Oscar producers share behind-the-scenes secrets from Hollywood's big night

"We would take a streaker if we could have one," this year's producer said.

ByABC News
February 24, 2017, 7:45 AM

— -- First-time Oscars producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd dished on what fans can expect at the awards show this year in an interview with "Good Morning America" that aired today.

"We always say we would take a streaker if we could have one," Todd joked. De Luca added that the last time that a streaker showed up at the Academy Awards was in 1974, saying, "I guess it was a national fad back then."

De Luca said that they got the gig of hosting the Oscars this year by chasing it.

"Then we got the job, then we got nervous," De Luca said. "And we’re nervous still."

De Luca added that one thing that will be slightly different this year is that they are giving all Oscar winners a 45-second time limit to give their acceptance speeches.

"We really feel it’s their time to shine in that 45 seconds," De Luca said, but added, "by the way, it begins the minute they get out of the seat."

De Luca also acknowledged that it is possible that some of the winners will get political during their speeches, and even he does not know what to expect.

"It’s actually kind of thrilling and scary 'cause ... when the winners are up there they really have us by the thing that I can’t say," De Luca said.

Todd said that they are embracing this, however, and that they like "the spontaneous moments."

De Luca joked that if something does end up going wrong they would start playing music on a "case-by-case" basis to silence an off-script presenter or winner, only for people who have "wronged us in our careers."

De Luca said that one of the speakers on Oscar night whom they will have no control over is the first-time host, Jimmy Kimmel.

"You wind him up and let him go. You can’t control him," De Luca said, and added that he brings a "spontaneous energy."

Todd said that they feel confident in this, however, saying, "He knows what he's doing."

This year, the musical "La La Land" leads with 14 nominations, but Todd said they have allotted no time for extraneous musical performances.

"That means nothing that wasn’t nominated will be performed on the show," Todd said.

Production designer Derek McLane told ABC News that he first started working in production for the Oscars in 2013 and that he has been back every year since.

"This year everything’s based on art deco and Hollywood regency," McLane said of the set this year. "That era of moviemaking is what we associate with glamor more than anything else."

The 89th Academy Awards will air Sunday on ABC.

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