Directors and Producers make a deal, so why not the Writers?

LA Times is reporting that the DGA and the AMPTP have reached an agreement. It sounds like it was much more reasonable than what was offered the writers:

The contract covering 13,400 members guarantees directors a $1,260 fixed residual payment for one-hour TV dramas streamed over the Internet in the first year, compared with $250 the studios had offered writers. The studios also would be entitled to a 24-day promotional window in the first year, and a 17-day window in the second year. After the first year, writers would receive 2% of the distributor's gross revenue.

When movies are sold online, directors will receive the current DVD royalty, 0.36% on the first 50,000 downloads, and 0.65% thereafter. Directors would get a 0.36% residual for the first 100,000 downloads of their TV episodes, and 0.7% after that.

Directors received jurisdiction over Web episodes based on existing scripted shows and original Web shows above a certain budget threshold. For instance, Web series costing less than $500,000 would be exempted.

The deal contains a so-called revisit clause that allows contract provisions to be adjusted after the three-year term.

So why SO much better than what was offered writers?
I'm starting to think that there's something to those rumblings (practically conspiracy theories) of studios using the strike to "clean house"...

Story @ LA Times

SAG and AFTRA News for August 1st: Good, Bad, and Ugly

A bunch of stories to link out here.

SAG REAFFIRMS 'PHASE ONE' WITH AFTRA (Hollywood Reporter)

Why they would do this I dont know. Basically 'Phase One' means that at negotiations SAG and AFTRA have an equal number of seats at the table. I think this is ... well ... dumb. SAG has a lot more members. If SAG has twice as many members, they should have twice as many seats (though I think the actual difference is 10 to 7 in SAG's favor).
I did find this interesting though:

"Now here's the catch, The final, amended wording of the resolution stated a desire to tinker with how Phase One is implemented during negotiations. Specifically, SAG may try to implement so-called bloc voting on the negotiating committee, sources said. Representation still would be apportioned 50-50, but SAG votes would automatically be counted as a unanimous bloc in favor of whatever position is carried by a majority of SAG reps on the committee. "So if, say, eight SAG committee members want to vote for a position and two are against, through bloc-voting all 10 votes would count as being for the position," a labor community insider explained."

Variety also has a quick write up of the same situation HERE.

AFTRA FORGES ALLIANCE WITH IATSE (Hollywood Reporter)

Interesting development here. With SAG circling the wagons, hoping into bed with the WGA and DGA, and working really hard against Fi-Cores, it looks like AFTRA is trying to reach out to other unions also:

"It grows out of our desire to strike strategic alliances with a large number of entertainment unions," AFTRA spokesman John Hinrichs said of the IATSE announcement. "We have worked with IATSE in the past on a number of ventures, (and) what this says is that we're gong to sit down to figure out ways of working together to benefit our members on a continuing basis."Hinrichs added, "There are no plans at this point to merge."

AFTRA and IATSE?


And lastly:

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD MAY PUSH FOR STRIKE (ASSOCIATED CONTENT)

'Nuff said yeah?

"Other unions, like the Screen Actors Guild have become increasingly concerned at the prospects of a work stoppage sometime within the next year driven by unhappy members that feel they've been treated unfairly by the studios. While SAG's contract doesn't officially expire until July of 2008, and while the Writers Guild expires later this fall, they appear to have many common goals and fears: a general labor strike.
Between the big three, the WGA is considered to be the most militant of the guilds, that is to say they are the most willing to strike if several issues that have been simmering on the back burner since as far back as the 1980s are not addressed this time around, while the Directors Guild of America has been the most pacifist, having never struck in their entire existence.
All three unions are particularly frustrated over the studio's refusal change the residual formula for DVDs, and at least for the WGA, their refusal to even negotiate a new formula for the emerging download and streaming market.
The Screen Actors Guild jointly negotiates its television contract with American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the former of the two having significantly more members and operates more closely to that of a blue collar union. Factions have developed within SAG that are angry over AFTRA's practice of signing contracts with productions for lower wages than are required by the SAG contracts, which they feel severely undercut their bargaining power."


