400 gallons of paint, a team of 10 and two months of work
One of America’s most recognisable attractions is set for a glitzy and glamourous makeover as teams are set to get to work on restoring The Hollywood Sign.
The iconic emblem of Los Angeles is more than 100 feet long and is 45 feet high. It’s dominated the LA skyline for nearly a century and is a glowing beacon for the movie industry.
American paint company, Sherwin-Williams, is joining forces with The Hollywood Sign Trust to spruce up Tinseltown’s most famous emblem. Organisers say that up to 400 gallons of paint and primer will be used in the project.
A crew of ten people recently started work on refurbishing The Sign with the aim of completing it ahead of its centenary in 2023. It was last given a makeover in 2012.
Originally, The Sign read as “Hollywoodland” and served as an outdoor advertisement for an upscale real estate development. In 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce shortened it to the nine letters which mark today’s iconic landmark.
The internationally known symbol of the entertainment industry has been repaired and refurbished over the years and was even completely rebuilt in 1978.
Sherwin-Williams will help usher The Hollywood Sign into its next century with a paint known as Emerald Rain Refresh. It’s being referred to as Hollywood Centennial White especially for the occasion.
A clean, fresh look with minimal maintenance
The company says the paint offers excellent UV and weather protection. It adds that the formulation is designed to allow for dirt to be easily washed away when it comes into contact with rain – so allowing for a clean, fresh look with minimal maintenance.
Los Angeles-based commercial painting company Duggan and Associates is handling the task of prepping and painting the sign.
Each letter is 45 feet high with a width of between 31 to 39 feet. The project is scheduled to end by mid-November and will have taken eight weeks to complete.
‘The Sign is the pride of Los Angeles and we are excited for fans all around the world to see this makeover for a very special 100th anniversary,’ says Jeff Zarrinnam, Chairperson of The Hollywood Sign Trust.
‘The opportunity to partner again with Sherwin-Williams on this extensive project will help continue the legacy of the Sign, a symbol of a place where magic is possible and where dreams can come true.’
The Sign has recently had its own array of guest appearances in movies and significant television dramas. The magic of special effects saw its famous destruction in Dwayne Johnson’s 2015 hit movie, San Andreas.
It was ‘struck’ by a tornado during a freak weather event in The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and faired badly in another disaster movie, Earthquake (1974).
More recently, it’s acted as a successful backdrop for scenes in Argo (2012) and Friends with Benefits (2011).
Imagery kindly supplied by The Hollywood Sign Trust: Historical Photograph – Photograph Courtesy of the Hollywood Sign Trust and HollywoodPhotographs.com. All Rights Reserved.
Current Photograph – Photograph Courtesy of the Hollywood Sign Trust. All Rights Reserved.
Night Photograph – Photograph Courtesy of the Hollywood Sign Trust and RD Willis. All Rights Reserved.
Jim Krantz Photograph – Photograph Courtesy of the Hollywood Sign Trust and Jim Krantz Photography. All Rights Reserved.