Valley native Lou Pecora up for first Oscar

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Bullard High School and Fresno State graduate devoted hours of work to bring the latest "X-Men" movie to life. After hard work and years of experience in visual effects, Lou Pecora is up for his first Oscar this Sunday.

Since the nominees were announced last month, Pecora has been preparing for the big day. Just a few weeks ago he got his first taste of the spotlight and some red carpet training at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon. There, Pecora found himself among a sea of celebrities and professionals in the movie-making industry, all up for Hollywood's biggest honor.

"It was so cool to be at the same luncheon for the same reason. That's one of those surreal moments where you just can't believe it's really happening," said Pecora.

While posing with all of the other nominees, you'll see him standing right next to Patricia Arquette -- someone he's admired professionally as a fan of "True Romance."

"It's very surreal. It doesn't feel like it's really happening. It kind of feels almost like a dream. When it's all said and done, it was real and there's pictures to prove it," said Pecora.

On Sunday, he's looking forward to being with the team he worked with on "X-Men" and waiting to see who takes the prize for his category.

"'Planet of the Apes' was fantastic. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was just great; the work was phenomenal. It's a tough category this year for any of us to win," said Pecora.

And in case their names are called, Pecora knows who he is thanking first.

"If I wanted to stay married I would have to thank my wife, number one, but also thanking her for keeping everything in line at the house, making sure the kids are taken care of when I'm not there to help," said Pecora.