Whew...

Internet Income Big Issue as Hostile Hollywood Labor Talks Begin, Are We Looking at a Strike?

Hollywood Today has a long and well written article on the impending WGA negotiation, and it's impacts on "New Media". I see these being instrumental to the future of the entertainment industry, especially as the people that actually create this content seem to get hosed on every new platform that emerges (Cable, Home Video, etc).
Now some people think that October is going to be the hot month, but I think it's more likely that serious action wont be taken until actors contracts are up in June 2008.

"With the threat of a strike looming, tense talks kick off today between movie and TV producers and unionized script writers over . While aimed at a contract expiring in October, some insiders believe that ultimately the acrimonious battle over digital compensation could push a final agreement to June 2008, when actor’s contracts are up as well.

That could set the stage for an epic labor showdown in Tinseltown pitting corporate owned, bottom-line oriented management — facing a rapidly changing marketplace – against creative talent (writers and actors) who feel short changed seeing their work pop up on broadband, digital, online, wireless and in other new media markets."

While I do believe something NEEDS to happen here, I'm just not convinced that a strike will accomplish anything. One thing I've learned using these here intarwebs, is there's a lot of user generated (NON UNION) entertainment to consume. Just like the last big strike left us in this reality show hell, I think production will find ways to produce content, and will be able to wait the unions out (thereby "winning" the right to shove another crappy contract down everyone's collective throats).

It's just really frustrating, as there's so much more money to be made out there, and production and unions just seem more interested in "winning"...

Anywho, read on. It is a great write up on what got us to this point and what the potential out comes could be.


read more | digg story

AMPTP wants "Wait and See" for New Media/Distribution

To steal a line from Sexy Beast "NO NONONONONO NO! NONONONONONONO! NO!"

From Broadcast Newsroom:

"All three contracts expire within the next year. But the profit picture for new platforms -- including Internet Streaming, ipod content purchases and video-on-demand -- will be clearer in 24-36 months, they argued.

...

Producers suggested that unions allow for a three-year study of the impact of Internet viewing before new contracts are crafted. Right now the digital landscape is so unpredictable that deals for broadband productions are rarely more than one year, he said."

COME ON! Cable, Home Video, DVD, Video Games, HOW MANY TIMES IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN?!?! If AFTRA, SAG, WGA, and the DGA dont play this round smart I really see disastrous consequences (and strikes) for 2008.

Alternative Distribution Methods Affecting Union Talks

Bout Time the Unions Got Pissed! FIX RESIDUALS!!!

I know, they're technically "guilds"...

Out of the Hollywood Reporter yesterday, Borys Kit writes up a quick article about the WGA possibly hooking up with SAG and the DGA. I've been hearing grumblings of possible strikes happening, but lately it seems that the heat might be turning up soon.
While it would suck for the company I currently work with, I can't say I blame the unions.
Writers, as well as Actors and Directors, were hosed on home video, cable, DVD, interactive, and look to be getting screwed on VOD and "new media". I'm actually surprised that they didn't consider working together sooner...

"Unwilling to go on record for fear of staking out positions that haven't been officially sanctioned by the guild, a number of writers agreed to step forward on the condition of anonymity. Many already are getting their financial houses in order, others are writing furiously to finish scripts for companies that are stockpiling. But one theme comes through loud and clear, and it's a heated paraphrase of the great writer Paddy Chayefsky: Scribes are mad as hell, and they aren't going to take it anymore."I think writers in general are getting sick of being kicked around. There's a lot of fury out there," says one screenwriter who writes for A-listers.
The big issue is money -- specifically, money as it relates to new technology such as Internet downloads and VOD."The model for Internet downloads shouldn't be any different than the model for pay-per-view, or the model for DVDs, or any other means of watching entertainment. What the fuck is the difference how someone watches it? If they're watching it and I've written it, I should get paid for it," the writer says."

Read the rest Here!
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