Oscar stage brings the bling: 200,000 crystals

Host Chris Rock might want to bring some shades to the Oscar set, because there's going to be some serious bling.

While the actual set is a closely guarded secret until Sunday's 88th Academy Awards (ABC, 7 p.m. ET/4 PT), sketches of what's coming were released Tuesday. And there is some high wattage.

The set in Hollywood's Dolby Theatre will be made up of 37 sparkling design elements, incorporating 200,000 Swarovski crystals and a massive crystal focus piece weighing more than 20,000 pounds. The set has been designed with seven different shades of gold.

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"The Oscars is a show that people look forward to seeing Hollywood glamour," says Derek McLane, who returns as scenic and production designer for the fourth year in a row. "It’s a celebration of movies, that’s number one. It wants to be elegant. I definitely wanted to meet those expectations in a way that was unexpected."

McLane has been working on the design since October and had the massive set sent off for assembly in December. All told, there have 1,600 man-hours put into the sets.

The seven shades of gold (which includes platinum) also fits in with the Oscar theme.

"The theme for this year is that 'Everyone dreams in gold,' " says McLane. "For me, that meant coming up with as many different shades of gold as I could. They give some energy and vibrancy."

That energy will move from the people in the Dolby to the millions watching from home.

"Hopefully, it will look beautiful, surprising and it will feel like Hollywood," says McLane.