So tonight on the OSCARS, the world will bear witness to the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (aka theLXD). As I reflect, and get ready for the event tonight (pressing my suit, shining my shoes etc) I thought it would be appropriate to share a story with you today about how I actually DID go to the Oscars one time before this but not as an invited guest, but as an UNINVITED crasher. It was the year 2000, exactly 10 years ago, and I was a film student attending the USC School of Cinema-Television. Before the Kodak theater, the Oscars were held at the Shrine Auditorium which is just across the street from our campus and where I lived. This is an email I sent out to my friends the day after the Oscars where I explain what happened to me the night I decided to sneak into the biggest Hollywood event of the year… please forgive the typos and things in the following post as I wanted to paste the full on real version of this email rather than edit it. I can’t believe that 10 years later, here I am getting ready to walk the red carpet and watch my dancers pour their heart out on the giant stage. Hope you watch it too :) and in HD!
THE BOY WHO CRASHED THE OSCARS- a true story by Jon M. Chu
-Dated March 2000-
Hey everybody!
Go ahead, don’t be shy. Ask me if I got into the Oscars. The answer is yes with a capital YES!!! It was not only one of the most amazing nights I have ever had but also extremely exhilarating. It was absolutely crazy that I got in and even more crazy that I had access to everything!!! So, you probably don’t want to hear the story but I am gonna tell you anyway because I am way too excited right now. K? K. If you don’t want to hear it just close the email now.
So…..it’s 11 am and I decide that I am NOT gonna try to get into the Oscars because it looks impossible. (Police/Security guards had locked down the place a week early and they were extremely strict…plus they’re all looking for terrorists) Anyway, I get up, and start typing the script for the film I am working on. I get frustrated because I am so not motivated but continue to work anyway, with the Television blaring in the other room. As I continue to write the sounds of the television seem to get louder and louder. It is the reports on the OSCARS and who they expected to be there and how exciting it would be. Finally, I stop writing in aggravation and think about what I am doing. I think: “this sucks! Here I am writing and slaving away while the Oscars are going on RIGHT next door” I am not even TRYING to see what’s going on!!! Then I decide, that’s it. It’s my only opportunity and the only time in my life that I will be able to do this, So I decide to find a way to get INTO the SHRINE AUDITORIUM.
I remembered that everyone who had access to the building had specific colored badges with their picture and name on it, etc etc. So I took my video camera and videoed potential entrances and exits that I could sneak into (observing security trends and opportunities) I also zoomed in on certain badges so that I could know what they said on them and how they looked. I got back to my apartment, got the official OSCAR logo off their website, tried to match the look of the badge as best I could, took my own picture and added it to the design, wrote some “official” looking numbers on it, got laminating materials, put on a suit, added some “hollywood”, to-cool-for-you sunglasses, packed my video camera and started speaking on my cell phone like I am yelling at someone for being late. Anyway, so I head over to the shrine looking as Hollywood as I can and I pass the first wall of securty, then the second then the third, then the metal detectors and I get onto the red carpet. I hang out there for a couple minutes. Unfortunately, I have no idea where to go because it is way too crowded and the stars were already coming on. I stand a while and there is a check-in for press people where they tell you where your PRESS spot is but since I really don’t belong I try to avoid the area by speaking on my cell phone. Luck would have it that the woman came over to me, said “yeah, that’s not a real badge….nope it isn’t” and had a police officer escort me out of the grounds and take my badge. CRAP!, I thought to myself…
As I am leaving the area though, I notice that he is not watching me leave (too busy with the other press members) Then I jump a fence and start heading back in through another route. This time I have no badge but I still get onto the red carpet and stand at the door way of the Auditorium where everyone goes in. I have my video camera so I continue to video. then a security guard tell me that this is a NO camera zone. I ask if I can just hang out there but he says that I have to put my camera SOMEWHERE else first. there is no where to put it so I leave the box with the camera in it by a tree. I continue to watch for anther ten minutes (i see weird al yankovitch, Naome Campbell, Roger Ebert, Ashley Judd, etc etc) Then I get a tap on my shoulder from the security guard saying I have to put the box away because they think it’s a bomb. Then he asks me for my badge and I tell Him I don’t have one, so he kicks me out. As I am leaving, I again notice he is not watching me. Then I jump a little fence to get into an outside bar terrace area of the shrine where audience people lounge before the show. I hang out alittle bit, look around, and decide to get a drink at the bar, unfortunately, I still have my silver box with my camera in it. A security guard tells me that camera boxes were not allowed in and how I got it through, then the security guard who had JUST kicked me out comes in and says that he already kicked me out and that the other security guards have to watch out for me. Then they personally escort me OFF the grounds completely.
Shaken and a little in shock, i am amazed at how far i got and decided that little set backs like security guards weren’t gonna stop me. I make another badge, and march RIGHT back to the Shrine, this time with a new ROUTE (this time without a camera). I go through the back where the press people are, and I pass guard 1, guard section2, guard section three, Metal detectors one, metal detectors two, the pat down, check-in desk and finally I end up in the press room 2 (it is the first place the actors and actresses who win awards go to take pictures for the press) I am probably ten feet away from the podium that they stand on and I sit down. This will be my spot for the nite, i think to myself.
