‘The theme this year for our carpet is ‘Hollywood Mansion,’ ‘ reveals VMA pre-show executive producer Ryan Kroft. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Tim Kash The VMA white carpet step and repeat wall on Thursday Photo: Rachel Goldner/ MTV News As part of our efforts to bring everyone as far behind-the-scenes as possible in the lead-up to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards , MTV News correspondent Tim Kash recently took a tour of the under-construction, soon-to-be-star-studded white carpet. Kash was led by MTV’s VMA pre-show executive producer Ryan Kroft. “The theme this year for our red carpet is ‘Hollywood Mansion,’ ” Kroft explained, pointing out key stopping points for celebrities and show crews on what has been designated as the press line. Kroft explained that the wall built for this year’s step-and-repeat (the area where celebs stop to be photographed) will be extra high. “They’re normally 10-feet-high, but this year it’s going to be 21-feet-high,” he said. “We do it big. It’s going to look like this wall of this mansion we’re creating. “When the carpet opens, it’s going to be pure white,” Kroft continued. “White set, black accents, gorgeous.” Eagle-eyed MTV awards show fans probably know that this isn’t the first time the network has gone with a gleaming white rug for the VMAs. In 2005, the show made a return trip to Miami and the production crew once gain began mulling over the idea of an all-white carpet. While they had only considered the possibility a year earlier at the 2004 ceremony — also at Miami’s American Airlines Arena — they didn’t follow through until host Sean “Diddy” Combs encouraged it with a spontaneous declaration at a press conference. So as Diddy turned the carpet from red to white, the biggest challenge was keeping the carpet dry after hurricane Katrina, then only a category 1 storm, had swept through. Which brings up an important question, how in the heck do you keep a white carpet clean with hundreds of people stomping across it? According to Staging Supervisor Aaron Chawla, the trick is to keep it covered in plastic for as long as possible before showtime — and having vacuums and steam cleaners on site for any sudden spills or stains. For those who won’t make it to L.A. to see it up-close, MTV News is giving away 10 pieces of our specially made white carpet. Visit the MTV News Facebook page for details. Current fans of the page should look for the VMA Giveaway tab for more information, and soon-to-be fans need only click “like” in order to receive the same info. We’ll be giving away one piece of carpet a day leading up to the show, with the remaining few up for grabs on Sunday. The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. The party starts with MTV News’ VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through Sunday. Related Videos VMA 2010 Exposed
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MTV VMAs Set To Roll Out White Carpet: Catch A Sneak Peek!
