Naman Shrestha
There is great power in the art of storytelling, and arguably nothing showcases it better than movies, for they instantly transport you into the reel world of the characters you see on screen. For the runtime of the film, you escape all the concerns in your reality and find yourself serving as a spectator to the events that transpire on the screen in front of you, right from the comfort of your chair. Thus, the famous saying “Good films make your life better” holds true as life would be quite dull if it weren’t for the enchanting and magical realm of cinema.
To honor some of the finest films the movie industries around the world churn out every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been giving the Academy Award to the best ones in about two dozen categories, ranging from best screenplay, cinematography, editing, VFX, documentary to best actor and picture. Also known as the Oscars, the annual event has been taking place since 1929 and is is attended by the who’s who from the film world. Therefore, it is natural for many to be curious about the location where the award show is filmed.
The Academy Awards Filming Location
The Academy Awards, which is marked as a day to celebrate the beauty of cinema by cinephiles all over the world, is a ceremony that is presented in an enclosed space occupied by guests who are either a part of the film industry or are relatives of the former. Fittingly, it happens in the home of Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles
Over the years, several locations have had the honor of hosting the iconic award ceremony. Beginning with the Blossom Ballroom of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel where the first-ever Academy Awards in 1929 was held with about 250 people in attendance, it was then moved to the Ambassador and Biltmore hotels. Other venues that followed are Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Shrine Civic Auditorium, Marquis/Melrose Avenue Theater, RKO Pantages Theatre, NBC International Theatre, NBC Century Theatre, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. However, since 2002, it has been held at the same auditorium in the City of Angels — Dolby Theatre, formerly known as the Kodak Theatre.
Dolby Theatre is an iconic indoor theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in the Californian neighborhood of Hollywood (also known as the home base of the American film industry) in Los Angeles and has served as the filming location of the Academy Awards since 2002. Located exactly in the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, the premier entertainment venue was built on November 9, 2001.
It spans 180,000 square feet in area and is embellished with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technologies for first-rate picture and sound quality, respectively. The 3,400-seater ultra-modern auditorium gives a full yesteryear theatre experience to the guests who grace the seats, as it has a five-level theatre lobby, an “Orchestra/Main Floor seating” at the primary level coupled with three balconies, and a grand stage that is one of the largest in the country. It is from this state-of-the-art theater complex that the most prestigious filmmaking award ceremony is broadcast to almost all the corners of the world.
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