By The Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, February 5, 2013, 12:01 a.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 5, 2013

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The producers of the Academy Awards have good news for those watching at home: They're trying to cut out the boring parts.

Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron say they watched 40 years of past ceremonies to finds ways to keep the show moving at a brisk pace. They say they are looking to nip and tuck unnecessary moments that can turn the show into a marathon.

At an annual lunch honoring Oscar nominees, Zadan and Meron said they identified time-consuming segments that might run only 15 or 30 seconds but which collectively can bog down the show. In some years, the Oscars have run to a ponderous four hours or more.

“You start adding up those 30 seconds, and you have an accumulation of time that you can use for entertainment. So that's what we're doing. We're learning a lot about the things that we don't need in the show,” Zadan said. “The main goal is to honor the nominees and the winners. And then beside that, there's a lot of pregnant pauses that you get in the show. ... We've scooped out a lot of those pauses and created more time for performance and entertainment.”

Performances by Adele, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand, and a tribute to the James Bond franchise are planned.

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