Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley create ‘movie themed love letter’

On March 12, the 2023 Oscars took place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The sci-fi film “Everything, Everywhere and At Once” broke records: it won in seven out of eleven nominations, including in the main category “Best Film”. And this year, the red carpet was replaced with cream (which greatly set up the stars who came in dresses of light shades).

The stage design for the Oscars was developed by British designer Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley from Los Angeles. This is the first time in 95 years that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has commissioned two women to create set design. Stage design reflects the traditions of American cinema, from the Golden Age of Hollywood to classic American cinemas.

Misty Buckley says of the project:

“We were inspired by classic movie theaters, theaters, and high society salons in the United States. We created a bright space for joint events… we wanted to write a love letter to cinema. The scene is reminiscent of the moment you first saw the movie, whether it’s walking under the canopy of lights in the foyer, the first smell of sweet popcorn, warm golden decorative lighting, elegant curtains or a huge screen. According to her, the screen on the stage was very carefully built into the architecture, and as a result it is difficult to distinguish what is digital and what is filmed live, thanks to this the show turned out to be truly immersive.