OSCAR WINNERS' REACTIONS 3

The Cove" director Louie Psihoyos denied that the best documentary winner was anti-Japan. "The Japanese press likes to present this that it's about Japan bashing. This movie is a love letter to Japan," the first-time winner said. "Our hope is that the Japanese people see this film and decide for themselves." Writer Mark Monroe, meanwhile, addressed the recent Sea World tragedies. "There have been two Sea World killer whales that have killed two trainers in the last two months. Most people don't know about that. We're asking the public to please, do not buy a ticket for a dolphin show. That is the solution. The government isn't going to fix this problem; the consumers have all the power."

"It can be a gimmick or legitimate," said "Up" director Pete Docter. "For Pixar, it is a tool to amplify and tell the story." He cited as an example that "when the house takes off, we stretched the depth. We tried to reflect what the main character is feeling. That is they way we looked at it. A new tool to play with." He also commented on the collaborative environment at Pixar Animation Studios, saying that colleagues such as Brad Bird ("Ratatouille") and Andrew Stanton ("Wall-E") give comments and suggestions. "If there are great ideas, I get to take the credit," he quipped. "It is unique."

"Up" composer Michael Giacchino, discussing his approach to the film's montage of two characters' lives, said: "In the scene when Ellie passes away, you may have a tendency to get really big with the orchestration. You may have a tendency to kind of overdramatize what's going on. But if you think about it, when you're in a room with somebody and someone's telling you about their most desperate moment in life, you'll be quiet. You want to talk to them softly. So for me it was all about being as quiet as I could be and respectful to what was happening to this person. Because I really looked at them as a real people. ... So it was about being quiet and simple. The piano. And letting it grow from there naturally."

"The Secret in Their Eyes" (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) from Argentina was the surprise winner for a foreign-language film. Director Juan Jose Campanella acknowledged that heading into the evening, this film was not the most honored, and he suggested that the win "shows an open-mindedness from the Academy."

Animated short winner "Logorama" features a world made up entirely of trademarks and brand names, and Michelin Man cops in pursuit of a criminal Ronald McDonald. "While the film is set in Los Angeles, this is not about America; it is more about the Western world," Oscar winner Nicolas Schmerkin said. "It is about the way we live and react to logos." Calling Ronald McDonald "the nicest character in the film," he added, "Ronald should be happy to be the main character of this film. The film is not talking about what the logos represent -- they are used for what they are." Talking about the directors -- Francois Alaux, Herve de Crecy and Ludovic Houplain -- he said: "I met them in 2004, and they already had the script from the first storyboard. They worked together at animation and graphic studio H5. They were themselves directing music videos and advertising. They knew the logos and brands and how to play with them. For them, it was very cathartic being able to play with the logos after working with them for so many years." Adding that he didn't get permission to use the logos in the film, he concluded: "I'd like to share this with my lawyer, who became my best friend."

Costume designer Sandy Powell spoke of inspiration backstage and said she had the opportunity to see Queen Victoria's real clothing for "The Young Victoria." "I was fortunate to see some of Victoria's real clothing at Kensington Palace," said Powell, who previously won in the category for "The Aviator" and "Shakespeare in Love." "I didn't know anything about Victoria," she continued. "(I knew her) as the old, frumpy woman. I didn't know she was vibrant and attractive and a real character. ... She was even a really tomboyish woman. I'm glad we were able to portray her as something different."

Paul N.J. Ottosson won a pair of Oscars for sound editing and sound mixing -- the latter of which he shared with Ray Beckett -- for "The Hurt Locker." Ottosson stressed the importance of keeping the situations real in the film. "The most important thing was to put you, as the viewer, in the film and look at how you would perceive the situation," he said. Added Beckett: "We also tried to get the backgrounds, what happens when it is quiet -- recording wind in the sand dunes, bugs in the sand dunes -- as much as possible to give you a sense of place."

"I grew up a fan of horror," said Bob Murawski, who with his editing partner and wife, Chris Innis, won the category for film editing. "It's the genre I love, and 'The Hurt Locker' was a suspense thriller -- my kind of picture." He added that in cutting the more than 200 hours of footage, "We tried to stay in the head of the characters." Added Innis: "The conflict is more about the characters that the bombs going off -- the clash of wills."

At the Governor's Ball, Academy topper Tom Sherak said he was very happy with the show, especially some of the new additions: "I thought the producers did a great job. They took this show exactly in the direction the Board of Governors wants it to go. The highlight for me was the kid dancers segment. To see how (producer) Adam (Shankman) took the choreography from where it was when they started to what ended up on the show was just fantastic."

Also at the Governor's Ball, Summit co-chair Rob Friedman says he's talking with exhibitors about possibly expanding "The Hurt Locker" from 275 to 500 or 700 theaters next week. "We couldn't be prouder tonight because this is a film we believed in from the start," he said. Does he think the controversy surrounding "Hurt Locker" producer Nicolas Chartier controversy played any role in the voting? "No," he said, the voters "didn't pay any attention to that."