The Oscars then and now: How capturing the Academy Awards has changed

WHERE once the Oscars was just about the dresses and the winners, today viewers are demanding more behind-the-scenes and more reaction.

Brad Pitt and then-fiancee Gwyneth Paltrow at the 1996 Academy Awards.

WHERE once the Oscars was just about the dresses and the winners, today viewers and readers are demanding more.

They want more behind-the-scenes, more emotion, more reaction and more candid stop-you-in-your-tracks photographs.

Stuart Hannagan, director of photography for Getty Images in Australasia, the official photographers for the Academy Awards since 2003, says the interest and photographic investment in the Oscars is growing every year.

Jennifer Lopez in a rare and beautiful behind the scenes moment at the 2015 Oscars.

“Consumers are now interested in what happens behind the scenes, new perspectives, who is sitting with who, what is inside the goodie bag, and which celebrities are hanging out backstage together,” Mr Hannagan told news.com.au. “The scrutiny now is greater than ever before and the smallest thing on the night matters. Anything that makes the viewer feel closer to the experience of actually being at the Oscars.”

Lady Gaga dries her eyes at the 2015 Oscars.

Hannagan says the most popular images aren’t always what you expect.

“In the past few years the most memorable image was the Ellen ‘selfie’, and that is because it really took the viewer into the experience.”

Readers and viewers now demand to be presented with a more immersive experience that puts the users in the heart of it.

Now it’s just as much about the selfie as it is about the professional portrait.

“These type of images, that we call point-of-view, are popular because they provide a raw, immersive and authentic feel leading to greater levels of engagement. In the early days it was all about the glitz and glam — the red carpet etc. Now it’s really about feeling like you were there.”

Where once there was only 2-3 photographers capturing the red carpet and winners with their Oscar statuettes, there is now a small army of people capture everything from red carpet, to front of show to behind the scenes.

Madonna performs at Academy Awards in 1991.

Susan Sarandon after winning her Oscar in 1996.

The Getty team of photographers, editors and technicians will complete over 1000 man hours on the day.

The team will take over 80,000 photographs in a single day, with up to 80 frames per minute, ensuring every hidden moment on stage and off, is captured.

Mr Hannagan says in the early days Getty would have only sold a few hundred photos from the Oscars, but now they will sell tens of thousands of images.

“People want to see who wore what, who sat with who, who was hanging out with who backstage.” he added. Any detail of the night you can image, we will be there to capture it.”

Join our Oscars coverage from 9am Monday February 29.

A different perspective on the Oscars, as Julianne Moore wins Best Actress and accepts the award from Matthew McConaughey in 2015.

A shot of Reese Witherspoon you certainly wouldn’t have seen 20 years ago.

It’s important to capture the atmosphere of the event, says Mr Hannagan.

Kate Winslet at The Academy Awards in 1996.

Kate Winslet at the Academy Awards in 2015.

Lupita Nyong'o in a stunning candid portrait.

Originally published as The Oscars then and now: How capturing the Academy Awards has changed