‘Erin Brockovich’ Producer Sues Academy to Demand Vote on

“Erin Brockovich” producer Michael Shamberg has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences saying the board violated its bylaws when they didn’t permit for a vote on his proposal for a revised social media technique.

Shamberg, who’s a tenured AMPAS member who additionally unsuccessfully ran for a board seat again in June, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court and accused the Academy’s board of rejecting his proposal with out following the right guidelines. He’s asking for a choose to rule that not simply the board, however all AMPAS members should vote on his bylaw amendments.

In January, Shamberg met with the Academy to suggest amending AMPAS’ bylaws to incorporate “state of the art social media” and “an annual member survey” to be able to handle what he says are the declining “relevance” of the Oscars. In an connected exhibit he introduced to the board known as “The Relevance Project,” he stated that the Academy “doesn’t tell its own story very well” and doesn’t faucet into the social media presence of its full membership.

The Academy declined to remark.

The Academy’s basic counsel Scott Miller stated in a letter to Shamberg’s lawyer (as obtained by the New York Times) that the Academy’s board gave Shamberg “abundant consideration” for his proposals and was capable of current “The Relevance Project” to the board in particular person.

“The fact that Mr. Shamberg disagrees with the academy’s social media strategy does not mean the board has failed to exercise reasonable business judgment in that area,” Miller wrote. “And it does not mean Mr. Shamberg is entitled to supplant their judgment with his.”

Though Oscars rankings have undeniably declined over the past decade, the Academy’s social media has 2.6 million followers on Instagram, 3.6 million on Twitter and is approaching Three million on Facebook, and the Oscars digital pre-show even gained an Emmy

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.