In five days Hollywood will put on its biggest show of the year. Preparation for the 2012 Academy Awards is underway and visitors get to watch it unfold.
The countdown to the 2012 Academy Awards begins with a schedule that closes roads, increases local employment and puts a red carpet outside the Kodak Theater.
Tourists who won't be able to get near the area of Hollywood and Highland Boulevards can still snap photos of the prep work that sets up the outside staging area for the arrival of celebrities.
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Los Angeles' local ABC News affiliate reported that motorists were already being rerouted around the area on Monday, a full seven days prior to the night of the Academy Awards presentation.
"I think it's a little bit of a headache just having to detour," said one visitor from Northern California.
Others manage to ignore that and make their visit a memorable one, by feeling the excitement at the site even if it is to do nothing more than observe how the area is protected.
"Even a week ahead of time, there is so much security here. So that's interesting to see," a tourist from Austin, Texas told the TV reporter.
"This is excellent, I've never seen this before.This is very exciting for me," a native of Detroit exclaimed as bleachers were erected for those lucky enough to score one of the most coveted tickets of the year.
Those would be to sit on those hard and cold bleachers that put fans near the stars as they walk onto the red carpet prior to running the gauntlet of media cameras.
There are 700 spots in those bleachers and applications were taken way back in September, 2011. The lucky ones are also accommodated at a nearby location to watch the show that they'd have to wait to see on their DVR's once they got home.
For those visitors who want to do more than watch construction workers put the site into Oscar mode, there are screenings around town. Many movie fans would love to see the short films and documentaries that are nominated for awards and this week they can.
The Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills is the place to be starting today February 21. In addition to screening the nominees, there are panel discussions including one focused on the directors of movies nominated in the Best Foreign Film category.
For more information on Oscar week events, click over to the Oscar site for details
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