Oscar Producers Plot Abbreviated Red Carpet to Win Back Audience

The New York Times reported yesterday on the unique predicament of the Academy Awards' producers: the need to find a way to bring back an increasingly ambivalent crowd in a year when the biggest nominees are films so few have seen.  

Producer Laurence Mark and executive producer Bill Condon haven't discussed many details, hoping to keep the night a surprise, but rumors are floating that many stars might skip the red carpet to draw the public's attention inside the Kodak Theater. By keeping the higher profile guests' fashions a part of the show itself, ratings would presumably bounce back from last year's record low of about 32 million viewers.

Another change on the horizon might be the absence of all those clip reels from winners past. Instead, producers are trying to secure footage of upcoming films to offer new, unseen content. If all goes according to plan, exclusive previews of some of the year's most anticipated movies will run alongside the credits at the show's end. USA Today's preview of the show is here.