18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
When a production fact-sheet mentions the word "Deco" in the set description, it gets my attention. When a press release mentions nearly 500 Magnums of Taittinger Brut La Française Champagne I'm all over it.
The 2012 SAG Awards show is going to be bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than ever.
The event will take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. And, for each and every event the Shrine needs some serious attention. Here's the backgrounder:
To create a dramatic arrivals area, impressive set and intimate dinner setting for the world’s leading actors who are gathering on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 the SAG Awards staff must transform the Shrine Auditorium entrance and the adjoining Exposition Center. The Shrine complex is Los Angeles landmark built in 1920 in Spanish Colonial Revival style with Moorish detailing. It’s grandiose and beautiful on the outside, but the inner space of the Shrine’s Exposition Center, with its 34,000 square foot wooden floor, paint-trimmed overhangs and bare columns, has to be redefined for each event.
So then, what will the SAG Awards be bringing to the table for 2012?
FOR THE STAR STUDDED ARRIVALS AND TO TRANSFORM THE SHOWROOM
The SAG Awards will:
- Lay 15,872 square feet of red carpet in the arrivals area, edged by 585 lineal feet of hedges
- Accommodate 300 fans in three-row six-foot high bleachers placed along an 180’ section of the red carpet arrivals area
- In the event of rain, protect the red carpet from the elements by 23,530 square feet of tenting
- Post five 10’ Actor® statues along the red carpet and onstage.
- Lay 11,800 square feet of black carpet in the interior Shrine entrance and the showroom.
- Drape the interior Shrine entrance with 4,575 square feet of charcoal/silver shimmer fabric
- Post three 10’ Actor® statues along the red carpet.
- Cover the showroom walls with 15,000 square feet of black drape to create a neutral background and block sunlight.
- On the stage, install 700 feet of steel tubing to support 120 running feet of 22’ high set walls punctuated by eight gold and platinum fluted columns and a central radiating backlit golden sunburst. Two stepped deco arches will be accented by 30 feet of translucent etched fins. Crowning the stage will be 400 feet of gold-leafed and copper-leafed deco molding, illuminated by 400 feet of warm white neon tubing.
- Float a 20’ wide “silver screen” framed by a platinum and gold screen-surround illuminated by 80 feet of embedded LED lights at center stage in front of 200 running feet of 30’ high fiber-optic star cloth.
- Line the stage floor with 150 '4’x8’ sheets of black Formica.
- Above the stage hang a 5-foot square crystal beaded art deco chandelier that will be echoed by the four chandeliers hung from the Expo Hall’s ornate ceiling.
TO SET THE DINNER TABLES, the SAG Awards will:
- Place over 3,600 Opus champagne, wine and water glasses, 2,400 pieces Scalini silver flatware and 1,200 square glass dinner plates, on 86 rectangular dinner tables and over 2,400 glasses at two 16’ beverage bars and two wine tasting bar.
- Create custom table coverings from 1306 linear yards of gunmetal crinkled organza, complemented by 1,200 silver satin matte lined napkins
- Soften 1,200 Silver “Simply X” Chameleon chairs with 1,200 black suede seat cushions
- Create a stunning visual setting through the use of florals. This year's inspiration is a return to the roots. It is an organic approach using the various elements of foliage creating a textured landscape in shades of greens. The compositions incorporate thousands of stems of various foliage, green dianthus, various grasses, calathea, equisetum highlighted with hundreds of succulents, complimented with over 3,000 blossoms of miniature green cymbidium orchids and 4,000 white miniature cala lilies. Each of the arrangements is made in a glass container lined with frosted glass adding a slightly contemporary look to the textured landscaped style. It is the look of a newer Hollywood.
THE DINNER MENU
Guests will dine on antipasto plates conceived by James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin, deliciously prepared and artfully arranged by Lucques Catering, consisting of:
MAIN PLATE:
- Slow-roasted salmon with yellow beets, spicy carrot salad and raita
- Roasted root vegetables with quinoa and persimmon salsa
- Grilled chicken breast with black rice, pea shoots and tangerine vinaigre
VEGETARIAN PLATE:
- Spicy carrot salad with yellow beets, cucumber and black mustard seeds
- Roasted root vegetables with quinoa and persimmon salsa
- Black rice salad with english peas, pea shoots and tangerine vinaigrette
To prepare this menu, Lucques' order for the SAG Awards from their select group of purveyors. Their order includes:
- Baby Carrots, 625 bunches, McGrath Farms
- Beets, 468 bunches, McGrath Farms
- Black Rice, 14 gallons, Provvista
- Black pepper, 12 cups, Michael Phung
- Bread, 95 loaves, Tavern
- Butter, 8 cups, Provvista
- Chicken, 156 chickens, Premier
- Cous Cous, 10 gallons, Provvista
- Cumin, 2 cups, Provvista
- Fleur de sel, 5 cups, Forever Cheese
- Garlic, 7 heads,Schaner Farms
- Jalapenos, 75, Pacific Exotic Mushrooms
- Lemon, 175, Schaner Farms
- Mustard Seed, 8 cups, Provvista
- Olive oil, 12 gallons, Provvista
- Parmesan, 150 lbs, Forever Cheese
- Parsley, 175 bunches, Rutiz Farms
- Persimmons, 630, J.J.’s Lone Daughter Ranch
- Rutabagas, 600 bunches, Flora Bella Farm
- Salmon, 120, Ocean Jewels
- Salt, kosher, 4 cups, Sysco
- Shallots, 400, Schaner Farms
- Sherry vinegar, 1.2 gallons, Provvista
- Tangerines, 435, Schaner Farms
- Tarragon, 3 cups, Pacific Exotic Mushrooms
- Thyme, 5 cups, Rutiz Farms
- Turnips, 690 bunches, Flora Bella Farms
- Yogurt, 2 gallons, Pacific Exotic Mushrooms
- Yogurt, greek, 2 gallons, Pacific Exotic Mushrooms
But wait, that's just the food. Are you thirsty?
THE BEVERAGES
Champagne Taittinger and Dry Creek Vineyard are providing champagne and wine for the SAG Awards for the 12th consecutive year. Both are multi-generational family-owned companies. Taittinger and Dry Creek are generous supporters of the SAG Foundation, as is the SAG Awards newest beverage sponsor, FIJI® Water.
Champagne Taittinger is serving:
- 1 magnum of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française for the Champagne Taittinger toast that opens the SAG Awards Red Carpet. Each magnum contains 500 million bubbles!
- 234 magnums of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française in the showroom
- 144 magnums of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française at the post-Awards gala
Dry Creek Vineyard is serving:
- For the tables: 126 magnums of Dry Creek Vineyard’s 2006 Endeavour, a Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine and 252 bottles of the 2010 Sonoma County Fumé Blanc, rated 90 points by Winereviewonline.com.
- Dry Creek Vineyard’s wine-tasting bars will offer a selection that includes the newly released 2009 Russian River Valley Foggy Oaks Chardonnay and the 2007 The Mariner from the Dry Creek Valley, rated 93 points from Winereviewonline.com. A total of 132 bottles will be available for tasting.
FIJI Water is serving:
- 2760 liters of FIJI’s natural artesian water served in the showroom and at the post-Awards Gala
- Another 15,120 third-liters served to staff, crew and the more than 800 media and 300 fans in the bleachers as well as placed in the Gala gift bags.
The above is just the tip-of-the-iceburg of what it takes to put together the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for 2012.
More details to come. Stay tuned.
