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December 18, 2007
THB - Strike Hard
I pray that I am wrong about the future of this strike, because my fear that the WGA is now moving towards creating enough internal dissension that the union will be forced to settle unfavorably around March, if not earlier. That would be tragic. And even more so because it will make it very hard for SAG to hold firm… which is clearly why Alan Rosenberg is so aggressively being in-house counsel to the WGA.
I am okay with the idea of StrikeTV.com… but the big problem is that if it is a financial failure – and a lot of people with the money to make it even modestly successful have a stake in its failure – it becomes another yoke around the WGA’s negotiating neck.
And that, again, is the trouble with all this showboating is that it is – as any cocaine addicted celebrity can explain – very, very hard to keep going. And when the noise lowers, the perception is that a lull is occurring, whether it is or is not. It doesn’t requite an AMPTP conspiracy.
Most importantly, the only significant threat WGA has over AMPTP remains the one it had from the start… not working. As disinterested as the AMPTP appears, as others have pointed out, a lot of the force majeur issues are six weeks, not four … which means that there was NEVER any chance of this strike ending – after starting Nov 1 – before the end of the holidays.
So this is my new guess. The deal that will end up being signed, unless the WGA strike ends up being in tandem with a SAG summer strike, will be on the table from the AMPTP by January 18. And they will not move off of that offer without a combined strike.
Posted by poland at December 18, 2007 04:51 PM
Comments
could someone explain to me why the WGA has jurisdiction over whether the academy can use clips from old shows and films?
It's my understanding that writers aren't involved in the creation of those packages, it's an editor and a segment producer working from a selects stringout from the films that an assistant editor pulled for them, on the package. Where does a writer come into play in the creation of that package other than at the teleprompter stage for the poor hollywood royalty to read before the package rolls?
Posted by: movielocke ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 18, 2007 05:14 PM
I am surprised by this also, but I assume it has nothing to do with production and everything to do with writers needing to sign off on free uses of materials... which I assume is normally controlled by the studios without any discussion.
What this also brings up is the question of whether the clips can be used for a licensing fee paid by ABC, which would presumably through off royalties. I don't see how the WGA could legally stop that... but I could be wrong.
Posted by: David Poland at December 18, 2007 05:19 PM
My understanding at this point is that the writers are eligible to get residuals from the use of clips from movies they wrote. Typically the WGA just gives the Academy a blanket waiver to use whatever clips they want. This time they can use the clips but they have to pay for the usage. The DGA and SAG have the same rights but aren't striking.
Correct me if I'm wrong, someone.
Posted by: jeffmcm at December 18, 2007 05:20 PM
That's what I assumed, actually.
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at December 18, 2007 08:28 PM
almost everybody that participates in the making of a film - actors, directors, screenwriters - has the right to be compensated. on the other hand, their respective guilds can give waivers to the award show producer for every clip he/she intends to use. however, if one guild does not aprove the waiver request no clips can be used. also, even if the producer of the award show is willing to pay for clip clearance fees, the guild still has the rigth to not allow the usage of such clip(s).
Check out AFTRA's website for their position as it relates to participation by their members in the award shows.
http://www.aftra.org/aftra/aftra.htm
Posted by: abraham at December 19, 2007 12:27 AM
At this point, David's posts on whatever the WGA does can be reduced to, "This is not a good idea and it will probably backfire for the writers." Repeat.
Posted by: christian at December 19, 2007 10:59 AM
Christian - It is reductions like that which lead to failure... in all things.
Posted by: David Poland at December 19, 2007 11:53 AM
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