New photos from the Oscars rehearsals

Two new pictures and quick peek behind the scenes with The Los Angeles Times. Are you ready?

Some actors had more elaborate tasks to carry out. Talking into camera while walking across the stage through pieces of set, Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett sought help from stage manager Gary Natoli about hitting her marks. “Is it here? Ish? And angled in what fashion?”

After a giant video screen lowered above the stage began to wobble, and Blanchett tried a more leisurely walk at the director’s request, the “Carol” star said, “I don’t know if I can walk any slower than that.”

A voice boomed from the back of the room, “That’s fine.”

Blanchett, who was wearing the set of towering silver heels she plans to wear Sunday night, looked up into the crowd. “You can always recast,” she said. “A couple of drinks, anyone?”