Tv, Movie Writers On Strike

[EvesDilemma]

Although Smallville sucks butt, this is sad for the rest of the shows. But I don't blame them-they wrote the material-they really should be getting a lion's share of the money.

Writers say they will go on strike
No progress in talks with producers
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
updated 12:44 a.m. ET, Fri., Nov. 2, 2007
LOS ANGELES - Television and movie screen writers said Thursday they would go on strike for the first time in nearly 20 years in a dispute over royalties.

Four writers told The Associated Press that Writers Guild of America President Patric Verrone made the announcement in a closed-door session, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

“There was a unified feeling in the room. I don’t think anyone wants the strike, but people are behind the negotiation committee,” said Dave Garrett, screen writer for the movie “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.”

Writers said the guild board would meet Friday to formally call a strike and decide when it would start. They said guild members would be told Friday afternoon.

Nick Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said in a statement the alliance was not surprised by the action.

“We are ready to meet and are prepared to close this contract this weekend,” he said.

Officials had called a meeting of the union’s 12,000 members for Thursday night.

Guild members recently authorized their negotiators to call the first strike since 1988, if necessary.

Writers said the line of questioning inside the meeting wasn’t whether the group was going to strike, but how it would be carried out. The mood was subdued as writers filed out of the building.

Janis Hirsch, a veteran TV writer, was among the 10 percent who voted against striking.

“It’s sad, but I’ve got to support my union. At this point it makes sense,” she said.

Many writers said that beyond royalties, respect was at stake. They said they had never commanded the same clout in the entertainment industry as actors and directors.

“I don’t think it’s something we can negotiate for,” said Paul Guay, who co-wrote the movies “Liar, Liar” and “Heartbreakers.” “What we can negotiate for is money. How we assess respect and worth in this town is money.”

The first casualty of the strike will likely be late-night talk shows, which are dependent on current events to fuel monologues and other entertainment.

The strike will not immediately affect film or prime-time TV production. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.


The key financial issue in the talks involves changing the formula for paying writers a share of DVD revenue, then applying the same equation to money made from material offered over the Internet and other digital platforms.

Studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, are dead set against increasing DVD royalties.

Writers and actors have been fighting for years to reverse what they see as a huge mistake made at the dawn of home video, when no one was sure if selling movies on VHS cassettes would ever make money.

The unions agreed to ignore the first 80 percent of revenue from the tapes and later DVDs, assuming most of the money represented the cost of manufacturing and distribution.

Writers settled for just 1.2 percent of the remaining 20 percent, a figure that amounts to about 3 cents on a DVD that retails for $20.

Writers are now asking for their share to be calculated on 40 percent of revenue and argue the same formula should be used for digital distribution because studios have almost no costs associated with that technology.

Consumers are expected to spend $16.4 billion on DVDs this year, according to Adams Media Research.

By contrast, studios could generate about $158 million from selling movies online and about $194 million from selling TV shows over the Web.

“Every incremental window of distribution has added revenue and profitability to the business model,” said Anthony DiClemente, an entertainment analyst for Lehman Brothers Equity Research. “Digital is likely to be a positive thing for the studios.”

Studios argue that it is too early to know how much money they can make from offering entertainment on the Internet, cell phones, iPods and other devices.

Producers are uncertain whether consumers prefer a pay-per-view model over an advertising-supported system. They want the economic flexibility to experiment as consumer habits change in reaction to technology.

The negotiations had revolved as much around emotions as economics, said Doug Wood, a partner with the law firm of Reed Smith who has negotiated with actors on behalf of advertising agencies.

“The industry negotiates form logic, and the creative community negotiates from emotion,” he said. “Trying to understand those differences on both sides of the table is a big challenge in any of these negotiations.”

This breaking news story will be updated.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21570821/


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MSN Privacy . Legal
© 2007 MSNBC.com

[roxygirl]

yep. i was wondering when the official announcement would come (or if i had missed it). my old roommate is in the writer's guild and they've been talking about it for months (in LA, where you can't get away from industry talk).

i'm interested to see how this plays out. but i agree with you, eve. whether or not the shows are going downhill (*cough* grey's anatomy! *cough*) they truly do deserve that money ...

[Sekhmet]

Though I can't imagine TV writing getting any worse (I'm down to watching like 2-3 shows), I do support the writers. They deserve those royalties.

That said, all I know is that the writers for MY two "favoritest" shows have had SUPER hiatuses (over a year) so I don't want to hear no mess about a strike when they're both slated to return -- January and February '08. With a whole year off, the whole season for Lost and Battlestar Galactica had better be written AND filmed! Or else! http://www.snartmamma.com/plassen/images/smilies/irritert.gif They can't afford to lose any more viewers than they already have with such long azz breaks.

