easier to do."

Twelve years later Benderspink has production credits on blockbuster movies
such as "The American Pie Series," "The Ring," and "The Hangover." Spink continues
to read scripts in his search for great stories. "The only thing that separates
you and some of the greatest in this business is the right material."

Daphne Valerius Uses Hollywood To Prove That Black Is Beautiful

2010-03-07T19:34:08Z

By Justine Frostad --- 03/07/10
Daphne Valerius has always dreamed big. As a little girl in Brooklyn, New York Valerius hoped to be a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson or a Fly Girl on the hit television show "In Living Color."

Valerius is the daughter of Haitian immigrants. Even though she studied marketing and journalism in college, Valerius never stopped honing her acting skills, "I've always found time to feed my creative soul."

Valerius is using her creativity to inspire and uplift women of color through educational television and film projects. She is now involved in the biggest project of her career. It is called "My Black Is Beautiful." The campaign aims to provide an accurate reflection of black women in popular culture through a national discussion and educational television and web segments.

This type of work is nothing new to Valerius. While she was in college, she did a research project about the lack of African-American women represented in the media. She connected with the research on a personal level and ended up producing a documentary about the topic. That is when "The Souls of Black Girls" was born. Word quickly spread about the video and so far it has been screened at hundreds of non-profit organizations and colleges across the U.S. Valerius says that "There has been a positive reaction across the board. Black, white, men, women and everything in between."

As an actor Valerius says African-American women in the industry face more challenges than usual. "I think that the challenge is always when you want to submit yourself for a female casting...I sit back sometimes and say to myself I'm not going to submit myself for that because they're looking for a white girl."

Valerius believes that a strong work ethic is the only way to overcome these obstacles.

"It is not easy and it is not a game and being a woman of color I have to prove myself ten times more. It's that much harder so you just have to go harder than the next person. When someone is sleeping, you have to be working."

While she is still working to improve the national dialogue about race, Valerius believes that the country has come a long way since her research on the subject began. "So much has changed especially as far as media images with the historic election of President Obama and now we have an African American First Lady who has graced every single magazine imaginable. We also have a black princess Tianna with 'The Princess and the Frog,' which is huge." "

Valerius says her best advice for aspiring actors is to work on developing skills, seize every opportunity and focus on the end result. "Don't focus your energy on Plan B because it's only a distraction from Plan A."

Daphne Valerius has always dreamed big. As a little girl in Brooklyn, New York Valerius hoped to be a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson or a Fly Girl on the hit television show "In Living Color."

Valerius believes that a strong work ethic is the only way to overcome these obstacles.

The Man Behind The Microphone

2010-03-07T19:28:34Z

By Johnny Russo--- 03/06/10

You hear his voice all the time. You hear his voice on television commercials, television spots and movie trailers.

George Del Hoyo is a voice-over specialist. He has been the voice for over five hundred feature film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television and radio spots. You can hear Del Hoyo's voice on popular Fox shows such as "American Idol" and "Glee." Literally Del Hoyo's voice has been heard around the globe.

Del Hoyo works out of his California house in an office set up with a microphone, a preamp, and a ISDN system. "With those three things I can communicate not just communicate but send my voice any way on earth." It allows him to stay home and not have to travel from site to site which can takes its toll.

Although Del Hoyo's voice has been filling movie theatres and coming into homes via a television screen for years, this was not his first career choice. "It was the last thing on my mind." Del Hoyo was an actor before he moved behind a microphone. Del Hoyo stared in television shows such as "Home Improvement," and "Beverly Hills 90210."

Now Del Hoyo has moved away from acting and makes a living solely with his voice. He gets emails from around the world asking him to read into a microphone. Even though his office is just down the stairs from his living room, Del Hoyo works a pretty long day. "I start working at 11am and end up around 7pm. What starts off as three or four can end up being ten or twelve of fifteen jobs a day."

Del Hoyo feels like he is a composer and a storyteller when he is tracking his pieces. He moves a lot with any given script. "I feel like I am orchestrating. I am literally conducting the whole thing. My arms move to emphasize words. I see them coming. I visualize them and I hear them." Del Hoyo used to stand up when he would talk into the microphone, but now he is comfortable doing his job in a chair.

