David Korins' Oscars set design.Photo: Courtesy David Korins Design
ForDavid Korins, this year’sAcademy Awardsis all about “community first.”
“We’ve all been through this undeniably complicated and challenging time, regardless of socioeconomic situation. And so, to me, it’s like, how can we lead with community first? How can we lead with acknowledging where we came from and where we are right now?” says Korins, 45.
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“But in the way that film does — it kind of looks to the future,” he adds of the “electric” design, of which PEOPLE is offering an exclusive first look.
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The mastermind being designs onBroadwayproductions such asBeetlejuice,Dear Evan Hansen,Mrs. Doubtfireand more tells PEOPLE he wantedthe Oscarsset “to be able to move seamlessly from one act to the next” — which could come especially in handy given that the show has three hosts this year, inRegina Hall,Amy SchumerandWanda Skyes.
“I wanted every single piece of scenery in the environment to have electricity kind of glowing from within. So much like, I’m hoping, the cultural embers are beginning to glow from within,” he says. “I wanted it to be future-forward; I wanted it to be something that felt mesmerizing.”
Korins “looked a lot at optical illusions” for inspiration, and “really tried toendeavor to make somethingthat felt incredibly deep.”
“We’re looking into this portal, but [with] layers and layers [that] continue to unfold, much like what we’re kind of dealing with now,” he explains.
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Korins challenged himself to “deliver three discrete-looking environments” and create “bite-sized chunks” with the project, “so that when you tune in, you really feel like the entire world has changed and evolved” as a result of a recent cultural shift.
“There’sthree hosts, there’s threedifferent environments, and the entire thing is wrapped in, hopefully, a message of community and hope. It is forward-thinking,” he says.
“It’s one of those things you don’t know how much you miss something until it’s gone. And this town always transforms itself, every year,around the Academy Awards,” he says. “And this is like a revelatory return to its home and you can really feel it, it’s electric.”
Korins adds, “It’s interesting because we’ve, of course, chosen to embed electricity into every single piece of scenery. So it’s not just like a sparkly glossy environment, but really one that is illuminating.”
Korins is a creative director and designer who, aside from his work on Broadway, has developed live musical experiences for artists likeMariah CareyandLady Gaga. He has been nominated for threeTony Awards, and won an Emmy for his work on 2016’sGrease Live.
And he is a big fan ofthe Oscars, telling PEOPLE he has watched the annual film-celebrating ceremony “for as long as [he] can remember.”
“This year is particularly sweet for me because I have many dear friends and collaboratorswho are nominated— many of whom I came up with in the trenches doing theater, working in New York, and who have risen to extraordinary heights,” Korins says.
“And I think, as you get older and you work on more things, you really try and be present in these moments, in the making of the moments — not necessarily the finished product, but the journey,” he adds.
source: people.com
