Things To Know
- AMPTP = Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
- WGA = Writer’s Guild of America
- DGA = Director’s Guild of America
- SAG = Screen Actors Guild of America
- The WGA’s contract with the AMPTP expires October 31, 2007.
- I am not a WGA member.
Okay, I’ve been pretty much ignoring all of this strike business in Hollywood because it seems every time there’s an uproar and impending strike one side caves, a deal is achieved and an apocalypse is avoided. But I must admit, after reading some of the hoopla like this Variety article I was starting to wonder … how can I profit by being a scab?
No, not really. But things have been looking kind of haywire. Recently the WGA released a set of “strike rules” that – according to AMPTP – are “filled with threats of fines, punishment and blacklisting”. From the Variety article:
“The guild issued hardline regulations last week for its 12,000 members, including bans on writing animated features and for the Internet, even though those arenas are largely not under WGA jurisdiction. The strike rules bar any writing for struck companies, delivering any material or signing documents relating to writing assignments; they compel members to honor guild picket lines, perform assigned strike support duties and reporting strike-breaking activity. Discipline for violations can include expulsion, suspension, fines and censure; nonmembers who perform banned work during a strike will be barred from joining the WGA.”
The AMPTP responded in two ways. First by threatening legal action against the WGA. Second, by posting a message on their website as to “how WGA members can file for “financial core” status — under which members resign their WGA membership and withhold the dues spent by the guild on political activities but can still work on union jobs.”
This is one ugly cat fight, folks and the sinking feeling has been that this pending strike may actually be for real. Tons of film productions have been fast-tracked or cancelled as a result. Actors have been recast because of the threatened scheduling conflicts. And writers of TV and film are scrambling to meet the October 31st deadline since they wouldn’t be paid for submissions beyond the date.
Producers and studios seemed to have found larger profit margins through alternative media methods like iTunes that they’d like to, um, explore. The official word is they feel the formula for paying out residuals to writers is outdated. God I would hope so. Writers have been getting screwed over for years!
Now, in a surprising move, the AMPTP announced earlier today they were removing this proposed change in residuals, all the while blaming the WGA. This is what AMPTP prez had to say:
“In the overriding interest of keeping the industry working and removing what has become an emotional impediment and excuse by the WGA not to bargain, the AMPTP withdrew its recoupment proposal,” he said in a statement. “By taking the recoupment formula off the table, we haven’t solved the problems that the formula was designed to ameliorate. But, as we have said repeatedly, we are committed to making a deal that is fair and reasonable.”
Let me try and translate this all for you. The AMPTP is greedy. The WGA by nature has to be greedy (among the WGA’s new proposals are doubled residual payments to writers from DVD sales). The revamped residual proposal is supposedly about making sure “basic costs” are paid to the producers before the writers receive their ends. What they’ll probably say is, “Hey, muchachos, take it easy. We just don’t want to pay the writers until the movie makes a profit. You could understand that, couldn’t you?”
Hey, sounds great when you put it that way. But time and again, the studios’ definition of what is a profit has come into question (just ask Peter Jackson). I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’d sooner trust a rat than I would a producer or studio. Last I checked, it was the studios who cheated Art Buchwald out of his Coming to America royalties. It was the studios who claimed Forrest Gump didn’t profit (but was in fact $60 million in the red), fucking over hard working crew and cast members from their residual payments. So excuse me if I tend to be suspicious when I hear about these guys wanting a new formula.
It’s an age-old question, what the hell does a producer do anyway? No one can ever truly define this, but they somehow manage to see the bulk of the profits. Is having taste all you need? Say “Yes” to a script, set up a couple of meetings with a director and actor and – BANG! You’re a genius? Producers put things together. Like wedding coordinators. Or kids playing with Legos. Both groups need each other, but since the variance of money the AMPTP stands to lose with a strike is larger than would a writer, the AMPTP had to blink first. The WGA has been taking some pretty hard-lined stances in the last few weeks. The AMPTP folded like a lawn chair, at least as far as the residuals are concerned.
Now this is not over, not by a long-shot. But one of the most contentious proposals of the negotiations between the WGA and the AMPTP has been taken off the table and this is a solid victory for the WGA. But don’t trust me, I’m a writer.
