"The Aviator" is just one of the movies to see its list of credited producers shortened from four to three for the Oscar race. According to E! Online, this is a rule adopted by the Academy in response to the 1998 episode when five producers went on stage to accept the Best Picture Oscar for "Shakespeare in Love." That episode also prompted the Producers Guild of America to crackdown on credit creep by instating the rule that to receive credit, a producer must have decision-making power in at least one of four areas; filmmaking-development, preproduction, production or postproduction/marketing. "Ray" and "Million Dollar Baby" are two other Oscar contenders to see its producers list shortened.
