Tonight’s Academy Awards ceremony will be the 81st in the award’s venerable history. The film industry’s biggest stars have gathered in Hollywood, the Oscar statuettes are safely tucked away in the Kodak Theatre, and we’ve compiled a list of sites for you to get your Oscar fix online.
From where to watch the event (and how, if you’re not in the United States), to how to blog for prizes – including Oscar schwag – you’ll find it here. If you know of any sites we’ve missed, please share them in the comments.
Blog the Oscars and Win Exclusive Oscar Schwag (and a TV)
Celebuzz is offering you the chance to win a flat screen TV, exclusive schwag, and have your coverage of the Oscars featured on their homepage. You have until 11.59pm February 23rd to blog your best. Sign up at Celebuzz and use their site to publish your posts; the best bloggers will win. Check out their contest page here.
MPAA vs. Internet: Who’s Winning?
Andy Baio, the creator of Upcoming.org has been tracking the distribution of Oscar nominated films in an effort to determine who’s winning the MPAA vs. the Internet fight. Turns out, it’s the Internet; surprise, surprise. His ‘Pirating the Oscars 2003 – 2009‘ spreadsheet gives us an insight into piracy data from 211 films.
Technology to Zoom into Celeb Photos
Celebuzz will be introducing a zoom feature for celebrity photos. You’ll be able to zoom in and get close ups of clothes, faces and even as Variety points out, potential wardrobe malfunctions using the app that Buzznet compares to Google Earth.
Twitter the Oscars
Don’t forget, if you’re Twittering tonight, include #oscars in your tweets and they’ll turn up in real time here.
Buy Oscar Merchandise Online
Not offering a lot, but if you want to buy books or posters online, get them at the official Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences site.
Ask the Stars A Question
Betty Confidential will have live, behind-the-scenes footage of the Oscars, but, as Carrie Seim reports live from the center of the action you can send any questions you have for the stars, and she’ll try to get them answered. E-mail [email protected]
Who’s Live Blogging The Oscars?
The Cracked columnists will be liveblogging the Oscars and in typical fashion providing “sharp, insightful commentary (“I want to have sex with Anne Hathaway”)”, that you likely won’t find elsewhere. They’ve promised to get drunk and are asking you to join them with a toast and your most offensive predictions; 5pm PST here.
If Cracked is too much for you, but you want to watch live blogging in action, join Cinematical writers Eric D. Snider, Scott Weinberg and William Goss at 5pm PST here.
Of course we would be remiss if we didn’t include AC360’s Jack Gray live blogging event. You can join in here 5pm PST.
Where to Watch the Oscars Online
AP will offer live red carpet coverage and video highlights
The official Oscars site will have live coverage including backstage footage, and offers a ‘Live Challenge’ asking you to pick the winners (after free registratioin). You can even get alerts via your mobile.
E! Online: Live From the Red Carpet
Live From The Red Carpet will be using Sportvision technology (the same technology they used for the Golden Globes), with additional features. Using the Star Tracker, hosts will be able to follow celebs in real time to highlight key moments. Beginning 3pm PST.
Hosted and produced by Fame-Is.tv, the Ustream Oscar marathon starts at 5pm ET and will continue until 1am the next morning. The show will include supplementary coverage, including live commentary and footage from multiple locations. You can interact by chatting with the hosts and with each other during the live stream.
Geo-Blocked? Not a Problem
If you live outside of the United States and find it problematic to view online video, you may have been geo-blocked. But, there’s a simple workaround. Just go to Anchor Free, download Hotspot Shield and use its VPN to watch whatever you want.
If you are experiencing the same problem with an iPhone, Hotspot Shield has an app for you too. Here’s how to set it up.
