It took weeks and hundreds of people to build, but the extensive staging for the Oscars is being taken down in swift fashion. 

This is all that's left of the vast red carpet that just last night carried the stars to their seats inside the Dolby Theatre to find out if it was going to be their year.

And it certainly was for Leo, Alicia, Brie and Mark, who took home the acting honours.

Cinemas will once again be full of fun movies like Eddie the Eagle and London Has Fallen as the studios roll out the movies they know people want to see, but won't be featuring in next year's awards season.

But let's not look ahead to next year just yet and just enjoy the spectacle that has been this year's Academy Awards.

Image source, Getty Images

At times it felt like the whole world was rooting for Leonardo to finally win an Oscar, a sentiment not lost on the actor.

"It all feels incredibly surreal, and it's surreal because you can't reach out and physically meet everybody. 

"You hear it on the internet and hear it from other people but the truth is you always strive to be the best. 

"This film in particular I had such support from the fans and from the industry, it's quite shocking actually and what can I say? I'm very grateful."

Sam Smith dedicated his Oscar win to the LGBT community "hoping we can all stand here as equals".

Backstage he said: "It's important to show I care about my community. In the past in my career, people have said that I didn't care. I just wanted to make it clear that I really do care."

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking in the press room, best song winner Sam Smith was clearly excited about his and Jimmy Napes's triumph 

"We are overwhelmed, I can't even speak. I'm a little bit drunk as well."

On hearing he was not the first openly gay man to win the an Oscar, he offered a few choice swear words.

Image source, Getty Images

Stutterer director Ben Cleary has tasted success with his very first film, winning best live action short film.

Speaking on the red carpet, he said he had been in LA for a couple of weeks, allowing him to get over "a week of crippling jet lag".

"There's been a lot of really nice parties but I've been kind of ducking out early enough to keep my head on my shoulders."

Producer Serena Armitage only arrived in LA on Friday, having been doing her day job at ITV.

"it's been wonderful to get the time to come over but then it's back to reality immediately I land, it's straight to work," she said.

Ben added: "It's just amazing to have all our friends and family and the cast and crew here and hopefully it will be a special night." 

It certainly was. 

Image source, Reuters

Alicia Vikander, the winner of best supporting actress for The Danish Girl, said she was hopeful her film would boost LGBT issues.

"I came on this film only two years ago and I know that this was not an easy film to get made and it has been almost 15 years that one of our producers, Gail, had worked on it and to see the cultural change with over the years since I actually finished the film with... Caitlyn Jenner coming out, with Transparent and Tangerine.

"It's like a social change and I just wish that - in the same way that this film has been so educational for me and with so many people that I got to meet and in preparation for it, I hope that it can open up an even wider conversation, if our film can be a part of that discussion." 

Amy director Asif Kapedia said one of the great things about the success of the documentary is that it changed people's opinion about Amy Winehouse. 

"People who saw the film say they just wanted to give her some love, that's great but she didn't necessarily get that. Now I think there is a much better feeling about her and that's been the big change."

Image source, AFP

There was a gasp of shock in the press room when Mark Rylance's name was read out in the best supporting actor category over favourite Sylvester Stallone.

Rylance, a winner for Bridge of Spies, also seemed genuinely shocked by his win.

"I find people come out and say things about competing as actors and I know that it's necessary to make a show out of it but those actors are so good I feel more like a spokesman than someone who's better than the other nominees," he said.

"And there are so many other great performances outside of the nominees, like Idris Elba and Paul Dano, so I don't take it too seriously."

Room director Lenny Abrahamson and producer Ed Guiney told me they had a large contingent of friends and family staying up late to watch the awards back in Dublin.  

"We own a cinema called the Lighthouse Cinema and it's open all night and everyone’s watching it there so it’s going to be a big night in Dublin," said Lee.

Abrahamson joked that it was going to be a tee-total affair. 

He was also sporting a pair of funky silver shoes he was given by Manolo Blahnik.

Rafe Spall, who is part of The Big Short ensemble cast, said his wife Elize du Toit had to skip the ceremony because she was nursing their three-month old baby.

He said this was his first Oscars "and might be the last, you never know".

Oscar-nominated film Spotlight tells the story of how The Boston Globe exposed the systemic cover-up of sex abuse by priests in the Catholic church.  

Asked about the abuse survivors, Spotlight Oscar winner Josh Singer revealed he, fellow screenwriter Tom McCarthy and actor Mark Ruffalo had spent the morning at a Los Angeles cathedral, with 20-30 people protesting against abuse.

"It was very fulfilling to stand there with them and press the church to take action," he said.

"Our message (to the survivors is) we hear you, there’s no shame in this, come forward, speak loud, save lives."

Looking relaxed ahead of the ceremony was Alejandro Inarritu - up for best director again, this time for The Revenant. He won last year for Birdman.

Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt catch up on the red carpet.

Last year's best actor winner Eddie Redmayne is back on the red carpet - this year he's up for best actor again for The Danish Girl.

Following her controversial comments about diversity at the Oscars, best actress nominee Charlotte Rampling was perhaps unsurprisingly quiet on the red carpet.

Sian Grigg (up for hair and make-up) - said she was lucky filming on The Revenant because she and her team got to wear cold weather gear unlike Leonardo and the rest of the cast.