WGA Writers' Strike
POSTED BY: Raycheetah
UPDATED: Thursday, February 28, 2008 16:10
VIEWED: 18272
PAGE 7 of 10
Was just over at Whedonsque and saw this post from Joss http://whedonesque.com/comments/14772 It's about a pencil sending campaign in support of the WGA.
David
'Geeks can't admit that anything worthwhile was invented before 1981. Soon, "making cocoa" will be called "milk hacking."' - Lore Sjoberg
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Quote:
Chrisisall originally posted: (quoting Joss) But take that differential, apply it to someone who’s just getting by when they deserve better. Now take it and… well, just take it
XD he's so silly sometimes, but so right. good for him.
Quote:
RayCheetah originally posted:
I see the studio heads as bein' akin to Patience:
"I have a rule. I never let go of money I don't have to."
Which is why they're runnin' things, and, the writers are still in their dinky, little jobs, sniffing for scraps.
That needs to change.
As Mal told Patience,
"I do the job. And then I get paid."
Wish I was close enough to drop the picketers by some pizzas and candy bars.
a-kriffing-men. I'd join ya in a heartbeat.
I'm kinda disturbed that this has even been happening, I always thought the writers got a cut of what they create, as would be just and fair. bastages..the studio people, not the writers.
__________________________
Have you ever wondered why in a dream you can touch a falling sky?
Or fly to the heavens that watch over you?
"I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar."
A man is least himself when he speaks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will show you his true self.
You can't take the sky from me...
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Just a reminder. Getcher pencils out to the Moguls here:
http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/2007/11/mighty-pencil-how-to-suppo
rt-writers.html
Be sure to enter the show/writer you support (e.g., Firefly/Joss Whedon) in the box under the yellow "Buy Now" button, before you proceed.
Then, before you complete the transaction, on the next page, you can enter your comments to the Moguls, like, "That was $X I might have spent this weekend on movie tickets, DVDs, and the like. I hope you enjoy the pencils."
On the first page, you can also hit the red (More Information) link, which takes you to a slightly different page, chock full of detailed, well, information about how to support the strike. There're neat videos, too, which clearly are the best creative outlet our Writers have, right now.
All it takes is about a minute, and, as little as a buck, either through PayPal, or, by credit card. I did it, and, I feel like a hundred bucks!
Let's make sure the studios NEVER forget that we're out here, and, whose side we're on.
-Raycheetah =^[.]^=
The enjoyment of any good thing is only enhanced by sharing it with others.
http://fans4writers.com/ support the WGA writers strike
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=30176
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there's a rumor going around that a deal has been
struck--
but Anon writer has a good take on the "done" deal
summarized by
"They [AMPTP] pretend (again) like there’s an outline of
an agreement to be had, but meanwhile they have
spent the past weekend figuring out how to walk
away from the table and blame us for the
breakdown, in a way they are convinced will stick.
Things can’t get much worse for them and it
wouldn’t be surprising if the moguls get rid of
Nick Counter as soon as the strike is finally
over, so there’s nothing for their side to lose by
trying this.
They are Lucy with the football and we are going
to fall for it again."
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/dare-we-hope-a-deal-has-been-str
uck/
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Date: November 29, 2007 9:00:43 PM CST
Subject: [BuffyAngelFirefly] WGA Response
Reply-To: BuffyAngelFirefly@ yahoogroups. com
http://community. livejournal. com/wga_supporte rs/124458. html
WGA Response
To Our Fellow Members,
After four days of bargaining with the AMPTP, we are writing to let you know that, though we are still at the table, the press blackout has been lifted.
Our inability to communicate with our members has left a vacuum of information that has been filled with rumors, both well intentioned and deceptive.
Among the rumors was the assertion that the AMPTP had a groundbreaking proposal that would make this negotiation a "done deal." In fact, for the first three days of this week, the companies presented in essence their November 4 package with not an iota of movement on any of the issues that matter to writers.
Thursday morning, the first new proposal was finally presented to us. It dealt only with streaming and made-for-Internet jurisdiction, and it amounts to a massive rollback.
For streaming television episodes, the companies proposed a residual structure of a single fixed payment of less than $250 for a year'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.
For made-for-Internet material, they offered minimums that would allow a studio to produce up to a 15 minute episode of network-derived web content for a script fee of $1300. They continued to refuse to grant jurisdiction over original content for the Internet.
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).
The AMPTP says it will have additional proposals to make but, as of Thursday evening, they have not been presented to us. We are scheduled to meet with them again on Tuesday.
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'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.
For Sony, this entire deal would cost $1.68 million per year. For Disney $6.25 million. Paramount and CBS would each pay about $4.66 million, Warner about $11.2 million, Fox $6.04 million, and NBC/Universal $7.44 million. MGM would pay $320,000 and the entire universe of remaining companies would assume the remainder of about $8.3 million per year. As we've stated repeatedly, our proposals are more than reasonable and the companies have no excuse for denying it.
