February 5 - February 18, 2019
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Oscars can’t begin without the red carpet Olive Grove, SYHS grad Chris Manigault produces pre-show for Hollywood’s big night By Raiza Giorgi
publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com
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hen the limousines pull up and Hollywood’s biggest stars step onto the red carpet, Chris Manigault feels proud of his accomplishments after months of preparations for that big day. “I feel like the actors and actresses are coming to my house and we are showing off all the months of hard work to get it prepared. Hearing them say they are excited to walk the red carpet and seeing them love the atmosphere makes it all worth it,” Manigault said. Manigault is one of the lead producers for the Academy Awards Red Carpet. (The Oscars ceremony will be televised this year on Sunday, Feb. 24.) He spends months coordinating with vendors, builders and designers to get the job accomplished before the stars converge for Hollywood’s biggest night. Born in Hollywood, Manigault moved to the Santa Ynez Valley as he was entering eighth grade at Los Olivos Elementary School. He then spent four years at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, graduating in 2001. “I acted as a child and wasn’t particularly interested in working in Hollywood until I went to high school. My close friend Daniel Lahr was an amateur film maker and we did theater together all four years. Along with our theater friends, we made a lot of projects together. That was really the start of my passion,” Manigault said. Manigault went on to attend San Diego State University and majored in film and television. He then transferred to Chapman University and got his master’s degree in fine arts. He also met his wife, Bernadette. “After I graduated from film school I was a ‘starving’ alum, desperately looking for a job in the business. My first gig was a commercial for a friend that I got paid $50 for, just to get work,” Manigault laughed. A friend of his called and asked if he wanted to help with the MTV Music Awards. “I jumped at that chance … I was a production
SYHS seek solutions to fiscal dilemma By Raiza Giorgi and Victoria Martinez news@santaynezvalleystar.com
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Photo contributed Chris Manigualt found his passion for the film industry while attending Santa Ynez Valley Union High School. He now helps produce the Academy Awards Red Carpet and pre-show events.
FYI
The nonprofit Central Coast Film Society will host an Oscars viewing party from 4 to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Grillhouse in San Luis Obispo. Admission is free, and those attending are encouraged to participate in the night’s contest to pick the Academy Award winners. assistant, basically one of the gophers, a ‘go-to’ guy, for the show. Those eight days were great and at the end, when the show was over, the production coordinator asked other PAs to stay and clean up. No one showed up that morning except him and I, and we put away what had to be a thousand chairs” Manigault said. The producer liked his work ethic and invited him to help with a spinoff of “Project Runway,”
moving furniture into the models apartment. “After that gig, work started to pick up but then quickly came to a halt. It felt like the dark ages for a bit for my entertainment career, as I could not find work. I was about to take a marketing job selling car wash cleaner but just before I agreed, a friend called and asked if I was available to work,” Manigault said. That was the last time Manigault had to look for work. Now he spends the majority of his year planning and coordinating the Academy Awards Red Carpet as well as the television element for broadcasters. “I love working on this show so much. It is a blast to execute the academy’s vision and design. I work on the Oscars pre-show where they talk about the fashion and the nominees in their categories,” he said. Manigault tries very hard not to get starOSCARS CONTINUED TO PAGE 10
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fficials at Olive Grove Charter School and Santa Ynez Valley Union High School say a court ruling that requires the SYVUHS District to pay the charter school perhaps $1 million a year has forced them into a situation that neither wants. Superintendent Scott Cory says such an annual payment could bankrupt the high school district, and Olive Grove CEO and Executive Director Laura Mudge says the charter didn’t intend to take money from Santa Ynez. Now both schools are working with the California Department of Education (CDE) to find solutions to the problem. According to a 2017 appellate court ruling, a charter school operating within a public school district’s boundaries must be “sponsored” by that district. Cory stressed the importance of finding a solution as the district is already facing a $750,000 structural deficit this year. “So adding an additional $700,000 with potentially more in the coming years will ruin us,” he said. Both Cory and Mudge said that state legislation might be changed because of this situation. “I think there can be a positive outcome for both sides, as our intent was not to take away anything from Santa Ynez, but our situation does not fit the mold and it has to be corrected,” Mudge said. The high school initially reported that of its $12.4 million annual budget for the current fiscal year, it would have to make
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