2021 | SOLO EN CINES

This year’s Academy Awards were a completely different experience.

Even though some critics are focusing on ratings, controversial speeches or personal preferences, I could say that this by far it has been my best Oscar experience.

As a result of the pandemic, the Academy not only had to wait almost two months to hold the Oscars in 2021, many of the sanitary restrictions took place this year not only changing the classic venue but also affecting all the Media presence.

But the Academy took this new reality as an opportunity creating a Virtual Media Center for selected press outlets across the globe. So how was it? Amazing,

I’ve been working on the entertainment industry for almost 15 years now and had the opportunity to participate in major events, red carpets and junkets, but the Oscars was always the final milestone. You can say “you’ve arrived” if you are a part of the Oscars.

I have been an Academy credited press member for several years too, but the spots to be on sight in the Winner’s Press Room are limited to local US media or internacional major outlets.

So you can imagine my excitement when I was selected among who knows how many outlets in the world to be a part of the main event.
We were only 400 outlets across the glove, like a needle on a haystack.
It is also more difficult among these many people to be selected to ask a question to the Winners that appeared in the press room and that I was.

Double honor and as a friend says there is causality in everything because I got to ask on the Animated Short Film category, being myself an EP on the Animation industry itself. Talk about meant to be!
The event was really well organized, we arrived at the Virtual Center with our pre-approved credentials and login at 2 p.m. PST and attended the red carpet arrivals as well as we tested sound and video with the Academy tech crew.

You can imagine that once the show starts like the Superbowl, Winners did not arrive in the Press Room in order so one has to have the show rundown in one hand and another spreadsheet in the other taking notes of the correct arrival order.

You also had to raise your hand and be attentive if you got selected because they called your outlet’s name and bam! you were on camera in front of the winners (that’s why I look startled).

While we were in the press room we also had on the virtual media center the main event’s live feed, it was all really well put.

So far I can tell that this experience was amazing, the Academy outdid itself in making this Oscars unique in a good sense of the work. Hope that even though things get back to normal, that they keep these slots for international outlets to participate remotely and be a part of Hollywood’s greatest night.

Patricia Vergara asking a question to the Winners of Animated Short Film

We will have the full clip with the two cams when we catch the chance to sit down for a bit, it’s a three hour long footage… On the meantime you can watch it above the official clip obtained in Oscars.org with the single camera on the winners but you can hear us asking the last question.

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