[GalaxyGirl2012]

:Angry:

of course my loyalty is with the writers but i understand that a strike will affect thousands of people, not just writers AND not just people who work on film and movie sets.

considering that television shows through TV sets will very soon become something of the past, they need to make sure they ensure some of that internet and new media $$ from the studios cus right now they get..oh NOTHING

but check this out (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/hollywood-moguls-sound-strike-happy-see-new-tv-season-as-dead-already/).. sounds like tv execs want a strike because the new TV season is a bust. there's already been one scripted show (viva laughlin) getting the boot and there are lots more that are teetering on the edge of never returning if there's a strike that lasts long. unffortunately heroes is one of those shows :(

they can always throw on more dancing with the survivor stars or deal or no deal part 3 because the writers (and reality tv is scripted to a certain extent :ninj: ) on those programs aren't WGA members (one of the things the guild want) and so they can be required to work. by the reality tv is like the nike soccer ball factory of writing, those people get very little pay, NO health benefits and get fired when they make a dissenting peep.

jon stewart (http://defamer.com/hollywood/long-goodbyes/jon-stewart-savors-his-last-pre%20strike-moments-of-having-words-to-use-318485.php?autoplay=true) on the strike



i had a link of all the films that were being rushed through and there were some :pointlaugh: doozies on there.
if i find it again i'll post it.

but theory is that a strike really wouldnt affect film until 6 months or so from now. unless of course some of those people are actually writing in secret under a blanket during the strike

[GalaxyGirl2012]

:D
found the list (http://moviewhores.tribe.net/thread/aed37fc0-2836-4a14-b1cf-963b1edaa8cc)

[GalaxyGirl2012]

if after i sale my mega block buster sci-fi trilogy and kids movie sequels i EVER get this out of touch with reality and become this elitist, i give you all permission to :icon_twak:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=v7vHxw6El0E

[erinm]

I'm with the writers., but good lord TV has been miserable this season. I caught a re-run of "Homicide: Life on the Street" on some channel last week, and it almost made me want to cry. What happened to good writing?


:offtop: Why the crap are they re-making The Day the Earth Stood Still. With Keanu freaking Reeves of all people?!

[Queencece]

IA with the writers. They do deserve that money.
TV does suck nowadays. I don&#39;t even watch HALF the stuff on CBS, NBC, FOX, etc that I used to. <_<

[GalaxyGirl2012]

and it&#39;s a strike. pickets are up several places in LA. here in NYC it&#39;s just rockefeller center.

i might be wrong but i think the writer&#39;s are asking for 2.5% of reuse content from net and streaming vid, so for a $1 episode from itunes or amazon unbox ( :offtop: anyone use that amazon crap?) little maria the writer could get $.025.

so word is if the strike lasts longer than a month or so (which it looks like it will) that will be the end of the CW. I like supernatural :(

[GalaxyGirl2012]

a message from a presidential hopeful (obama)

"I stand with the writers. The Guild&#39;s demand is a test of whether media corporations are going to give writers a fair share of the wealth their work creates or continue concentrating profits in the hands of their executives. I urge the producers to work with the writers so that everyone can get back to work."

yippie... he strikes me as someone really into lost and 24 :lol: . and any candidate willing to take a stand against mega corps definitely has my interest!


and a report from a teamster. why mega corps have to be so evil?

"Yes I am a teamster and yes I’ve been black listed for supporting your cause at your studio.. Disney filed a black list for any teamster who would’nt cross the line. So when your strike is over.. and you return to work .. The few Teamsters that supported the strike will not be invited back.."

[GalaxyGirl2012]

eve&#39;s in case you havent heard, a bunch of whedon fans sent pizzas to the picketers at universal :)

this just in, fox changes line-up dates. The big news is 24!



24: DAY 7: Indefinitely postponed (was supposed to be Jan 13/14). this might also have something to do with the fact that kiefer might be soon living his own version of prison break
American Idol: Jan. 15-16
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Jan. 13-14 <--- I think that&#39;s a feature
Bones: Jan. 4 (Moving to Mondays) (supposed to be Sept 19)
Prison Break: Jan. 14 (Also moving to Mondays) (part 2 of season)

[Sekhmet]

this just in, fox changes line-up dates. The big news is 24!
24: DAY 7: Indefinitely postponed (was supposed to be Jan 13/14). this might also have something to do with the fact that kiefer might be soon living his own version of prison break[/b]

:lol:

[gigglezk]

a message from a presidential hopeful (obama)

"I stand with the writers. The Guild&#39;s demand is a test of whether media corporations are going to give writers a fair share of the wealth their work creates or continue concentrating profits in the hands of their executives. I urge the producers to work with the writers so that everyone can get back to work."

yippie... he strikes me as someone really into lost and 24 :lol: .
[/b]


You know I love me some Obama. On an interview about a year or so ago before he announced his run, he said that he tivo&#39;s Lost and tries to catch it when he can :D

[Karibana]

So Ellen DeGeneres has not been making any friends because she continues to cross the picket line to do her show unlike the late night hosts. Her explanation is that her fans made plans to come to see her show and she doesn&#39;t want to disappoint them. According to this blog (http://dantobindantobin.com/blog/) written by one of the strikers, she is not very grateful toward her staff and is not the nice person she acts like on TV.

