Live From the BAFTA Red Carpet!

I spent last night…yes, that’s right at the BAFTA’s Red Carpet! I’ve written a first-person account of it for MSN with the photos I actually took, so you can feel free to check out that below, but I will also blog about the more personal details surrounding the day.

BAFTA Red Carpet Gallery:

http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/movies/specials/movie-awards/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=13919307

On Friday morning, out of nowhere my wonderful supervisor told me that MSN had been offered a spot on the BAFTA red carpet for bloggers. For those who have never heard of the BAFTA's (British Award of Film and Television Awards), they are basically the equivalent of the Oscar’s. They are by far no less prestigious than the Oscars. It was also a very English experience, since it was a British award show.

This was pretty much the ideal assignment because I didn’t have to blog (good thing too as everyone blogged from their phones, not computers) and there was no pressure to get any quotes, so I basically had to go and provide a first-person account of the affair on Monday. I was pretty excited. I smiled widely the entire day, but it wasn’t until I got back to the flat and walked in to find my flatmate Maddie and we screamed together in excitement.

For those of you who know me, you know that I handle important life experiences like this one with only one emotion—panic. I was pretty nervous most of Saturday and definitely while getting ready Sunday morning, but I was excited more than anything else. I also appreciate my flatmates putting up with me.

So the big day arrived. I was dressed to my version of the nines. I wore (this is for you Mom, as I hope the rest of you won’t care about these details) black pants with a green silky shirt with my brand new suit jacket and black flats. I borrowed a friend’s purse, another friend’s coat (because I only have a thin black one, and a not-award-show-worthy warm one), and another friend’s pearl necklace to match my brand new Isle-of-Wight-earrings. Someone straightened my hair and I even put on make-up. Like I said, all out for me.

Anyway, so I headed over to Covent Garden, which was still in the process of being transformed into a secured sight where cars could line up and cameras could be taken. I watched the scene a few hours beforehand with excitement. There were so many people, and policemen to hold the people back, that were watching the preparation and all I could think was that I wouldn’t be an outsider anymore. I would be on the inside of an award show. Kind of my dream come true.

I love award shows. I count down to them everywhere and watch all the red carpet and the before and after commentary. Most people think I’m crazy, but I suppose this time it actually paid off, so from now on I expect no such eye rolls stating my craziness. Therefore, I was probably the perfect person to be asked to a red carpet event, because they are my obsession. 

I met the group of other bloggers mostly from websites and some from newspapers at a fancy martini bar/restaurant in Covent Garden. I sipped complimentary champagne and ate free sandwiches like a pro and got my press pass (which I’m keeping forever) and ticket into the studio theatre in the Royal Opera House (where the awards were taking place) in order to watch the show on the tele. I clung to my press pass as we walked down the street to the red carpet. By this time, the crowd was securely behind barricades with policemen and people monitoring the event all around looking anxious and busy. I flashed my press pass and was immediately left in.

Then the BEST part happened: I walked on the red carpet! My shoes actually touched the royal carpet as the people behind the barricades looked on with envy. I wanted to tell them that I was just like one of them on the inside, but I walked on proudly. That was definitely the best part of the evening.

We were caged in a little pen (that’s really what they called it) and I was lucky to get up front. It was pretty cold and it poured rain almost the entire time. I got lucky enough to be partially covered by an umbrella most of the time, so I wasn’t soaked, but I was ready for warmth by the end. I made very close and fast friends with the people around me and all the other journalists were really cool.

My colleagues did look a little nervous when I got so excited on Friday because they didn’t want me to get my hopes up. They didn’t say it right out, but I knew they were thinking it. The other journalists were not very excited about it. They weren’t excited to be caged up in the cold and not see anything. But that wasn’t bringing me down, I was still too excited.

To be honest, it was very, very cool and I saw all the stars (please look in my gallery for those details), but it wasn’t as amazing as I thought it would be. Despite the fact that some of the stars (Daniel Craig, Emma Watson) were no more than a few inches away from me (literally!) they all seemed to have a big bubble around them. It’s hard to explain, but it’s true. It doesn’t feel like I actually caught a glimpse of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Mickey Rourke, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, just to name a few. I did basically see everyone that was there though. It was pretty cool, but just the atmosphere of being on the red carpet and in the thick of the action was the most incredible feeling. To see the journalists anxiously prepare and the stars freeze as they walked in skimpy dresses with open-toed, five-inch heels down the carpet was really amazing and what it was all about.

We were then led by our own chaperones back out onto the red carpet and into the studio theatre of the Royal Opera House so I got to watch the ceremony on the big screen. The amazing thing about this particular award ceremony was that it was on the BBC, which according to my co-workers never has any commercials…EVER. It’s part of the taxes that Brits pay because it is a government-sponsored station. (That’s a whole other story about the British press system here, which I am learning about. Most are, yes, oddly tied to the government, but they have it set up so that they are just as independent from them like in the U.S.) So, no commercials!

The BAFTA's in general (which I had never before seen. Shocking I know!) was, firstly, much, much shorter and less dragged out (it was over before 9:00!) than the Oscars, but just as fun to watch. The cinematography was noticeably different from the US’ in that there were many more close-up side shots that was more artistic than in the US who just film it as an event, which is what it is, but this added a bit of pizzazz.

Of course, the minute the award show was over we were all exhausted and wanted to leave, but we caged into the theatre in order to presumably let the stars out first (they had a different exit). So we hung around until we were finally allowed to leave. We were even escorted past the theatre to about a block away from the Opera House. I joked that the stars were surely not taking the Tube, so we shouldn’t have any problems, but we were escorted out anyway. So then I got on the underground, still in awe of what I just experienced and headed back to the flat to an eager audience waiting to hear about my evening.

Anyway, I had a very successful Sunday. It was kind of the perfect weekend: some theatre, movies, stars. This is definitely an experience I will not quickly forget and I thank all the MSN colleagues for graciously offering me the opportunity. I highly recommend watching the BAFTA’s in the future if it is even aired in the States. I hope you enjoyed reading this hugely long account of the BAFTA’s and my red carpet experience.