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Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

Live Updates From The Oscars Interview Room

Piya Sinha-Roy, Roselle Chen |
February 27, 2011 | 4:03 p.m. PST

Senior Entertainment Editors

Neon Tommy are live from the Oscars Interview Room
Neon Tommy are live from the Oscars Interview Room

Live updates from the interview room at the Oscars as it happens.

3.45 p.m. - The journos are all gathered and mingling while waiting for the show to start. Watching the red carpet interviews, think Mila Kunis (lilac Elie Saab couture gown), Mandy Moore (champagne Monique L'Huiller) and Hailee Steinfeld (custom-made Marchesa gown) have all pulled out the stops to look amazing on the red carpet. 

4:00 p.m. - Jen from CBS KCAL 9 just confessed that she had to watch Bridget Jones last night, because "I had to see Colin Firth in a reindeer jumper before he wins an Oscar."

4.15 p.m. - Russell Brand explains his hair tonight is one part Medusa and one part the cast of Friends, apparently "hairstyle through the ages." Russell's mum whispers "I just want him to be proud of me." AWWW - sickeningly sweet family moment. Also, a shoutout to his famous other half, Katy Perry. "What, she's not at home? Where is my washing?!"

4.18pm - WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE JAMES FRANCO AND ANNE HATHAWAY?! We are hearing murmurings of Anne in vintage Valentino, and we want to see badly.

5.10pm - We took a break to eat some of the delicious food on offer - I'm talking about shrimp cocktails, beef on sticks, beef in sandwiches, beef in empanada, more beef in some other stuff, and lots of veggies and pasta, and cookies. 

5.12pm - We found James Franco. He was being interviewed just before going in, and he looked a little nervous. Or maybe just awkward. We're not sure. 

5.13pm - Speaking of which, did anyone else think Anne Hathaway was being very coy in her archival Vintage Valentino? Not to mention how purple Garavani Valentino was looking. 

5.14pm - Gwyneth Paltrow looks very sleek and polished in her gold Calvin Klein dress. Like, she literally looks like an Oscar statuette. Maybe someone will hand her out at the end of the night?

5.20pm - Admist the mullets in the interview room, we're counting down till the show starts - 10 minutes to go. And how adorable is Sandra Bullock? "I'm voting for me to have a good time!" We're with you Sandy!

5.26pm - Steven Spielberg sighting on TV! Good to see he's still around and getting work.

5.27pm - We just got told that some of the big winners may not be coming through till the end of the show - going to be a nice crazy hour post-show for us then!

5.40pm - After being "Inceptioned," James and Anne are actually killing the opening! Anne - "It used to be that you get naked, you get nominated. Not any more." Also, loving the cameos with Mamma Hathaway and Grandma Franco.

5.45pm - Nominees for Best Art Direction announced by one of our favorite Hanks - Tom Hanks of course. And The winner is "Alice In Wonderland." Unsurprising there. Liked the little intro with "Titanic" and "Gone With The Wind" though.

5.47pm - Best Cinematography goes to "Inception." Finally! The Nolan mind-bender is getting some recognition! Wonder if Anne and James pushed for that one?! Still chuckling from the hilarity of their opening.

6.01pm - Melissa Leo adds comedy with her acceptance speech after winning Best Supporting Actress for "The Fighter." Kirk Douglas was sweetly hilarious as he presented, flirting with Anne Hathaway. 

6.02pm - Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake presenting the Oscar for Best Animated Short and Feature  - it's the "young and hip Oscars!" And JT reckons he's Banksy. And JT pretends to find an app to make the backdrop into an animated one - this is techno-centric. And the Oscar for Best Animated Short goes to..."The Lost Thing."

Next up - The Oscar for Best Animated Feature goes to "Toy Story 3." Again, no surprise, seeing as it was nominated for Best Picture as well - wonder if this will help it's chances of winning that pesky Best Picture category?

WINNER's PRESS ROOM INTERVIEW: Karen O'Hara and Robert Stromberg

"The challenge for this was that we had a great deal of digital sets but also physical sets..."

"I should probably retire...honestly, I feel that I've always doen creative things but design is design, no matter what you do...the next generation of kids coming up will know what they're doing."

