The 2021 Oscars are on Sunday, and it has been revealed that special COVID-19 safety procedures will be implemented during the ceremony! As Variety learned on Monday in a Zoom press conference, the Academy has taken several preventative measures ahead of time to ensure the well-being of attendees on Hollywood's big night.
2021 Oscars to have on-site COVID team, audience rotation
The 2021 Oscars will take place at Union Station in Los Angeles, California on April 25, following last year's decision to postpone the awards show due to the pandemic. The New York Times reported that a third of the ceremony's production budget has gone towards COVID-19 precautions at the venue, including "specially designed testing cadences to ensure up-to-the-minute results."
Since large gatherings are discouraged under current social distancing guidelines, the 2021 Oscars have taken a creative approach to managing its audience size. As Variety has shared, there will be no more than 170 people in the room watching the event at one time. Audience members will also be rotated in and out throughout the night.
2021 Oscars nominees won't be wearing masks on-screen
The 2021 Oscars have also taken a unique approach when it comes to protocol surrounding face masks. Variety shares that since the event is being treated like a film, nominees won't be required to wear face coverings while on camera. However, masks will be worn at all other times— and are said to be a key part of the awards show.
As People mentions, during a virtual press conference on Saturday, the producers of this year's Oscars mentioned that masks will "play a very important role." While director Steven Soderbergh acknowledged that this statement was "cryptic," he shared that "that topic is very central to the narrative" of the ceremony.
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