In whittling down 800 people for the Oscars' In Memoriam segment, "it's impossible to be fair"

Vanity Fair

The Oscar telecast has only featured the In Memoriam segment since 1994, yet making the cut of 40 to 45 names showcased in the two- to four-minute segment has become competitive in recent years. A committee meets in January to cut down the names over the course of many hours. “It’s all about status," a source tells Vanity Fair. 'It’s impossible to be fair. You try, every year, to add in a certain number of editors and art directors. It’s about a person’s prominence in their field, and you don’t want to just go with the movie stars or the big-time directors.”