"I thought "Inception" had the upper hand this year...very proud to win."

Karen - "Most memorable moment was when Johnny Depp jumped on the table and started walking towards us."

6.13pm - Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem bring some old school swagger to the stage to announce nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay. And "The Social Network" gets its first big win of the night!

Melissa Leo

"It's like an auction in here."

"I had no idea, those words, I apologise to anyone they end, there's a great deal of the english language that is in my vernacular, I really don't mean to offend.."

"Well, the dress I'm wearing tonight, I'd like to think Alice [Ward] would have liked it...I couldn't have played her without having met her."

"The Fighter is most definitely their story. A lot of what makes The Figher such a great experience is that we were in the town."

"there was nothing to vindictate...I just wanted a pretty picture in a magazine."

WINNER"S PRESS ROOM INTERVIEW - Wally Pfister, "Inception"

"There's a reason why I've been nominated for films with Chris Nolan, and he's a brilliant director."

"Most of my dreams are too filthy to talk about."

And OMG - James Franco is in drag as Marilyn Monroe right now, and the whole room just got distracted.

"How do I feel? I'm blown away, it's unfuckingbelivable...What do I do now, what's next?!"

"I'm personally not a big 3D fan, I don't like the glasses...it feels a little gimmicky to me, that's my own personal preference."

"What the Union has given to me is security, they've given me and my family healthcare in a country where we may not be otherwise able to get it."

WINNERS

"The Lost Thing," Shaun Tan:

"Started off as an illustrator as no formal training other than high school. Sophie approached me for animation, I'm not a filmmaker, I've never been anything but I still maanged to do a lot of stuff as an artist. Started studying handbooks, part of it was a degree of mentorship."

"Film is a different animal."

When asked why so many Australians are winning the Academy Awards: "It's something to do with the fact that we don't have an existing tradition, and we experiment and we go a little crazy."

Andrew Ruhemann:" Neither of us want to direct just for the sake of directing. If we see a story that grabs us, we'll direct but otherwise we'll keep our day jobs."

Shaun: "Massive thanks to fans back home in Australia. So many people to thank but you can't do it in the form of receiving the award." Thanks Australia.

Shaun: "The most immediate change is that I'm standing here answering your questions. When I go back home, it's still going to be pretty much the same. In terms of advice for young artists, work hard, that's basically it, work really hard. Draw all the time. Think about the things in yourself that are different to everybody else. Whatever it is that makes you unique, that's what people are interested about."

David Seidler, "The King's Speech:"

"A fairly high ranking person called me the other day and wanted to talk ex-stutterer to ex-stutterer. People still have the archaic notion that we are feeble minded, simply b/c it's difficult to articulate our thoughts. I am still a stutterer. To have these people tell me their stories, really moves me to tears."

"I have a voice."  

"I don't think the Royal Family needs me to put them on the map, I'm a pragmatist. Most nations need a symbolic head of state that is above politics."

Aaron Sorkin for Best Adapted Screenplay, "The Social Network"

"Like a lot of people, I grew up worshipping "The Graduate." The fear is that this material isn't for beginners. Found exceptional actors (like in The Graduate)."

"Lately, since the movie came out, I feel like I've been hyper aware that whatever I write next will be the thing after The Social Network. I'll spend tonight enjoying this and tomorrow I'll think of something new to do."

"You have to talk to someone a lot smarter than I am about the middle east. I think Mark Zuckerberg has been a good sport about this. No one wants a movie made about them when they're 19 years old. The fact that he took his whole staff to see the movie, and the $100 million donation, my hats off to Mark."

"I'm somebody who has written a lot, and I've been cranky about the internet. Somewhere along the way I've turned into my grandfather. When you see examples of Cairo and Genna 6, you really want to thank the Mark Zuckerbergs out there for doing it."

6:58 p.m. Toy Story 3, Lee Unkrich

"I'm going to take a nice vacation, this whole Oscar season has been very stressful." "Can't wait to get back into the trenches with all my great people at Pixar when we get back from vacation"

"My grandma was always very supportive of me. She said, I''m going to live to see you get your Oscar, but unfortunately that didn't happen. The first Toy Story I edited, she got cancer, and I took a mental snapshot of her when I visited her in the hospital. I told my staff that and the scene in Toy Story 3 when Andy looks back at his toys, I'd like to think in my heart, the moment is infused with a deeper level of emotion b/c I told that story."

