A Hollywood Journey

8. The Dolby Theatre

Hollywood, CA

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Formally known as the Kodak Theatre, the Dolby opened on Nov. 9, 2001 and has hosted the annual Academy Awards ceremonies since March 2002. Informally known as the Oscars, the Academy Awards are a series of awards given for excellence in cinematic achievement. Each winner receives an Oscar statuette officially named Academy Award of Merit and is one of nine types of Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences officially organizes and oversees the awards given each year. The oldest and most prominent award ceremony in the world, the Academy Awards, were first held in 1929 at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood, which is another stop on this tour. The Oscars are televised live to more than 100 countries each year. The theatre also housed the popular reality television singing competition American Idol, which began in 2002. David Rockwell, American architect and founder of the Rockwell Group, created the theater. The Dolby Theatre stage measures 34 meters wide by 18meters deep, and can seat up to 3,332 people, about half as many as the Hall of Music. The Eastman Kodak Company paid $75 million for naming rights to the building and was the theatre's main sponsor until 2012 when the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Under the suggestion of the venue's landlord, the theatre was renamed The Hollywood and Highland Center. As of May 1, 2012, Dolby Labs, a US company specializing in audio noise reduction and audio encoding/compression, signed a 20-year naming rights deal. Dolby installed Dolby Atmos, a new surround sound technology first used in Disney's Pixar movie 'Brave' and will maintain upgrades to the theatre as new technologies arrive.