Google debuts event page for Academy Awards ceremony
Destination page aims to keep movie fans informed and engaged in the Oscars in the days leading up to Sunday's ceremony.
Google is rolling out the red carpet for the Academy Awards with a destination site that promises to help movie fans "get more from the Oscars."
In a partnership with Oscars organizers, the Web giant has created a resource page to keep people engaged and informed in the days leading up to the awards ceremony on Sunday. While Google has created event-specific sites before, such as its election hub last year, this is the first time it has focused on the Oscars.
In honor of its Oscars debut, Google is making sure it gets as many of its own products to play supporting roles, including YouTube, Google Play, Knowledge Graph, Maps, and even Google+ Hangouts.
In addition to the standard list of nominees for every category, the page includes projections on who the winner will be based on the search popularity of nominees. A YouTube video takes users through a visual rewind of 2012 on the silver screen (see below), while Google Play offers a chance to catch up with some of movies and other related media, including an app offering nominee information and movie trailers.
Need information on dressing for the red carpet, an Oscars ballot, or real-time mobile information on the awards? Google promises to deliver the best performance in those roles as well.
Some features didn't seem ready for their close-up, though. A map purporting to hold information about actor birthplaces and movie filming locations didn't seem to be functioning, while another map of the ceremony location was tagged "coming soon."