[Sekhmet]

So Ellen DeGeneres has not been making any friends because she continues to cross the picket line to do her show unlike the late night hosts. Her explanation is that her fans made plans to come to see her show and she doesn&#39;t want to disappoint them. According to this blog (http://dantobindantobin.com/blog/) written by one of the strikers, she is not very grateful toward her staff and is not the nice person she acts like on TV.[/b]

How disappointing :( .

[EvesDilemma]

eve&#39;s in case you havent heard, a bunch of whedon fans sent pizzas to the picketers at universal :)

Bones: Jan. 4 (Moving to Mondays) (supposed to be Sept 19)
[/b]

MAMA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aw man, Bones was one of the few shows this season that I actually enjoyed watching. :(

Boo on Ellen. :Angry:

[EvesDilemma]

Yo Galaxy-I was searching to find out how far into the season Smallville was going and came across this- I think the more interesting piece is the one from the writer who blogged on their experience of how writers are viewed-so sad since without them, nothing really gets made.
http://svfan.com/content/view/213/25

[GalaxyGirl2012]

yeah writers are on the low end of the totem pole :( . i think because the perception is that writers work alone and don&#39;t have people skills. i&#39;ve gone to a few seminars on pitching and they (other writers) make it seem as if that&#39;s harder for writers to do since it involves selling yourself and interacting with others

plus there&#39;s the perception (sometimes true) that writers are temperamental and on the verge of a nervous breakdown :lol: so i can see why execs wouldn&#39;t want to have to many dealings with writers. i&#39;ve said it before... writers are a little bit nutty and flighty, that&#39;s why writers have agents to serve as buffer between artist and suit :lol:

latest news is that some agents are trying to get involved to get both sides back to talking.seems like a good idea because that&#39;s what agents do.

last week a bunch of those showrunners who arent showing up for work (almost all of them) were reminded that they can be held in breach of contract and can be sued (cbs). some have been suspended (for fox). not sure is nbc or abc has said anything yet because abc&#39;s big shows

i cant wait until the next season of entourage starts because i can only imagine how funny they&#39;ll handle the strike.

[EvesDilemma]

yeah writers are on the low end of the totem pole :( . i think because the perception is that writers work alone and don&#39;t have people skills. i&#39;ve gone to a few seminars on pitching and they (other writers) make it seem as if that&#39;s harder for writers to do since it involves selling yourself and interacting with others

plus there&#39;s the perception (sometimes true) that writers are temperamental and on the verge of a nervous breakdown :lol: so i can see why execs wouldn&#39;t want to have to many dealings with writers. i&#39;ve said it before... writers are a little bit nutty and flighty, that&#39;s why writers have agents to serve as buffer between artist and suit :lol:

latest news is that some agents are trying to get involved to get both sides back to talking.seems like a good idea because that&#39;s what agents do.

last week a bunch of those showrunners who arent showing up for work (almost all of them) were reminded that they can be held in breach of contract and can be sued (cbs). some have been suspended (for fox). not sure is nbc or abc has said anything yet because abc&#39;s big shows

i cant wait until the next season of entourage starts because i can only imagine how funny they&#39;ll handle the strike.
[/b]
I just saw that about the showrunners on MSNBC-I&#39;m glad to see they are taking a stand and supporting the writers though.

My, greed can be a nasty thing-and I honestly think that&#39;s the real issue of those who don&#39;t want to come up off the money to the people who rightfully deserve it :Angry:

[jaimuziq]

:D
found the list (http://moviewhores.tribe.net/thread/aed37fc0-2836-4a14-b1cf-963b1edaa8cc)
[/b]


I noticed Spike Lee was on that list for "The Los Angeles Riots".




So Ellen DeGeneres has not been making any friends because she continues to cross the picket line to do her show unlike the late night hosts. Her explanation is that her fans made plans to come to see her show and she doesn&#39;t want to disappoint them. According to this blog (http://dantobindantobin.com/blog/) written by one of the strikers, she is not very grateful toward her staff and is not the nice person she acts like on TV.
[/b]

Shame on you Ellen. The networks have been making millions for years, give the writers whatever they want. :Angry:

[EvesDilemma]

It must be strike fever-now the stagehands on Broadway have gone on strike, shutting down several major shows!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21717187/

[GalaxyGirl2012]

and the tv and radio news writers for cbs will be voting on thursday about a strike. their contract expired april 2005!!

i think people in this country dont strike enough. that&#39;s why mega corps have gotten so big for their britches. of course mega corps will always be mega corps but it&#39;s good to kick &#39;em in da nuts every now and then like they do in europe :lol:


http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/james-hibberd/...fan_support.php (http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/james-hibberd/2007/11/strikers_gain_fan_support.php)

Strikers Gain Fan Support

Battlestar GalacticaAlthough the Writers Guild of America &#39;s pre-strike media campaign was criticized as sluggish, the guild&#39;s headline-grabbing series of protests last week have managed to attract the sympathy of some viewers.