He commonly calls himself the master of the short form. Del Hoyo says there is a difference between a voice over for feature films and television spots. "A feature film I do more of a narrative. It has the luxury of time you can breath a little more and take more time with storytelling. With television you are jammed into this is a 30 second spot."

Del Hoyo ended with explaining the biggest misperception of voice over specialists is thinking that anyone can do it. But it is not so. "It is a skill set that you have to learn and acquire and work at, practice and perfect." Del Hoyo does not plan on stopping anytime soon. So the next time you are in a movie theatre and you hear the phrase "In a world...." The man behind that voice is probably George Del Hoyo.

Pam Abdy is a Ringmaster of Films

2010-03-07T04:29:55Z

By Melissa Unger -- 03/06/10

Pam Abdy knows how to run a circus. It is not one with lions, tigers and bears, but one with directors, writers and actors. The production executive says "being a ringmaster isn't easy." She says if you want to produce films you have to have a thick skin and not take no for an answer.

Abdy got her big break with the film "Garden State." She recalls the struggles in making the movie. She was working for Jersey films when she read the script from then-actor and first time director Zack Braff. She says she could not put it down and read it twice that night. Abdy could relate to the characters and the unique love story, but no one in Hollywood thought that Braff could direct. She shopped the script around to different studios, but no one except one guy would help finance the film. However he only offered her half of the budget she thought she needed. So she went back to the drawing board and scaled down production to half of her estimated costs and a few weeks later she was making "Garden State."

After production wrapped but before the film was edited, Abdy found herself out of work since Jersey Films had gone bankrupt. Fearing the worst, she began hunting for work and that is how she found her job at Paramount Pictures as a studio executive.

Abdy recalls spending her days in the board rooms at Paramount and spending her nights helping to edit "Garden State." Then the little independent film was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival, showing Abdy's ability to nurture Braff's directing talents and legitimatizing her as a producer. While at Sundance the film was picked up by a major distributor of film and opened in mainstream release. Abdy laughed at the thought that when she was making the film she questioned if anyone would ever see it, let a lone that the her little independent film would go on to be a success.

After "Garden State," Abdy remained at Paramount overseeing films like "Shutter Island" and "Babel." Eventually she decided to leave her job as a studio executive at Paramount to work at Universal. She is currently working on developing a film with Keanu Reeves.

Mom Wants Only One Thing For Oscar-nominated Lee Daniels

2010-03-07T04:25:26Z

By Valencia Wicker

None of the lights and cameras matters to Lee Daniels' mom. Claire Daniels just wants her director son to be happy.

This week Daniels' mother told WEBN that "To me he's just another one of my children. And, I'm proud of all of my children. My highest hope is for him to be happy and a good person."

Daniels and his mother attended the Uptown Magazine celebration of his history-making Oscar nomination. Daniels is the second African American film director to be nominated for the Best Film Director award.

The star studded event was a pre-Oscar gala celebrating the significance of Lee Daniels' Oscar nomination for the film "Precious." The film has been nominated for six Academy Award categories including Best Screenplay.

Geoffrey Fletcher is the screenwriter for "Precious." He says Daniels has fulfilled his mother's high hopes. "I've never met anyone like Lee. And one of the great things about him is that he will give people a chance. Most of the time you just hear no in this
industry. But if he sees something in you he will give you a chance. It has been life changing."

Daniels and "Precious" have made quite the impression on those in the film industry. "Fast and the Furious" Rick Yune says, "There were so many moments and so many performances that were amazing. You know that last moment when Precious is walking down the street and has a smile on her face, to me that says that there's any moment that somebody can look to be grateful. It's a beautiful movie."

Cheryl Cecchetto's Party Planning Is Oscar Worthy

2010-03-07T04:10:01Z

By Justine Frostad --- 03/05/10

Cheryl Cecchetto is one name that is always on the list. When the last of the Academy Awards are given out and the red carpet is rolled up, the star-studded Governors Ball begins. The celebrities who attend the event change over time, but Cecchetto is a staple of the event.

