Oscars 2012: Hollywood Boulevard in full swing as the 84th red carpet is rolled out It is difficult to walk everywhere; it is much more crowded as the path is a little bit closed. I think the people who work here don't really care much, they are used to it," he says, strumming his ukulele. Many of the day-trippers have now tamed their view finders on the huge fence cordoning off part of the road. The faint sound of drilling can be heard behind it amid the usual LA traffic buzz; this is where the red carpet for the 84th Academy Awards ceremony is being rolled out. A number of the tourists are hanging around the entrance of the Kodak Theatre, craning their necks simply to get a glimpse of the workmen struggling to hoist the giant gold Oscars figurines into place. Some are acting as if Brad Pitt is about to jump out from under the bleachers, with their cameras poised for that crucial shot. The occasional gasp is emitted from the crowds at anyone permitted to walk behind the metal gate onto the fibre of the red carpet itself. The mystique of the Oscars has its own celebrity around the venue even without the stars. This year, while the usual controversies liven up the build up to the ceremony (the shock snub of Hollywood's latest sweetheart; Uggie the dog being a poignant contention), a cloud of uncertainly hangs over the annual Academy Awards. Many are wondering if it will continue to be held at the same venue next year. A legal wrangle between Kodak and landlord of the theatre CIM Group has opened up the possibility of the Oscars moving to a venue outside of Hollywood, with the 7,100 seat Nokia Theatre in Downtown LA being suggested as a plausible alternative. For many in Hollywood the prospect of Hollywood's star attraction moving out of town has them crying into their pillows at night. "It would be a disaster if the Oscars moved to Downtown LA," one resident, calling herself a typical Hollywood socialite, says. We would carry on partying as usual but it just wouldn't be the same. Catwoman straightens up, finally adopting a more realistic position. Ricky Martin is still strumming his Ukulele but not having much luck attracting the distracted crowds. While the doppelgangers appear nonchalant about Oscars week, if the tourist numbers started dwindling with the loss of Hollywood Boulevard's crown jewel, cat woman would really get her claws out .... and Ricky Martin would start hitting the high notes.