Seventeen entertainment blogs—among them Televisionary, Give Me My Remote and Glowy Box—will go dark Tuesday, replacing their sites with WGA solidarity statements.

"Some people thought we&#39;d be against the writers because our favorite shows are going away, but we wanted to show that some things are more important than a few shows airing full season," says Glowy Box blogger Liz Pardue, who organized tomorrow&#39;s "blog strike." "There needs to be an education effort made and we&#39;re trying to do our part."

Entertainment Weekly reports that 3,000 "Battlestar Galactica" fans, in town for a convention, are pledging to join a picket line with the show&#39;s writing staff at Universal Studios on Friday.

This morning, “CSI” fans funded a Burbank aerial banner fly-by with a statement of support.

Fan site AintItCoolNews.com and others have linked to a petition supporting the writers that claims more than 44,000 signatures. “The sooner the strike is settled, the sooner the writers can return Dwight Schrute, Nancy Botwin, Chloe O’Brien and Hurley Reyes to us,” the site says.

By putting showrunners front and center last week, the WGA managed to emphasize that original episodes of fan favorites such as “The Office,” “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” are at risk. The guild also crystallized its complex contract dispute around the singular topic of online downloads. This week, the WGA plans to put more prime-time actors on the picket line to continue feeding the media mill.

In this regard, the networks and studios have thus far been at a disadvantage.

The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers has impressive executives in front of the microphones, but nobody who has come across as sympathetic or relatable. Statements by media moguls such as CBS President Leslie Moonves and News Corp. President Peter Chernin shrugging off the strike are also, in effect, shrugging off the concerns of their viewers.

Moreover, the AMPTP argument that the strike hurts below-the-line workers could effectively paint writers as unduly selfish for going on strike, especially right before the holidays—if it weren’t being undermined when Mr. Chernin says the strike is “probably a positive.” And: “We save more money in term deals and, you know, story costs and probably the lack of making pilots than we lose in potential advertising."

Makes it tougher to argue writers are being greedy when you’re pointing out the bottom-line benefit of hundreds of employees losing their jobs.

----
that bold part is mine. i guess the fox people don&#39;t care if they lose a season because their main money maker is idol.

[jaimuziq]

^^^^ Maybe folks need to boycott Idol and hit FOX where it hurts. ^_^

[GalaxyGirl2012]

ellen has cancelled her ny show.

and i didnt realize that idol has been the #1 show for the past 3 years!!!

[GalaxyGirl2012]

strike updates:

- dave letterman is paying his non writing staff members out his own pocket until the end of the year if the strike lasts that long.

- john edwards picketed nbc with some wga members in LA.

- production on the sequel to da vinci code, angels and demons (how the heck is it a sequel when that book came first?) is being pushed back from 2008 to 2009 because they need script fixing.

- it doesn&#39;t sound like there&#39;s any behind the scenes negotiations going on.

and impact on tv shows:
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news...1a-13c8ff442a9a (http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=9095eb1b-3e66-46a5-841a-13c8ff442a9a)


PRIME TIME:
The Amazing Race (CTV, CBS) - Unaffected.

America&#39;s Next Top Model (Citytv, CW) - Unaffected.

Back to You (Global, Fox) - Production suspended indefinitely.

Beauty & the Geek (CW) - Unaffected.

The Big Bang Theory (A-Channel, CBS) - Production suspended indefinitely.

Boston Legal (E!, ABC) - 11 episodes are ready, with the last new episode scheduled to air Dec. 18.

Brothers & Sisters (Global, ABC) -Two new episodes are confirmed, with the final new episode to air Nov. 25. Production continues, but may be suspended any day.

Cane (Global, CBS) - All 13 episodes are expected to be ready, although filming was disrupted briefly Monday and the production moved to a different location. No more episodes have been ordered.

Carpoolers (ABC) - All 13 episodes have been filmed. No new episodes have been ordered.

Cashmere Mafia (Global/E!, ABC) - Initially scheduled to debut on Nov. 27. Delayed indefinitely.

Cavemen (ABC) - Nearly all 13 episodes are ready. No more episodes have been ordered.

CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York (CTV, CBS) - 13 of 22 scheduled episodes are expected to be ready, with the final new episodes scheduled to air the week of Nov. 26.

Dancing with the Stars (CTV, ABC) - Unaffected.

Desperate Housewives (CTV, ABC) - Nine of 22 episodes have been filmed. The last new episode is scheduled to air Dec. 2. Production has otherwise been suspended indefinitely.

Dirty Sexy Money (CTV, ABC) - 11 episodes completed of initial 13. No more episodes have been ordered.

ER (CTV, NBC) - Eight episodes have been made. Scripts are ready for another three, with the final new episode scheduled to air Dec. 6.

Family Guy (Global, Fox) - Unaffected. Entire season has been planned in advance.