She was born in Canada and initially moved to Hollywood to work as an actress. She was discovered by Otto Spoerri while working for a catering company at the Ball. Spoerri is the former controller of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts. The rest, as they say, is history. Cecchetto has been the go-to producer of the event for over twenty years. The celebrity event planner believes her background and degree in the theater help her party planning.

Each year the theme for the Oscars bash changes. This year the celebration will channel 1930s Hollywood. Cecchetto says researching the theme is one of her favorite parts of the preparation. "I try to hibernate in some of my favorite book stores and libraries and really draw upon several visuals before we come up with the idea. I'll come up with all the ideas and designs but the technicians will definitely layer it."

Cecchetto is also the founder and president of Sequoia Productions. That is where she manages and directs some of the most prestigious productions in the event world including the Emmy Awards Governors Ball.

Cecchetto has an infectious energy and enthusiasm, but she attributes her success to hard work, client communication and an organized staff. Cecchetto and her production team handle everything from décor and entertainment to food and personnel. She says it takes a party size staff to run the ball.

"When you're on site your numbers can easily reach a thousand people between waiters, cooks, musicians and so on. It's really staggering how many people it takes to make this happen."

Cecchetto planned her first Governors Ball in the eighties and she says the event has come a long way. "In1989 it was tableclothes and flowers and a rented chair. It was still beautiful, we had some décor treatment but now it's a production. It really is like a mini film, but we only have one take."

Every year the Oscars Governors Ball is a glamorous gathering of Hollywood's top players. Cecchetto says events are celebrations of life and the Governors Ball is no exception. The night of the party Cecchetto will be circulating the room to make sure the guests are connected to each other and the experience she and her team have created.

As the old saying goes, "always leave the party while you're having fun." If that's the case, this year's Governors Ball may never end.

Nolan North Is Not Your Average Voice In Hollywood

2010-03-07T04:05:31Z

By Melissa Unger --- 03/06/10

If you go to see the newly released Hollywood film "The Wolfman," you will be hearing Nolan North. He is the one doing the wolf sounds. Chances are you have heard him a lot. North does some of the most famous voice overs in Hollywood and for video games.

When he finished college, North headed to New York as a broadcast reporter. Soon after arriving he realized that journalism was not for him and found himself moving to Los Angeles. Since he had once opened for comedian George Carlin, North thought that might be a route for him. So he joined some stand-up comedy troupes. Then there was the lure of acting.

Soon he landed a gig as a doctor on the new ABC daytime soap opera "Port Charles." The instant stardom was shocking to North. Then after five years the show was cancelled and North was out of work. Not knowing what to do, he turned to a fellow co-star on "Port Charles" who had an agent handling voice-overs.

North soon found success in voice-over work for video games. The field was relatively new and big name voice-over actors did not see it as a lucrative venture. North became the voice of Prince of Persia as well as many other famous video game characters. He also did a series for Marvel "Wolverine and the X-Men."

North has enjoyed being the voice of one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He says he loves projects like this one because his kids get a kick out of hearing their dad. He says having his kids' approval is a lot more gratifying than having fame.

A Creative Genius Brings the Oscars to Life

2010-03-07T04:00:15Z

By Johnny Russo --- 03/05/10

It all begins with a quarter inch. Drawings on a piece of paper start the process of constructing the set for the biggest award show on the planet. Long time set designer Joe Celli begins this famous process every October. His job is to oversee the set for the Academy Awards. The Oscars show takes a full year to plan, but Celli and his crew have only about 30 days to load the set and make sure everything is working and in place come Oscar Sunday.

Celli is in his 7th year with the Oscars. It will be the third year in a row he has had to work with new directors and producers. They all have different ideas, and it takes awhile for everyone to get on the same page. "The producers are traditionally film guys as opposed to tv guys. That takes them a bit longer to get them up to speed, but on the other side the new producers have new ideas which keeps the show fresh."

Every year Celli and his team deliver a great looking set. As his years with the academy build, the pressure to outdo the previous year is interestingly not there. "I try not to carry that pressure on myself. I am just there to see the art designers come to life ."

