Oscars: Actual People Doing Actual Stuff

I’ve been getting feverish press releases from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences leading up to the Oscars, mostly announcing that this or that celebrity has been added to the burgeoning roster of presenters, or that Chris Rock is NOT the anti-Christ or other such necessary but marginal twaddle.

The following, though, reminded me that things just don’t HAPPEN: actual people do actual important and necessary work to prepare for a show like this – kind of like reminding yourself that every single name you see in the 10 or 15 minutes of credits at the end of a film ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING that contributed to the making of the film. It would have been different if THAT PARTICULAR NAME hadn’t done his/her specific job.

Street closures to facilitate the production needs of the 77th Academy Awards, as well as security strategies and public safety, have been finalized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the City of Los Angeles.

Numerous agencies, including the L. A. Department of Transportation, Caltrans and the Los Angeles police and fire departments were consulted in the planning process and agree that the finalized plan is the best way to accommodate all of the parties involved.

Hollywood Boulevard will be closed between Highland Avenue and Orange Drive for seven days beginning at 10 p.m. on Monday, February 21, for construction of press risers, fan bleachers and pre-show stages for the 77th Annual Academy Awards red carpet.

The boulevard will reopen by 6 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1.

Additional streets will be closed on the day of the show, Sunday, February 27, including Highland Avenue from Sunset Boulevard to Franklin Avenue, and Hollywood Boulevard from Cahuenga Boulevard to La Brea Avenue.

Also closed on the day of the show will be the southbound Highland Avenue off-ramp from the 101 Freeway.

MTA subway trains will by-pass the Hollywood and Highland station following the last regularly scheduled train on Saturday, February 26, to the first train after 6 a.m. on Monday morning, February 28.

Also on the day of the show, north/south streets between Cahuenga and La Brea that cross or dead-end on Hollywood Boulevard will be restricted to residents and local business traffic for the block north and south of Hollywood Boulevard.

Franklin Avenue will remain open in both directions from La Brea Avenue to Highland Avenue, and the northbound Highland Avenue on-ramp to the 101 Freeway will be open.

Between Monday, February 21, and the day of the Academy Awards Presentation, some additional streets and sidewalks will be closed for various periods:

• Hawthorn Avenue will be closed from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive from 12:01 a.m. Friday, February 25, until 6 a.m. Monday, February 28, except for school buses on Friday. The sidewalks will remain open on Friday.

• Orange Drive from Franklin Avenue to Hollywood Boulevard will be closed from 6 a.m. Saturday, February 26, through 6 a.m. Monday, February 28, except for residents, local business access and emergency vehicles.

• Orchid Street between Franklin Avenue and Orchid Alley will be closed to all but residents and hotel loading traffic from 6 a.m. Saturday, February 26, to 6 a.m. Monday, February 28.

• On Saturday and Sunday, February 26 and 27, sidewalks will be closed on Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive and on the west side of Highland Avenue from Johnny Grant Way to Hollywood Boulevard. On Sunday, show day, the sidewalk on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland to Orange will be closed.

• The north sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard will be closed in front of the entrance to Awards Walk from 10 p.m. on Monday, February 21, until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1. Pedestrian traffic will be re-routed but emergency access will be available. In addition, there will be some short-term street closures, and sidewalk and curb lane closures before February 21 and after February 27.

• Hollywood Boulevard will be closed from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive for eight hours beginning at 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 20.

• The north and south curb lanes of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive will be closed, except for school buses, from 10 p.m. Sunday, February 20, until 6 a.m. Monday, February 28.

• The north curb lane of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to 230 feet east of Orange Drive will be closed from 6 a.m. Sunday, February 13, until 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 1.

• The east and west parking lanes on Orange Drive from Hollywood Boulevard to Orchid Alley will be closed for two weeks prior to the show.

• The north curb lane of Hawthorn Avenue from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue will be closed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday, February 28.

In this case, not only do actual people have to do the construction and preparation for the Academy Awards, but lots of other people will be greatly inconvenienced in the process.