Behind the scenes at the Oscars: What you didn’t see on camera

There’s the Oscars you see on television and the one that takes place off camera. During commercial breaks, it can be a race to catch up with, congratulate and possibly console the peers around you. It can also be a time to run to the famed lobby bar and really be out of sight.

At Sunday’s 98th Oscars, The Associated Press was inside the Dolby Theatre scoping out all the things that weren’t broadcast to the world.

Before the show began

The stars like to cut things close when it comes to the Oscars. Many of the biggest names of the night didn’t make it to the red carpet until it was just 30 minutes to showtime. But unlike a premiere, live television doesn’t wait for the tardy A-lister to start.

And it can be a helpful excuse when, say, you’re Paul Mescal and you don’t want to do the