"Fear based filmmaking. We were so afraid of messing it up that it drove us to make the best film possible."

"Two years running now The walls between live action and animation are becoming a bit more permeable. We have a way to go, but hopefully eventually people vote with their heart. If it happens to be animanted, someday an animated film could win for best picture."

"We thought the whole gag of Buzz turning Spanish just made us laugh. It was a big part of the movie that people really enjoyed."

7:01 p.m. "In a Better World" 

Susanne Bier: "I had my speech ready and I didn't say a single thing off it."

Christian Bale, Best Supporting Actor "The Fighter"

I've got a question for you guys actually, I hope to God I said thanks to Mark and Melissa, and Amy and Jack, did I? 

Audience: You did.

"What we do becomes much bigger than ourselves." 

"The nominees who were nominated for best supporting actors were phenomenal."

"This is a very bizarre thing but at the same time I just can't help being so touched dearly by it. I will treasure this moment"

"What are all these cards?" "Do you win something?"

"Every single role that you do is a cherished friend. I was thanking David O. Russell for communicating our work that meant something to the audience."

No more Batman? "I'm filming a movie in China, it's straight on to Batman, so absolutely, more Batman."

Love acting, but hate dealing with press. "The beautiful thing is that I've been in China for the past month."

"Missed Melissa's speech b/c I was out drinking with Dickey and they would't let us back in."

"I've missed the F bomb but I've laid down many of them before so I know how that goes down."

Asked about meltdowns and Charlie Sheen, how do you feel about that? "Been in China, no clue."

"How many fat crackheads do you see? Like I always said, I saw something, didn't take acting classes, always feel like I have to make up for that. Sorta feel like I'm just winging it. Saw Jimi Hendrix, his fingers were bleeding, blood dripping off the strings. That inspired me. That was it. That's what it takes. If it's necessary I'll do it. I'm getting a little bit older now. I don't have that same mentality I did a few years ago where I thought I was invincible. I have a child now. There's only so much a body can take."

"Maybe that will be the last of it, but I've said that a few times before."

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross "The Social Network"

"It came down to the pedigree of Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher. This was a very smart and intelligent film, which was what drew us to film."

"I've befriended Hans Zimmer, he said in a lot of ways I hope your score does win. I personally would like to do a traditional score with an orchestra. There would be a richer, wider palette in sound."

Special Effects Team of "Inception"

Feeling of holding an oscar compared to bending Parish in half - "I hope I never wake up from this dream!"

Film Editing Team of "The Social Network"

Biggest challenge? "Because it's such a talky movie, just making the performances feel very real."

"There's this ruor that opening scene of movie had 99 takes, but we never saw 99 takes. David's always looking for something specific, but he always devliers the most amzing footage for us to work with. He might do two takes if everything is working. He's not a monster.

Neon Tommy's own Piya Sinha-Roy: How does it feel to be a part of this film at this time, especially with what's going on in Egypt?

"I was always trying to help tell a story that David gave us. It wasn't our goal to research outside of that."

8:04 p.m.: Tom Hooper wins for best director ("The King's Speech")

Hooper says of his mom, "Tom, I think I found your next film." "Moral of the story, always listen to your mother."

Governors Awards Recap: Eli Wallach, Francis Ford Coppola, Kevin Brownlow and Jean-Luc Godard.

8:11 p.m.: James Franco welcomes Jeff Bridges to present best female lead. Oscar goes to Natalie Portman (surprise, surprise) in "Black Swan."

"Darren Aronofsky, you are a fearless leader, a visionary, I am so blessed to just get to work with you every day." Thanks fiance who has given her the most important role of her life (gestures to her stomach). "Most importantly, my family, my friends and my love. Thank you so much."

Anne Hathaway welcomes Sandra Bullock, "special moment for me, flub, drink at home, sorry."

8:20 p.m.: Sandra Bullock presents best actor in leading role

"Jeff, dude, dude, you won this last year, wouldn't it be nice if you gave someone else a chance, staggered it a little bit?" 

"Jesse, still waiting for you to accept my friend request on Facbook."