Friday Night Lights (Global, NBC) - 15 of 22 episodes are expected to be completed.

Gossip Girl (CTV, CW) - 13 episodes are expected. Another nine have been ordered, for a full season complement of 22, but will not be made until the strike is settled.

Grey&#39;s Anatomy (CTV, ABC - 10 episodes are expected to be ready, though production on a two-part episode scheduled for Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 may be suspended ahead of time.

Heroes (Global, NBC) - 11 episodes are ready, with the final new episode to air Dec. 3.

House (Global, Fox) - Three new episodes are ready, with the final confirmed episode scheduled to air Nov. 27. Production was briefly suspended last week to accommodate star Hugh Laurie, for personal reasons.

Jericho (Citytv, CBS) - All seven episodes are ready. Scheduled for midseason; no debut date as yet.

Journeyman (Global, NBC) - 13 episodes are either made or on the drawing board. No new episodes have been ordered.

Kid Nation (E!, CBS) - Unaffected.

Law & Order (CTV, NBC) - Nine of 22 episodes will be ready. Scheduled for midseason; no debut date as yet.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (CTV) - 10 episodes have been filmed, but production has been suspended on the remaining 12.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (CTV, NBC) - 10 episodes have been filmed, but no decision has been made yet on additional episodes.

Lost (CTV, ABC) - Nine of 16 episodes are expected to be ready. Scheduled for midseason; no debut date as yet.
Medium (CTV, NBC) - Nine of 22 episodes will be ready. Scheduled for midseason; no debut date as yet.

Men in Trees (Citytv, ABC) - 10 new episodes have been filmed; scripts are ready for four more. In addition, five episodes were held over from last season, for a total of 19.

Moonlight (CTV, CBS) - 12 of an initial 13 episodes will be ready. No more episodes have been ordered.

The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) - Production has been suspended. Originally scheduled for midseason; no debut date has been decided for already-filmed episodes.

The Office (Global, NBC) - Still in production, but could be suspended any day. The last confirmed new episode is scheduled to air Nov. 15.

Prison Break (Global, Fox) - Three new episodes are good to go, with the last fresh episode to air Dec. 3. Still in production, but production may be suspended any day.

Rules of Engagement (E!, CBS) - Production suspended indefinitely.

The Simpsons (Global, Fox) - Unaffected. Entire season has been planned in advance.

Scrubs (A-Channel, NBC) - 12 of 18 episodes have been completed in what is officially the show&#39;s final season.

Smallville (CW) - Fresh episodes are expected to air through Jan. 10, subject to last-minute change.

Supernatural (Citytv, CW) - 10 episodes have been filmed, with scripts reportedly ready for five more.

30 Rock (A-Channel, NBC) - Nine of 22 episodes completed. Production on a 10th episode was suspended this week; the show is now on indefinite hiatus.

&#39;Til Death (Global, Fox) - Production suspended indefinitely.

The Tudors (CBC) - 12 episodes have been completed in series&#39; second season. This season will remain unaffected.

Two and a Half Men (A-Channel, CBS) - Production suspended indefinitely.

[GalaxyGirl2012]

good news: both sides have agreed to get back to bargaining Nov 26.

bad news: NBC/Universal has started suspending (without pay) actors because their series are on hiatus. shows include the Office, bionic woman, 30 rock and BSG. I wonder if this means studios will start cancelling contracts with writers.

i&#39;m thinking that come the 26th the AMPTP still won&#39;t offer anything on the internet stuff. Between now and then they&#39;ll do all kinds of nasty things like releasing contracts or putting actors on suspension in the hopes of making the writers agree to anything.

don&#39;t cave writers :(

[vixxen13]

So Ellen DeGeneres has not been making any friends because she continues to cross the picket line to do her show unlike the late night hosts. Her explanation is that her fans made plans to come to see her show and she doesn&#39;t want to disappoint them. According to this blog (http://dantobindantobin.com/blog/) written by one of the strikers, she is not very grateful toward her staff and is not the nice person she acts like on TV.
[/b]
two sides to every story

In defense of ellen (http://perezhilton.com/?p=8568)

ellen speaks (http://perezhilton.com/?p=8538)

[GalaxyGirl2012]

:lol:
ask a ninja on writer&#39;s strike (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qabTVV2wqLU)

[GalaxyGirl2012]

writer&#39;s and management started talks again on the 26th. There was a media blackout until yesterday. Here&#39;s bits and pieces from a press release the WGA prez (the full thing is on the wga.org website if anyone is interested). it doesn&#39;t look like this will be resolved by christmas:

"For streaming television episodes, the companies proposed a residual structure of a single fixed payment of less than $250 for a year&#39;s reuse of an hour-long program (compared to over $20,000 payable for a network rerun). For theatrical product they are offering no residuals whatsoever for streaming."


"In their new proposal, they made absolutely no move on the download formula (which they propose to pay at the DVD rate), and continue to assert that they can deem any reuse "promotional," and pay no residual (even if they replay the entire film or TV episode and even if they make money)."