Celli said last year's set design had a strong narrative. It told a story how movies are made. This year Celli said the Oscars are going back to fun. The set is more glitzy and glamour. "It referenced variety shows from the 1960s and old Buzzbi Berkley movies with a modern twist."

Celli has worked his way up the Oscars ladder and each passing year he takes on more responsibility. He knows improvements can be made to the set right until the show is about to begin.Celli's goal is for the millions watching at home not to know if mistakes are made. Celli is cool under pressure and after all these years working on the Academy Awards, Celli keeps a level head. "No year is more special than the other. You got to keep it real, or you will freak out."

One thing that is overlooked is the limitations live television puts on the set. Celli said, "The designers asked for a lot moving parts and moving LCD screens and we discovered after all these years they do not move so well. It is a challenge." It is a challenge but Celli and his crew make it work.

Another difficulty is making sure the scene shop makes his drawings come to life. Celli visits the shops almost daily as the Oscars draws near. Even through limitations, a new producing and directing staff, Celli and his crew always finds a way to be creative and totally out do themselves year after year.

Matt Corrigan's Special Effects Range from 3D Dogs to Fake Babies

2010-03-07T03:48:06Z

By Melissa Unger -- 03/05/10
If you need a fake baby or a severed head, then Matt Corrigan is your man.

Corrigan is a practical special effects artist whose credits include such films as "Shutter Island" and "I Am Legend." He explained that practical special effects artists utilize molds and clays, while digital special effects artists use computers. In a world in which the special effects genre has been dominated by computers, Corrigan believes that his line of work will never disappear.

Corrigan acknowledged that more and more of his work is being combined or used to help computer-generated special effects. He said that he has spent hours working on a scary dog for "I Am Legend." It was used primarily to help a graphic artist build and know how to light a 3D scary dog that was eventually used in the film.

Corrigan also recalled spending months working on a wolf for a film that was later scrapped in place for a 3D wolf. His creations can be anything from a real looking baby that can wink to a out of this world alien. Even though they are sometimes replaced by computer generated creatures, Corrigan thinks both types of special effects serve a purpose.

Corrigan believes that both effects have different functions. He says if a director wants a real looking creature to be filmed close-up, practical special effects would be idea. However if a director wants that very same creature to scale a ten story building, then computer generated special effects would be the way to go. He points out that even though all of his creatures can move in some type of realistic fashion, sometimes computer generated graphics are just more cost effective.

Corrigan does acknowledge that his line of special effects work will most likely shrink as computer generated special effects become more sophisticated. He says it's only a matter of time until a computer-generated creature can look realistic even in high definition and close up. However, Corrigan does not fear the worst. He says whenever Hollywood needs a realistic looking baby he will be there. He knows that a real baby on a film set is just not feasible sometimes and computer generated cannot capture the realness of life, or at least not yet.

Wolfgang Puck Calls It Good Old Comfort Food

2010-03-07T03:41:41Z

By Valencia Wicker-- 03/05

You might never connect the Oscars with comfort food. But that is what celebrity food guru Wolfgang Puck is doing for Oscar night.

He is in charge of the Governors Ball which is the night's biggest Academy Awards after party. And the chef to the stars is determined to wrap up the night with scrumptious food to die for.

It is a star-studded bash to party the night away once all of the Oscar statues are given. After an evening of laughter and anxiety, Puck says he likes to serve "good old comfort food." The menu ranges from Oscar shaped smoked salmon to homemade
chicken potpie. However, he says it is not surprising that the most popular dish is the ultimate comfort food of dime-sized hamburgers covered in cheese.

The most extravagant part of the meal is the dessert. This year guests
will enjoy baked alaskas with espresso ice cream, chocolate sorbet and
hazelnut meringue. Adn we cannot forget that everyone gets a personal chocolate Oscar statuettes dusted with 24-carat gold.

The Governors Ball may be meant for relaxation for the stars, but the 1,600 person
guest list leaves no room for fooling around. Puck's team includes
nearly 1,000 people and 300 chefs who spend countless hours prepping
food for the event.

WEBN Entertainment met the culinary artist in the kitchen for a sneak
peak, and taste, at a meal fit for an Oscar.