The AMPTP's intractability is dispiriting news but it must also be motivating. Any movement on the part of these multinational conglomerates has been the result of the collective action of our membership, with the support of SAG, other unions, supportive politicians, and the general public. We must fight on, returning to the lines on Monday in force to make it clear that we will not back down, that we will not accept a bad deal, and that we are all in this together.
Best,
Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW
Michael Winship
President, WGAE
-Raycheetah ='[.]'=
The enjoyment of any good thing is only enhanced by sharing it with others.
http://fans4writers.com/ support the WGA writers strike
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=30176
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I'm sorry, I'm all for them (the writers) getting an equal piece of the pie, and I support them for wanting to get royalties or whatever it is they are strikeing for (please forgive my ignorance on this one occasion, I haven't been following this that closely...) but, wouldn't it be in Hollywoods best interest to just hire new writers that AREN'T a part of the Writers Guild?? And wouldn't, therefore, the writers be out of jobs through which to get royalties anyway?? Also, I'm a little glad that I don't watch much TV anymore, seeing as if I did follow shows, I'd be a bit miffed by the strike as a viewer, and, like most viewers, I'd probably blame the writers...
Overall, I think this strike is gunna end up hurting the writers more than it helps them... although I do wish them the best of luck...
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Quote:
Originally posted by Raycheetah:
Date: November 29, 2007 9:00:43 PM CST
Subject: [BuffyAngelFirefly] WGA Response
Reply-To: BuffyAngelFirefly@ yahoogroups. com
http://community. livejournal. com/wga_supporte rs/124458. html
WGA Response
To Our Fellow Members,
After four days of bargaining with the AMPTP, we are writing to let you know that, though we are still at the table, the press blackout has been lifted.
Our inability to communicate with our members has left a vacuum of information that has been filled with rumors, both well intentioned and deceptive.
Among the rumors was the assertion that the AMPTP had a groundbreaking proposal that would make this negotiation a "done deal." In fact, for the first three days of this week, the companies presented in essence their November 4 package with not an iota of movement on any of the issues that matter to writers.
Thursday morning, the first new proposal was finally presented to us. It dealt only with streaming and made-for-Internet jurisdiction, and it amounts to a massive rollback.
For streaming television episodes, the companies proposed a residual structure of a single fixed payment of less than $250 for a year'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.
For made-for-Internet material, they offered minimums that would allow a studio to produce up to a 15 minute episode of network-derived web content for a script fee of $1300. They continued to refuse to grant jurisdiction over original content for the Internet.
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).
The AMPTP says it will have additional proposals to make but, as of Thursday evening, they have not been presented to us. We are scheduled to meet with them again on Tuesday.
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'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.
For Sony, this entire deal would cost $1.68 million per year. For Disney $6.25 million. Paramount and CBS would each pay about $4.66 million, Warner about $11.2 million, Fox $6.04 million, and NBC/Universal $7.44 million. MGM would pay $320,000 and the entire universe of remaining companies would assume the remainder of about $8.3 million per year. As we've stated repeatedly, our proposals are more than reasonable and the companies have no excuse for denying it.
The AMPTP's intractability is dispiriting news but it must also be motivating. Any movement on the part of these multinational conglomerates has been the result of the collective action of our membership, with the support of SAG, other unions, supportive politicians, and the general public. We must fight on, returning to the lines on Monday in force to make it clear that we will not back down, that we will not accept a bad deal, and that we are all in this together.
Best,
Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW
Michael Winship
President, WGAE
-Raycheetah ='[.]'=
The enjoyment of any good thing is only enhanced by sharing it with others.
http://fans4writers.com/ support the WGA writers strike
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=30176
I'm smellin a lot of "if" comin off this plan. Any resolution will probably have to wait till it really starts hurting the company's wallets.
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Hell, as I see it, the AMPTP is just bein' spiteful. They could pay what the Writers want, and, get things back and running, out of petty cash.
-Raycheetah =-[.]-=
The enjoyment of any good thing is only enhanced by sharing it with others.
http://fans4writers.com/ support the WGA writers strike
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=30176
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Here's the latest on the strike; the AMPTP is fulfilling expectations by accusing the WGA of intransigence, all the while offering the Writers practically insulting compensation for highly-profitable internet webcasts of programs:
Producers, writers negotiations collapse
By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer 50 minutes ago
Negotiations between striking Hollywood writers and studios collapsed Friday, crushing expectations for a settlement of the costly walkout in its fifth week.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced that the round of talks that started Tuesday had broken down, stalling efforts to end the five-week strike that has sidelined many prime-time and late-night TV shows.
The alliance said it was "puzzled and disheartened" by the Writers Guild of America's ongoing negotiating strategy "that seems designed to delay or derail talks rather than facilitate an end to this strike."
In response, the guild said the chief alliance negotiator slammed the door on bargaining after presenting an ultimatum and before the union could respond to his latest proposal regarding crucial new-media compensation issues.
"As we prepared our counteroffer, at 6:05 p.m., Nick Counter came and said to us, in the mediator's presence, 'We are leaving. When you write us a letter saying you will take all these items off the table, we will reschedule negotiations with you,'" according to a union statement.
A detailed alliance announcement on the talks' collapse was released a short time later. Counter was unavailable Friday night for comment, the alliance said.
