As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrated the 25th anniversary of its annual nominees luncheon Monday, producer Gil Cates unveiled a new plan for streamlining the March 5 Oscar show while ensuring nominees all have a bit of face time on TV.

Last year, Cates began to experiment with Oscar traditions by presenting some of the nominees in a lineup onstage while awarding Oscars in other categories to nominees seated inside the Kodak Theatre. The experiment, designed to eliminate long walks from the back of the auditorium to the stage, was met with a mixed reception, with some critics contending that it reduced nominees in some of the crafts categories to second-class status.

For this year's 78th Annual Academy Awards, which also marks Cates' 13th turn as producer, he has abandoned that plan but is introducing a new one, which he said was "not quite as dramatic as last year." Nominees in some categories will be led to seats in the third and fourth rows during commercial breaks so they can be seen on camera as their names are read. Nominees in other categories will be rotated into the featured seats during commercial breaks. Those in the affected categories will be notified by letter before the show.

Making the annual plea that winners avoid reciting long lists of names as part of their thank-yous, Cates said it is the Oscar winners who are responsible for ensuring an exciting and memorable show. "With this year's crop of grown-up movies, finding and keeping a large audience isn't going to be easy," he said.

Academy president Sid Ganis welcomed 116 of this year's nominees to the luncheon Monday at the Beverly Hilton, noting that if it had not been for the blizzard that hit New York this weekend, the number would have been closer to 120. (The storm prevented such nominees as director Ang Lee and actor Paul Giamatti from attending.)

Ganis recalled that 25 years ago, when the tradition first started, only 45 of 136 nominees attended. Two of that first luncheon's nominees -- Steven Spielberg and editor Michael Kahn, both nominated in 1982 for "Raiders of the Lost Ark" -- attended as nominees this year for "Munich."

Ganis presented former Academy president Richard Kahn, who initiated the first lunch, a plaque recognizing him as "the progenitor" of the low-key luncheon at which nominees mingle and gather for the annual Oscar class photo.

On the way to lunch, a number of nominees also offered a few words to the press.

"I'm riding high," said Felicity Huffman, best actress nominee for "Transamerica." "I'm not going as a seat filler, I'm not going as a caterer, I'm going as myself."

George Clooney, nominated for directing and co-writing "Good Night, and Good Luck" and best supporting actor for his role in "Syriana," joked that he was bringing Vice President Dick Cheney as his guest to the Oscars. "He called me to go hunting and I asked, Why don't you come as my date?"

William Hurt mused on topics ranging from acting to the competitive nature of the American ethic. He said he relished digging deep into his part of the mobster brother in "A History of Violence." He said the day of his first scene, he went to director David Cronenberg and asked, "Do you have the afterburners on? Because I really want to turn it on."

"Pride & Prejudice" best actress nominee Keira Knightley, who has been shooting the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel in the Bahamas, said castmates Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom have been ribbing her since the nomination. "They've been taking the piss out of me. Every time I do a take, they say, 'Oh, is that an Oscar-nominated take?' " she said.

"Hustle & Flow" best actor nominee Terrence Howard said he has received advice from former best actor nominee Will Smith on how to handle the attention. "He said, 'For the next month, each person nominated is a winner. So enjoy it,' " Howard said.