Do E-Mail Ads Work?

The executive committee of the producers branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences imposed the penalty on Chartier, who violated Oscar rules that prohibit mailings promoting a flm and disparaging another. Chartier sent an e-mail February. 19 to some academy members asking for their support for "The Hurt Locker," "not a "$500 million flm" an obvious reference to blockbuster best-picture contender "Avatar."



Subsequent e-mails, posted by the Los Angeles Times, showed Chartier asking Oscar voters to rank "The Hurt Locker" at No. 1 and "Avatar" at No. 10 among this year's expanded best-picture lineup of 10 flms. Chartier apologized in a subsequent e-mail. "My naiveté, ignorance of the rules and plain stupidity as a frst-time nominee is not an excuse for this behavior and I strongly regret it," Chartier wrote. "The Hurt Locker" and "Avatar" have been at the head of the pack throughout awards season, they feld with nine nominations each.

"Avatar" won the Golden Globe for best drama, but "The Hurt Locker" has dominated honors from critics and key Hollywood trade groups, including guilds representing directors, writers and producers.

At last month's British Academy Film Awards, "The Hurt Locker" also won out over "Avatar," taking six prizes, including best picture. Chartier is one of four producers listed on the flm's best-picture nomination, along with "Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow, screenwriter Mark Boal and Greg Shapiro. Bigelow and "Avatar" director James Cameron were married from 1989 to 1991.

The penalty against Chartier did not affect the other three producers, who were free to attend the Oscars.

The academy announced its sanction against Chartier as Oscar balloting closed. The producer’s branch stopped short of the harsher penalty of rescinding Chartier's nomination, which would have kept him from receiving an Oscar statuette when his flm won.

Oscar rivalry is ferce, with flmmakers and distributors coveting awards wins both for bragging rights and for the bounce in box-offce or DVD revenues an Oscar triumph brings. The academy keeps a tight rein on awards campaigning. "You would hope it wouldn't have happened," said Tom Sherak, academy president. It did not cloud what was the eventual winner or did it. This was an individual thing that happened. Will email ads be used again? Were they effective? Well here are the facts 6 of 24 Oscars went to “The Hurt Locker.” It was a very good movie!