A letter the guild said it received from Counter said negotiations could resume only after the guild removed a half-dozen demands.
The guild said it remained "ready and willing to negotiate, no matter how intransigent our bargaining partners are, because the stakes are simply too high."
"If someone called tomorrow and said 'Let's start on Sunday and we want to hear your counterproposal,' I'd say 'great,'" chief guild negotiator David Young told The Associated Press.
The writers guild represents 12,000 members but not all are on strike, with about 2,000 or so news writers and others covered under a separate contract.
Just two days ago the sides had expressed their first hint of optimism. But the possibility of an imminent settlement appeared less likely as Friday wore on, with both sides trading barbs and pointing fingers.
The alliance reiterated its position that its latest offer aimed at settling a central contract issue — compensation for the Internet and other digital media — makes it "possible to find common ground."
Last week, the studios had proposed a flat $250 payment for a year's use of an hourlong TV show on the Web. That contrasts with the $20,000-plus residual that writers now earn for a single network rerun of a TV episode.
Friday night, the guild said producers were holding to their $250 offer and demanding that writers give up on proposals including unionization of animation and reality and, "most crucially, any proposal that uses distributor's gross as a basis for residuals."
As word of the breakdown spread, some writers expressed frustration.
"It's disheartening that a month into this, I'm not getting the overwhelming sense that we're getting any closer to a settlement," said Robert Port, a writer for the CBS series "Numb3rs." "I hope we can continue to negotiate and wrap this thing up."
Earlier Friday, in a letter sent to its members and released publicly, the guild said that "highly placed executives" have told some writers that the companies are preparing to abruptly end the talks by accusing the guild of an unwillingness to bargain.
The letter said any such anti-union claims are "absolutely untrue" and challenged studios to negotiate "day and night, through the Christmas and New Year's holidays" to reach a settlement.
The union's remarks reflect its vulnerability, said one observer.
"I think the producers are displaying their leverage quite publicly and aggressively and the w
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This just coming down through the grapevine:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-webwriters17dec17,0,4998256,full
.story?coll=la-home-center
written by joseph.menn@ latimes.com
Dozens of striking film and TV writers are negotiating with venture
capitalists to set up companies that would bypass the Hollywood studio
system and reach consumers with video entertainment on the Web.
At least seven groups, composed of members of the striking Writers
Guild of America, are planning to form Internet-based businesses that,
if successful, could create an alternative economic model to the one
at the heart of the walkout, now in its seventh week.
Three of the groups are working on ventures that would function much
like United Artists, the production company created 80 years ago by
Charlie Chaplin and other top stars who wanted to break free from the
studios...
Silicon Valley investors historically have been averse to backing
entertainment start-ups, believing that such efforts were less likely
to generate huge paydays than technology companies. But they began
considering a broader range of entertainment investments after
observing the enormous sums paid for popular Web video companies,
including the $1.65 billion that Google Inc. plunked down last year
for YouTube, a site where users post their own clips.
They also have been emboldened by major advertisers, which prefer
supporting professionally created Web entertainment to backing user-
generated content on sites such as MySpace that can be in poor taste.
"I'm 100% confident that you will see some companies get formed," said
Todd Dagres, a Boston-based venture capitalist who has been flying to
L.A. and meeting with top writers for weeks. "People have made up
their minds."...
Already this year, a handful of sites have received venture backing,
including FunnyorDie.com, co-founded by comedic actor Will Ferrell,
and MyDamnChannel. com, launched by former MTV executive Rob Barnett...
Most writers who have been talking with venture capitalists declined
to discuss their plans on the record, saying it was too early to
provide details. Yet an array of strategies have emerged from
interviews with writers, investors and others involved in the process.
The groups modeled after United Artists (which eventually was bought
by Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer Inc. and recently was revived with the help of
Tom Cruise) envision creating and distributing programming for the Web
and recouping their investments by selling rights to the most
successful properties to TV networks or movie companies...
Some high-profile writers and technologists are trying to create a
collaborative studio they hope would be officially sanctioned by the
Writers Guild. They want to build on the popularity of strike-related
videos on the guild-inspired blog UnitedHollywood, YouTube and
elsewhere.
"We are uniquely positioned to take our case and new business model
directly to consumers," said a leader of that effort, the primary
writer on a TV show that was a blockbuster a decade ago. "This will be
the officially sanctioned Hollywood union portal."
Others seek to create a privately owned studio that would develop
episodic series for the Web. The studio could turn a profit even
without cutting movie or TV deals if it developed an audience coveted
by advertisers. ..
At least two additional groups plan to create companies that would
distribute material on Facebook or other online gathering places where
they might quickly become popular.
Facebook director Jim Breyer, a partner at Silicon Valley venture firm
Accel Partners, said he was weighing deals that would rely on
Facebook's platform. "It is likely we will make investments in Los
Angeles screenwriter/ content-oriented companies in 2008," he said.
Accel and Dagres' Spark Capital are among four venture firms that have
been meeting with writers since the strike began. Hedge funds are also
interested in investing, writers who have met with them said...
Some of t
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