"In the meantime, we felt it was essential to update you accurately on where negotiations stand. On Wednesday we presented a comprehensive economic justification for our proposals. Our entire package would cost this industry $151 million over three years. That&#39;s a little over a 3% increase in writer earnings each year, while company revenues are projected to grow at a rate of 10%. We are falling behind."


after reading the last paragraph, I kind of see what the issue is. the american industry is expected to grow 10%. The writer&#39;s want 3% of the profits. BUT anything that management gives to writers they will have to give to actors and directors once their contracts are up in June. So 10% industry growth would mean that management would only make 1%.

maybe the issue is why is the american entertainment market not making as much money as it should be?

[GalaxyGirl2012]

a picture i found on the web of diversity day strike at paramount last week.

http://admin.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/wga-diversity-6.jpg

the lady in the fro is Mara Brock Akil showrunner for Girlfriends and the Game.

By the way, reports are that negotiations have broken down.

[jaimuziq]

a picture i found on the web of diversity day strike at paramount last week.

http://admin.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/wga-diversity-6.jpg

the lady in the fro is Mara Brock Akil showrunner for Girlfriends and the Game.

By the way, reports are that negotiations have broken down.
[/b]


I wonder what they are gonna do about the upcoming award shows(Golden Globes and Grammy&#39;s) :unsure:

:wub: Mara&#39;s hair BTW. :)

[gigglezk]

^^^they can get Jimmy Kimmel to do the Soulja Boy again

[JeanBean]

I hope they resolve things soon, cuz as much as I luv Conan O&#39; Brian, I can only watch so many repeats!

[PrincessDrRe]

I&#39;ve been watchin a lot of food network and believe it or not - Cartoon Network - even .... (gasp!) Vh1....

*insert whine here*

[jaimuziq]

^^^they can get Jimmy Kimmel to do the Soulja Boy again
[/b]


OH NO, not again. :noway:

[GalaxyGirl2012]

breaking news:

david letterman&#39;s production company (worldwide pants) maks an interim agreement with the WGA that will give them what they are asking for. late show and late late show will be back on air soon. also, the showrunners for other networks are going to ask the owners of their shows to skip the amptm and negotiate directly with the wga.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/conten...3f8fc558961b80e (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3id192e882e824aeba53f8fc558961b80e)

[taniseka]

breaking news:

david letterman&#39;s production company (worldwide pants) maks an interim agreement with the WGA that will give them what they are asking for. late show and late late show will be back on air soon. also, the showrunners for other networks are going to ask the owners of their shows to skip the amptm and negotiate directly with the wga.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/conten...3f8fc558961b80e (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3id192e882e824aeba53f8fc558961b80e)
[/b]

See now, I heard this today. Can they actually do that? Owners are not in the AMPTA? Unions confuse me.

[EvesDilemma]

See now, I heard this today. Can they actually do that? Owners are not in the AMPTA? Unions confuse me.
[/b]
I didn&#39;t think AMTPA was a union of producers, but more a conglomerate group, like a professional organization, as compared to SAG and WGA which are unions.

[GalaxyGirl2012]

the amptm is a bunch of companies together who normally negotiate as one. i dont get the david letterman thing because he can negotiate a deal if he wants but he still broadcasts on cbs and cbs won&#39;t have any of that.

i have a friend who writes/shoots her own features here in NYC. she was saying that this strike is killing LA where it&#39;s mainly studios who control production but not really hurting independent filmmakers/non studios who live outside of la like in NYC. i would still that that is scabbing even if that independent filmmaker hasnt signed a contract with the WGA

[missladee622]

Anyone got any info Cold Case? I can&#39;t really find anything. That&#39;s the one show I watch faithfully!!!

[GalaxyGirl2012]

as of the strike i read that cold case had 12 episodes in the can. i dont watch the show, have they shown 12 new episodes already? if they have then that&#39;s it until the strike is over.

also you might want to check on some online spots because i think that depending on how long the strike lasts, certain shows might never come back. and since cbs has already decided it will move an edited dexter to it&#39;s line up, maybe they will decide to replace one police/murder show with another?

i was actually looking forward to the sarah connor chronicles but it&#39;s looking like it wont happen :(

[taniseka]

I didn&#39;t think AMTPA was a union of producers, but more a conglomerate group, like a professional organization, as compared to SAG and WGA which are unions.
[/b]

OOOh OK. I getcha ;) thanks.

[missladee622]

as of the strike i read that cold case had 12 episodes in the can. i dont watch the show, have they shown 12 new episodes already? if they have then that&#39;s it until the strike is over.

also you might want to check on some online spots because i think that depending on how long the strike lasts, certain shows might never come back. and since cbs has already decided it will move an edited dexter to it&#39;s line up, maybe they will decide to replace one police/murder show with another?

i was actually looking forward to the sarah connor chronicles but it&#39;s looking like it wont happen :(
[/b]

Thanks for the info!

