Oscar producers sharing challenges

By SANDY COHEN
AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Putting on the Academy Awards is a major undertaking, as first-time Oscar producing pair Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman are learning. They’ve agreed to talk with The Associated Press to offer occasional updates on the day-to-day challenges of putting on the big show.
With three weeks to showtime, Shankman and Mechanic are working around the clock to execute their vision for the 82nd annual Academy Awards.
“The words ‘all hell breaks loose’ come to mind,” Shankman says.
The challenges? Locking down the presenters. Finalizing the film clips. Perfecting the production numbers. Securing the state-of-the-art set.
“I think we’re being challenging because we’re telling everybody to constantly go back to the drawing board,” Shankman says.
“Some people are not happy,” Mechanic adds.
“It seems to me that in the past there has been some level of complacency that we are not demonstrating,” Shankman says.
The producers keep fine-tuning the show’s graphics, film clips and script before the entire Oscar team moves into the Kodak Theatre next week.
“It’s just streamlining it and making it good, making it the best we can make it,” Shankman says. “That’s all we can do.”
The Academy Awards will be presented on March 7.
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On the Net:
www.oscars.org
Published in The Messenger 2.18.10

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