98th Academy Awards
In collaboration with production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, Hello Charlie developed bespoke content for the set design of the 98th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre, playing a key role in bringing the creative vision for this year’s Oscars to life.
Hello Charlie were brought in to the creative team to focus on staging and set design rather than traditional broadcast elements. Working as a small, tight-knit team of three creatives for most of the process, we collaborated closely with them to realise their vision for this year’s Oscars, which centred on a distinctly “handmade” aesthetic.
COURTYARD GARDEN
Our work spanned multiple visual elements across the stage. For the large main screen at the back, we developed a concept inspired by a light-dappled courtyard garden, designed to feel organic and crafted rather than digital. Subtle animated leaf shadows created a sense of movement and life within the space.
We also designed content for five movable “Tower” screens, which could transition on and off stage depending on the moment—displaying nominee content or shifting aside during performances. These featured a range of looks, including golden and pewter-toned frosted glass, as well as two variations of golden mesh, each enhanced with gentle, ambient motion.
PROSCENIUM SCREENS
In addition, we created visuals for the proscenium screens positioned on either side of the stage. These had to work in harmony with physical shoji-style set pieces, requiring careful consideration of how the content would appear both behind the paper panels and through the gaps between them. Across both the towers and proscenium, we developed layered compositions featuring 3D trees bathed in warm golden light, set behind textured glass and intricate frameworks with varying levels of transparency to add depth and visual interest.