They&#39;ve probably shown at least 8 or 9...they&#39;ve been teasing us. They&#39;ll show brand new ones for about 2 weeks at a time, and then they show about 2 weeks of re-runs or a made for tv movie. I believe they are trying to stretch them out.

Sarah Connor--I just saw a commerical for that last night...I thought it was still debuting in Janurary.

[EvesDilemma]

Thanks for the info!

They&#39;ve probably shown at least 8 or 9...they&#39;ve been teasing us. They&#39;ll show brand new ones for about 2 weeks at a time, and then they show about 2 weeks of re-runs or a made for tv movie. I believe they are trying to stretch them out.

Sarah Connor--I just saw a commerical for that last night...I thought it was still debuting in Janurary.
[/b]
The way they are running the ads, I&#39;m guessing they&#39;d finished most of the twelve epis that make up a midseason show so we&#39;ll probably still get to see Sarah Connor.

Any word on Bones? That&#39;s my show right there and I&#39;ve heard nothing so far about it.

Galaxy-I agree about the scabbing. I was under the impression that Letterman is paying writers out of his own production company&#39;s profits in line with what they were asking for during negotiations. It would take a whole lot of production companies splitting ranks with the larger group before negotiations get anywhere in my opinion.

[tewalls]

I really wished this strike could have ended a while ago. It&#39;s preventing the transition series in between the Heroes season. I love Heroes and wanted to watch Heroes: Origins until the next season comes on next year. Oh the humanity...

[GalaxyGirl2012]

apparently today there was an LA City council hearing about economic impact of the WGA strike and both the WGA and the AMPTM were supposed to show and testify. The writers showed up but the studios didn&#39;t.

i wonder at what point the governator will step in and force something to happen because pretty much everything is directly or indirectly related to the tv/movie biz in LA.

[BasementBeat]

I really wished this strike could have ended a while ago. It&#39;s preventing the transition series in between the Heroes season. I love Heroes and wanted to watch Heroes: Origins until the next season comes on next year. Oh the humanity...
[/b]


*sigh*
We could have had 12 extra episodes of Heroes this season.

But whenever this Heroes:origins thing behind, I shall closely watch.bb

[GalaxyGirl2012]

good news: on jan 7 maybe all of the late night talk shows with be back AND daily show AND colbert report :D

bad news: they won;t have their writing staffs (unless the strike is over by then)

i&#39;m looking forward to continuing indecision 2008, but i wonder if john and steve will be as funny without backup :unsure:

[winter1820]

we shall see...

im quite curious myself

[GalaxyGirl2012]

damn homeys :(

people were saying that if this werent resolved by xmas season there would be no rush for the big shots to negotiate because the TV season would be declared dead and they probably wouldn&#39;t worry about negotiating until may/june when SAG and Dga contracts are up. well here we are :(


so far only TV has been affected and a few movies that big stars pulled out of because the state of the scripts were so bad.

no more heroes til next season :(

[GalaxyGirl2012]

the beginning of the end?

dave letterman and craig fergusen will be back on FULLY staffed on january 2. they made a deal independantly with the WGA since dave owns that production company.

depending on who you talk to this can either make the wga implode and i read something (the wga official reports) that they hope this will force the other members of the amptm to negotiate. I agee with the first because if i were in the wga, and i found some people were going back to work and worse yet going back to work and helping out companies that we are still striking (putting late night back on helps CBS more so than letterman), while i wasn&#39;t allowed to work and had to picket in the rain and snow... i&#39;d be black girl :Angry: and y&#39;all know that&#39;s beyond mad :lol:

a few people i know who only write films are pissed because they think this makes it clear that this strike is more about television and ignoring the issues that feature writers have.

[NLight1]

Yo all I want to know is can someone come back in and write me a new Grey&#39;s Anatomy :huh: :lol:

The talk shows have been pretty lame so far. I heard that a lot of the strikers were mad that the late night hosts were "betraying" them and coming back. I support them striking and doing what they feel is best, but there are other employees that work for these shows and they have to feed their families too. They aint on strike, why should they have to suffer..which is what a few of the late night hosts have basically said..they came back to support the other employees as well. They all have said they stand behind the writers..but that basically..the show must go on..so other folks can eat too ;)

But again..just one Grey&#39;s Anatomy..purty please :( I miss my show!

