SHOTLIST

1. Oscar statue carried to place

2. WS venue front

3. MS crane at venue front

4. MS H Stern diamond collection

5. CU necklace

6. CU necklace

7. H Stern 'Red Carpet Collection' necklace (500-thousand US dollars)

8. SOT: (English) Joan Parker, Director Diamond Information Center, on the Red Carpet Diamond Collection "For all the pieces in there - each one that is going to be worn by someone on the red carpet, ten thousand dollars will be donated by the jeweller to AMFAR and H Stern has a piece that has the largest diamond of all of them in the collection - it's a 23-carat radiant cut diamond, the piece is worth around 500-thousand dollars and if someone has that on on Sunday night - 10-thousand dollars will go to AMFAR."

9. Various: Stuart Weitzman and his million dollar shoes

10. SOT: (English) Stuart Weitzman 'This shoe is a bargain! Now I know - I can see you raised your eyebrows to me - but you know that you can take the diamonds off the shoe and you make a double-banded fabulous bracelet. The top part makes a necklace, these little drops here - depending upon how hip you are can either be a navel ring or earrings - and then you can still wear the platinum shoe!"

11. Push into gems at Mary Magdalena Gem Cosmetics

12 Pull from pots of cosmetics

13 cu costmetic pot

14 cu logo

15. SOT: (English) Mary Magdalena "Well, what I have here is the most precious cosmetic line in the world because it's made of precious gemstone and it's very precious for the skin so there's amethysts, diamonds, rubies, jade, all of those gemstones are in the colour powders and the powders you can use for your lips, your eyes, your nails and your cheeks and it's very good for the skin.

16. Wide shot Timmy Woods handbags (carved out of wood)

17. CU USA flag handbag

18. Push to panda handbag

19. SOT: (English) Timmy Woods, Designer "Well, I think that accessories are really important and the emphasis is usually put on the clothing it's not put on the accessories and this is the year of the accessory. So therefore, let's get ourselves out there - let's show that we make wonderful things and let's get the women wearing them."

20. WS woman being made up at MAC salon

21 CU make up artist brushing face

22 CU eye

23. Pan off counter to woman being made up

24. Pan off sign Vidal Sassoon to woman having hair styled

25. CU woman having hair styled

26.WS woman making Oscar Cocktail

27. Cocktail being poured

28. C/a bottles

29 Woman picking up drink

30 Set-up shot, Donald Wressell in Four Seasons pastry kitchen

31. CU Wressell

32. Cu Oscar treat

33 Wressell dressing Oscar treat

34 pan to CU dressing treat

35. SOT: (English) Donald Wressell "What's good about the Four Seasons here in LA is I'm able to do all kinds of things that just really tap into my inspiration and skills and I can do many, many, many things for our guests - our guests are quite special and quite demanding - so I'm able to be pushed a little bit by them to be able to create new things."

36. VS annual chocolate sculpture homage to best picture oscar nominees

HOLLYWOOD GRIPPED BY SPENDING FRENZY FOR OSCARS

The countdown is on and Tinseltown is spending millions of dollars sprucing itself up in every way imaginable.

With a global TV audience of around one billion it pays to dress to impress if you intend to grace the Academy Award's legendary red carpet.

Across town from the Oscars venue, in the shopping nirvana of Beverly Hills, designers of every ilk are renting out suites in the some of the swankiest hotels to hawk their wares.

You won't find the man on the street here, though - as these items are the necklaces, shoes, handbags, dresses and make-up that will be shimmer and shine on the red carpet on Oscar day.

This week is hectic for The Diamond Information Centre. They have been co-ordinating with designers around the world for the creation of a 'Red Carpet Collection.'

Among the designers who are hoping to have their goods seen are H Stern - who have created, necklaces that start at several thousand and quickly zoom into the millions - including one with a 23-carat diamond center piece, valued at 500 thousand dollars.

But it isn't all about glamour. If a celebrity wears it on the big day - H Stern will make a 10-thousand dollar donation to amFAR - the American Foundation for AIDS research.

Down the hall designer Stuart Weitzman is showing off his million dollar shoes. Weitzman dreamt up the idea after last year's Oscar ceremony and has made them a reality this year.

They are made of platinum and diamond - but aren't just for strutting around on the red carpet. The diamond decoration can be taken off and worn as jewellery as well.

Most celebrities borrow the glamorous jewels for the big day. But all the designers agree - if you'd like to buy your favourite piece afterwards, that's no problem.

It is unlikely any star will arrive for the Academy Awards without their most glamorous face on and designer Maria Magdalena is hoping celebs will try out her new line of couture gem cosmetics.

Magdalena, who is based in Holland, was a student of Chinese medicine when she discovered that Chinese Empresses used to crush pearls and diamonds into their make-up.

She went on to develop a full line of cosmetics which she says harmonises the ancient power of the earth with high tech skin care.

Among the gems she uses for her lip, eye and skin lotions and potions are rubies, diamonds, amethyst, jade and aquamarine.

No outfit would be complete without a handbag and designer Timmy Woods is hoping to fill that gap with her wooden and hand-painted hand bags, starting at 200 dollars.

Downstairs Mac make-up artists are busy at work dolling up everyone from reporters to celebrities. They then only need to cross the room to get a new coif from Vidal Sassoon's elite team of hair stylists. The average cost of a Oscar hairdo is a hair-raising 7 thousand dollars.

Once you're all dolled up - it's back upstairs for a cocktail at Bacardi's O room - in case you're wondering - that's O for Orange.

They've had a special cocktail designed for the big week, and hope it will make a big enough splash to tempt punters all year round.

A couple of blocks away The Beverly Hills Four Seasons has their pastry chef Donald Wressell working overtime in order to give each guest an Oscar-themed chocolate treat.

And to top off the whole experience, guests can get an eyeful on Wressell's annual chocolate homage to the five nominees for best picture.