The Oscars team says the 98th Academy Awards aims to feel warm, tight and built for both the room and viewers at home. The show's producers are finishing final preparations with host Conan O’Brien, planned performances, tributes and a spotlight for the newer casting award. Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor and CEO Bill Kramer say they start planning earlier now. They say that cuts panic and helps the show flow. Ratings keep rising since the 2021 slump, helped by streaming on Hulu and outreach to younger viewers online. They also promise a big, emotional in memoriam.