[GalaxyGirl2012]

i think the problem is the writer&#39;s are led by writers and not knee breakers :lol:

the idea to split the studios by doing a deal with dave letterman&#39;s worldwide pants first was always a little ridiculous to me. it reminds of those stupid plans to take over the world that pinky and the brain had: why waste your time and energy on something so insignificant as WWP and then think that would make the other production companies fall behind you? it&#39;s not like worldwide pants is DreamWorks :lol:

the only thing it&#39;s seem to have done is split the writers because now since leno is back he admits that he&#39;s been writing his own monologue (which since he&#39;s in the WGA, that&#39;s scabbing) but now the WGA is like Oh crap he&#39;s scabbing but we don&#39;t want to piss him off. meanwhile i&#39;m sure the other studios are just sitting back and laughing at the little babies who think they are playing hard ball.

up til now the public have supported the writers but if the WGA starts going after Leno, then that&#39;s going to change real quick.

what&#39;s even more laughable is that the main issues at stake don&#39;t even apply to wwp : internet reuse and dvd residuals. seriously, do people buy the letterman show on dvd? do they watch it over the net?

if it were me, i wouldnt have done the side deal and just made them all have to work without writers. or if i would have done it, i would have done it with bigger production companies. the news is now that WGA is working on a side contract with tom Cruise&#39;s United Artists production company.

anyway craig ferguson has been freaking hilarious :lol:

[GalaxyGirl2012]

News Updates

1) ABC has invoked force majeure! (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978950.html?categoryid=2821&cs=1&nid=2562)

" Among the ABC Studios talent cut loose: Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah (“What About Brian”), Nina Wass & Gene Stein (“Less Than Perfect”), Bill Callahan (“Scrubs”), Larry Charles (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Sean Bailey (“Project Greenlight”) and the team of Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia (“That ‘70s Show,” “Surviving Christmas”). “Private Practice” thesp Taye Diggs, who had a production deal at ABC Studios with partner-manager Abe Hoch, has also had that pact terminated. "


Notice that they havent pulled the plugs on Lost and Housewives. I wonder how long it will take until the other networks invoke force majeure?


2) The studios have begun negotiations with the directors guild several months early.

3) Weinstein Co ( includes Dimension Films) has signed a side deal with the WGA

4) The Golden Globe boycott that succeeded is almost likely going to be extended to the Oscars.

i wonder if the WGA is actually going after internet and new media distributors like google, apple, microsoft, etc make some deals. if they are so certain that stuff will be primarily seen online or via mp3 players they should just skip the middle man (AMPTM) and negotiate with the new media people.

[Karibana]

From EW.com:

Could the writers&#39; strike be over soon?

Feb 2, 2008, 02:43 PM | by Lynette Rice

Categories: Movie Biz, Strike, TV Biz

Good news from the picket lines. A source close to the negotiations says a tentative deal has been reached between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers. A meeting is scheduled for Monday to tie up the final details. Both sides have been conducting informal negotiations under a shroud of secrecy for several days so their chief negotiators could finally bring an end to the ongoing labor dispute, now in its third month. There&#39;s been a press blackout on the talks, though the WGA has continued to announce interim deals with Hollywood independent producers.

[EvesDilemma]

From EW.com:

Could the writers&#39; strike be over soon?

Feb 2, 2008, 02:43 PM | by Lynette Rice

Categories: Movie Biz, Strike, TV Biz

Good news from the picket lines. A source close to the negotiations says a tentative deal has been reached between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers. A meeting is scheduled for Monday to tie up the final details. Both sides have been conducting informal negotiations under a shroud of secrecy for several days so their chief negotiators could finally bring an end to the ongoing labor dispute, now in its third month. There&#39;s been a press blackout on the talks, though the WGA has continued to announce interim deals with Hollywood independent producers.
[/b]
Yeah I saw this. Too bad it wasn&#39;t in time to save the season-goodbye Bones, we barely saw thee *Sniff sniff*-I wonder what&#39;s going to happen through Itunes for folks who paid for season passes of shows that didn&#39;t have a full season?

[BrnNappyGrl]

Yeah I saw this. Too bad it wasn&#39;t in time to save the season-goodbye Bones, we barely saw thee *Sniff sniff*-I wonder what&#39;s going to happen through Itunes for folks who paid for season passes of shows that didn&#39;t have a full season?
[/b]


They&#39;re going to have to go back to work to produce episodes. The last time this happened (back in the 80&#39;s) the studios made everybody work until the next season began to finish out seasons.

Basically they&#39;re going to forgo summer vacation to get episodes produced, so we will have an abbreviated season of most shows. (at least I&#39;m hoping)

[GalaxyGirl2012]

tentative deal has been reached the wga and meeting with its members to discuss it before they announce it to the public.

i really miss heroes and i miss having to walk around film shots in the neighborhood where i work

[mscarmelc]

ok...the strike is over, when is TV coming back?? :Angry:

(Grey&#39;s, Desperate, The Game...etc)

[GalaxyGirl2012]

ok...the strike is over, when is TV coming back?? :Angry:

(Grey&#39;s, Desperate, The Game...etc)
[/b]
i think for most shows the season is over so you&#39;ll have to wait until september or october when the new season begins

[taniseka]

ok...the strike is over, when is TV coming back?? :Angry:

(Grey&#39;s, Desperate, The Game...etc)
[/b]

I think they&#39;re working on Grey&#39;s and DH right now. We might see some episodes in April. *fingers crossed*

I&#39;m actually glad Heroes isn&#39;t back cause they need to do some serious storytelling come Fall.