Reporters from E! entertainment, Entertainment magazine, People, TV GUIDE, the Globe etc etc are all there and I even have my own space that I claimed. Luckily I was early so had a PRIME PRIME Spot. I talk and schmooze with my fellow photographers and tell them how I snuck in. They are humored by my story and welcome me in to their world. I especially got along with Jacek and another guy (i forget his name) who worked for UNIVERSAL. They would send their pictures to magazines to sell, or something like that. Anyway, I told them I needed to look busy so if there was anything they needed me to do, i could do it. They asked if I could write down all the names of the stars that they photographed and the roll that they were on. I agree and there it began. One of the most amazing nites of my life.
I was in, this was it!! There were giant tvs in the press room where they would show the broadcast then when a winner won, they would leave the stage and come into PRESS ROOM 2!!!!!! Basically everybody who was ever on stage came to Press room 2 and took their picture. it was AWESOME!!!! Some names include, Lisa Liu (Ally McBeal) Phil Collins, Antonio Banderas, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Brad Pitt, Ethan Hawk, Uma Thurman, Sam Mendes (best director winner), Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones, Chow Yun Fat, Conrad Hall etc etc etc. I was in shock the whole time. Best of all, they had large amounts of food in the room and drinks, so I was just having a blast!
The best part of the nite came when I decided that I had gone through so much trouble to get INTO the awards that I should come out with having accomplished something. Consequently I decided that I would try to make a major Hollywood connection that under normal circumstances would be impossible. I wrote a note to Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg about how i was a budding USC film student looking for any sort of opportunities that they could give. I then gave my phone number and email address. I planned that when they won the award for best picture and came into Press room 2 I would give it to them. If I got kicked out in the process, that was okay with me because I had done what I came to do. So I got into place, wrote all the notes, rolled them up, and waited…………….
Enter: Mr. Spielberg and Mr Mendes. First of all, i have rarely EVER been star struck, in fact I NEVER get star struck but for some reason when Spielberg entered that room, I was in awe of his power!!!!! I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think right, I was just sitting there with my heart beating and my hands shaking. As he stood there next to me I wondered how he would react to me wanting to just talk to him. I know I would be annoyed if I were him (i am sure he gets it all the time) Nonetheless, I repeated to myself, HAKUNA MATATA. Mendes gets off the podium first and I approach him, note in hand. I shake his hand and congratulate him on the award. He was SOOOoooooooooo nice and rad. When he feels the paper in his hand he gets a little confused but then accepts it and says thanks (Hopefully, he will read it later or put it in his pocket and FIND it later) Then came Mr. Spielberg. Press is NOT suppose to shake hands or anything but I wasn’t press so i went for it. I went up to him and said the stupidest thing a guy could say. Yes, I am a wuss and a loser but I was SOOOOo nervous I didn’t know what to say. I tapped his shoulder and muttered the words, “Ccccc—-aaannnn I- uhhhhhhh Shhhhh-aaakkkkkk-eee you’re Haaaandd?” Yes yes, i know how stupid I sounded but whatever!!! He was totally cool with it and was like “yeah,” I then proceeded to tell him that I go to USC film school and I thanked him for everything he has done with the program. He said , “Oh don’t worry, we’re not done yet!! WE’re building that Zemekis digital arts building” and I was like , “yeah, I know, i am soo excited for it” Then I had the note in my hand and I was about to slip it to him….but alas, my consciousness set in. And I hesitated. I started to think about it (my downfall) and I was WAY too in awe of the moment to give him the note.Suddenly, everyone was out of the room and i still had the paper in my hand. But that’s okay, i totally felt the power of his mind in my hand and I have decided that I am NOT going to wash my hands for a week in homage to him 
Okay, so after all that, I go back stage of the awards and I walk on to the stage. The crew is having champagne and food and Hang out with them and explore. I pretend to present on the podiums, I walk up and down the aisles, i sit in a couple chairs (the best seats in the house) then finally i sit and I look at the set. It is amazing and empty. Exhausted, I take in all the senses I feel and soak it in. It is one of the greatest feelings I have ever felt. Anyway, I go into the governer’s ball, I get something to eat, I walk around some more and I proceed home. Never getting stopped, questioned or even second look. In fact, the security guards saw me so much going in and out for food that they ended up being my buddies.
Oh yeah and another thing, the photographers that I was friends with said that they wanted to take a picture of me in front of the oscar sculpture with my badge so that they could write a story on “the kid who crashed the oscars” It was REALLY fun and cool doing that. So I got his number and he got mine so hopefully, he will send me my portrait of my exhilarating/exhaustive Oscar night experience.
Hope you enjoyed the LOOOOOoooonngg email. I hope i hear from all of you soon, if I haven’t talked to you recently. K? K. I need to sleep now.
Your buddy,
Jon M. Chu
****
