Oscars 2014: 10 Things The Academy Can Learn From Sunday Night

8. Shorten the Opening MonologueMacFarlane Monologue This year's Oscars started with 15 minutes of opening shenanigans, and I'm sure there's been longer openings in the past. (Especially when Billy Crystal used to have a filmed tribute that inserted him into each film, followed by the song for all of the nominees, and then the opening spiel. You get the drill.) This robs the evening of its momentum and sets the tone perfectly for an event that'll seem more akin to a snail's pace than a cheetah's glide. Choose one or the other: either go with the montage, sing the song, or give the speech; not all three. I know it's Hollywood's big night and all, but the same lesson that applies to some of their more bloated projects should be applied to this very bloated ceremony: cut the fat. A faster/leaner awards show can be more memorable, and allow more time focused on the things that are really important.

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Contributor

Mike Reyes may or may not be a Time Lord, but he's definitely the Doctor Who editor here at What Culture. In addition to his work at What Culture, Mr. Reyes writes for Cocktails and Movies, as well as his own personal blogs Mr. Controversy and The Bookish Kind. On top of that, he's also got a couple Short Stories and Novels in various states of completion, like any good writer worth their salt. He resides in New Jersey, and compiles his work from all publications on his Facebook page.