Colin Firth wins best actor.

Colin: "I'm afraid my career's just peaked."

8:32 p.m.: Steven Spielberg announces the 10 best picture contenders of the year.

Best Picture is "The King's Speech."

The show ends with the kids from P.S. 22 from Staten Island singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," with all the Oscar winners joining them on stage holding their gold statues. Great ending to a great show, but stay tuned for more as winners are interviewed in the press room afterwards.

Toy Story 3, "We Belong Together," Best Original Song

8:52 p.m.: When asked about breaking into the music industry: "Who would want to break into it? It's like a bank that's already been robbed?" "Keep doing it, if you love it." "I'm the only person I know that kept doing it and didn't really like it, but just kept at it b/c I was somewhat good at it." Sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" into the mike as he leaves.

9:16 p.m.: Natalie Portman in the interview room: Natalie, “I still feel like I’m in a dream right now.” “When we were working it was so hectic, sleeping five hours a night, I didn’t really have time to think about what was happening. I think that sort of pace helped me stay so focused for the part. I didn’t have too many crazy dreams. This was a little harder to shake, it stayed with me longer than usual."

Someone asks Natalie Portman why she's not wearing Dior since she's the face of it and how she feels about John Galliano (moderator skips question) 

"It's only possibly to give yourself so freely when you 100 percent trust the director. You are completely subject to their artistry."

Portman corrects a journalist in the room, she doesn't know the sex of her baby even though there is speculation that it's a boy.

"The next dream I have in terms of short term is staying in bed, not having to do hair and makeup, keep my sweats on and relax."

9:20 p.m.: Colin Firth for "The King's Speech" in the interview room: "I've started having fantasies about what I'll do when I don't have to talk to you lot (only kidding). I'll probably be cooking, find that it's a good way to decompress." 

"I don't believe in messages in what I do. I don't think we're preachers, or philosophers. I don't think that good storytelling should subscribe into telling people how to think or feel. What has struck me is that people have responded to "The King's Speech." I think frivolity is also very important, but the fact that it was overlapped with something that resonates with people who feel they've been heard for the first time is probably the most valuable thing to me."

"I think I need some quality time alone."

"In some ways the way of working was conducive to the kind of tension and anxiety that I needed to draw from for it. There was a single shot of me, quite a baptism of fire. Tom decided to take a 10 minute scene kicking off on my face. There is nothing for it but to commit. You get three go's or four. Film is expensive. This was like a feeling of being pushed out into the Royal Opera House to sing w/o much rehearsal and you have to dig deep to get what you want."

9:30 p.m. Tom Hooper for "The King's Speech"

"We became incredibly good friends in that rehearsal period. There's something about in the way that I was shooting them, the fact that I liked them so much as people is in the DNA of the movie."

"I don't think I'm going to bed for a while. I have Oprah and Today tomorrow and don't want to be the first person on Oprah drunk, so I don't know."

"Mom is under the pressure to magic up the next project I'm going to do next."

"It's made me more open minded...The system doesn't always divvy up to you the best stuff that's out there."

"It does seem to touch people in the most extraordinary way, seems to have democratic reach. The greatest reward was that it was something from my heart and it was able to connect to so many people."

"The risk with this film was that it could have been quite slight. The key thing is to get inside the mind of a stammerer."

"I'm standing here on the shoulders of an extraordinary team."

"I think the film is about the power of friendship and with the armed forces, they understand sometimes the way to conquer fear is not to turn into yourself but turn to your friends. The military has an understanding that it is through the group that you find your power."

9:43 p.m. "The King's Speech" for Best Picture Winner

"Without government subsidies, 'The King's Speech' couldn't have been made."

"I think we always had faith in the story, we never lost any faith in the film we had."

"We owe Harvey Weinstein a huge amount."

"It's the most amazing honor you could ever imagine winning the Academy Award."

9:47 p.m.

That's it for press room coverage. Piya and Roselle are signing off, thanks so much for spending your night with us!

Reach Senior Entertainment Editor Piya Sinha-Roy here, and follow her on Twitter @PiyaSRoy

Reach Senior Entertainment Editor Roselle Chen here, and follow her on Twitter @RoselleUSC.



 

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