UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Every year, an inanimate (but vital) element of the MTV Movie Awards makes its debut: the stage. This year, it's a combination of lights, screens and statues that all hold little surprises to keep the audience interested.
"Inspiration varies year by year, whatever is in the air," set designer Anton Goss told MTV News while the set was still being pieced together in the Gibson Amphitheatre. "It's different and creative in that way."
And this year, havoc was in the air. The stage — including many of the screens and set pieces on wheels so they can be easily moved around — is an organized mess that includes a tower made of bondage bracelets. "I designed it perfect, and then I started breaking elements," he explained. "Many things are out of place and creating a little bit of chaos. ... This year was a great year. We got to shake things up."
Those shaken things include certain set pieces designed with host Andy Samberg in mind. Although Goss said the show is "really organic" when it comes to the planning stages and thinking up ideas for the look of the show, he does admit that there are aspects that are tailored for Samberg's sense of comedy. One of those aspects is a hidden door featured in a TV-head statue on the stage.
"In one of these guys, it's got a door so he can do the old-time gag where he [enters the stage] through the man," he said. "That's a great comedic host entrance that's specific to Andy."
Will the vampires grab more trophies than the slumdog? What was the year's ultimate onscreen WTF moment? It's up to you to decide the winners of the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. Vote now, and tune in on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, when the big show airs live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California.
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