The decor at the pregame events evoked a football theme, with screens that gave guests the impression of being inside a stadium.
The premiere party for the upcoming HBO miniseries Big Little Lies took place February 7 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Designed by Billy Butchkavitz, the party featured centerpieces inspired by the Monterey Peninsula, which is the setting of the series.
Red centerpieces popped inside of the white-draped ballroom. The ballroom’s foyer continued the color palette, with red fabric drapes and red flowers with splashes of white decorating tables. According to organizers, 1,800 yards of white satin, white sequins, red velvet and silk, white and gold metallic print, and white-dotted sateen linens decorated the space.
Around of the edge of the ballroom, touches of gold broke up the red-and-white theme. “As they enter the ball, guests will transition from a dazzling sea of red to a tricolor motif of eye-popping gold and red on an infinite blanket of white,” Kurland said in a statement before the event. “The unique design of the space has been meticulously created to celebrate Oscar gold.”
Awards sponsor Cadillac hosted its annual Oscar celebration on February 23 at Chateau Marmont, drawing a crowd of celebrities including Naomi Watts, Zoe Saldana, Chrissy Metz, and more. Event Eleven handled production and design, keeping it understated to allow the iconic venue to take center stage. Lighting firm Felix Lighting and audiovisual rental company On Stage also lent their services to the elegant party, and DJ Michelle Pesce spun for the crowd.
V.I.P attendees were escorted to the venue in Cadillac’s CT6 prestige sedans, which also were used to chauffeur guests to the Oscars ceremony and other weekend events. The luxury car brand, an Oscars sponsor for the fourth consecutive year, debuted four new ad spots during the telecast.
San Francisco's Asian Art Museum Gala took place March 2. The event, which celebrated the connection between art and technology, featured a 96-foot-long LED tube chandelier designed by Got Light. The multicolor installation was created with more than 200 tubes.
“My goal was to create a Game of Thrones museum,’ explained Butchavitz. Images by Lighting helped create a moody, winter-like environment, and spotlighted the event’s Game of Thrones-style paintings, sculptures, photography, textiles, and more. Paper costumes inspired by the show's costumer designer, Michele Clapton, were highlighted in display cases throughout the event.
Town & Country Event Rentals carpeted the entire 40,000-square-foot rooftop, and also supplied dining tables, chairs, and other rentals.
The DJ booth—where DJ Daisy O’Dell entertained the crowd—was a white replica of the show’s Iron Throne, and the dance floor depicted a map of the fictional setting of Westeros. Statues of the Night King, a villain from the show, stood on both sides of the booth. Other entertainment, such as dancers and stilt-walkers, were provided by Fire Groove Entertainment, and food was provided by the Food Matters. 200 Proof handled staffing.
The event’s decor took inspiration from the unconventional period drama, juxtaposing Elizabethan England with punk-rock street art. Shelves were stacked with books and skulls, and tapestries and British rustic furnishings sat alongside on-theme rock posters. The event’s soundtrack featured music from the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Jam.
To promote the new series Snowfall, which tells the story of the crack epidemic in Los Angeles in the 1980s, FX hosted a public pop-up experience in downtown L.A. in June. Inside the ’80s-theme space, graffiti covered the walls, DJs played old-school hip-hop music, and coffee tables took the shape of classic cassette tapes.
