Tag: strike

The deal summary for the WGA strike can be found here.

It’s not as much as we would have liked. It’s more than the studios would have liked. It’s a deal both sides can live with.

That seems fair to me.

Some of the highlights:

The WGA is recognized as the exclusive bargaining representative for writing for new media

Fairly self-explanatory.

Separated Rights

If a writer creates a show or character for a program premiering in new media, and that character or show is then turned into a TV show, or film, or board game, or action figure, the writer gets money for this.

Internet Residuals

After the initial payment for a programme created for the Internet (which covers 13 or 26 weeks worth of showings, depending on whether the viewer pays for access), writers get money if the programme continues to be available.

Internet Re-use / Distributor’s Gross

For the next two years, casting a programme in a new medium (internet, cellphone, etc) attracts a flat rate. After that, the fee is based on a percentage of the money earned.

What did we lose on?

• Reality and animation still aren’t covered.
• The DVD formula (4 cents per DVD sold) stands.

A vote is occurring today and tomorrow to stop striking; within ten days the WGA membership will have voted on whether to accept the contract.

This is a good contract.

The showrunners are already back at work. Everyone else (pending the expected let’s-stop-striking vote) will be back at work on Wednesday.

It’s over.

The AMPTP and the negotiating committee continue to talk behind the scenes about what they might talk about at the negotiating table when they get back to negotiating.

Nikki Finke is positive but, hell, we’ve been positive before just before the AMPTP tried to fuck us in the ear. (You’ll note that, as predicted in that post, many overall deals have now been cancelled.)

But there’s a press blackout now, so there’s no real news to be had.

The silence is a good thing.

Away from the duelling press releases of the last round of negotiation, maybe the various negotiators can start getting a deal together that everyone can live with.

In the meantime, the pressure is still on the AMPTP with picketing, more side deals, and the Oscars coming up.

And let’s be clear, the Oscars are a big incentive to get a deal made.

No SAG actor will cross a picket line outside the Oscars ceremony, because they know this deal is all about setting a precedent for their negotiations about payments for Internet series too.

Losing the Golden Globes cost NBC somewhere between 15 and 20 million dollars. If the Oscars are cancelled, the financial hit will be a lot higher, and not just to the broadcaster – there’s the loss of all that free advertising for films as people tune into the show to see the stars accept their awards.

So the 24th February is the next big deadline.

Good luck to all.

So…

You’re a working writer. Only you’re not at the moment, because you’re on strike. (See pavements passim.)

You’ve got a lot of friends in the industry working as camera operators, riggers, teamsters, and so on who can’t work at the moment because you’re on strike.

How can you support them?

Well… given that this dispute is all about the Internet, it’s occurred to a couple of people that maybe they could put their talent to use in the meantime.

It’s called Strike TV. An Internet Channel created by professional writers and crew to raise money for the strike fund. So that people in difficulty due to the strike – everyone, not just writers – will be able to support themselves.

And they’re going to do this by advertising within their videos. On the Internet. Apparently you can get money for that these days.

Their MySpace page has the details, but the deal is basically this:

If you’re an active WGA member who wishes to contribute, send a proposal. You’ll then need to make a pilot, which will get shown on the Internet on the Strike TV channel. Any money from ads made goes to the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund.

And if it’s a hit?

You own it. It’s yours. Set it up as a web series, sell it to a TV network (it’s been done already), spin off novels, comics, DVDs… Make money from it.

It’ll need to be a Union production, obviously. But that’s what this all comes down to, in the end, and they’re already working on ways to make it affordable.

The channel starts in February. Sweeps. That’s when the advertisers in the States decide where to spend their money.

There’s one condition: someone in the production has to be an active member of the WGA.

Being an inquisitive chap, I got in contact and asked if active members of other Writers’ Guilds were allowed.

The answer was yes. And they’re really looking forward to seeing what we can come up with.

So if you’re an active member in good standing of any of the following Writers’ Guilds, you should get going. There’s not much time before sweeps.

• Australian Writers’ Guild
• Irish Playwrights and Writers Guild
• New Zealand Writers Guild
• SARTeC – Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma (French-language Canada)
• Sección de Autorres y Adaptadores de Cine (Mexico)
• Union-Guilde des Scénaristes (France)
• Writers Guild of America, East
• Writers Guild of America, west
• Writers Guild of Canada
• Writers Guild of Great Britain

If you’re in Los Angeles on the 9th January there’s a free event at the WGA Theater where you can find out more, and hook up with production crew.

Here’s that MySpace page again.

Well, the AMPTP and the WGA are sat back at the table now, and beginning their talks.

(That’s if I’ve calculated the time differential between here and LA correctly.)
(Said time differential is, of course, why I can’t do the buttons up on my jacket properly any more.)

There’s a news blackout at the moment to help both sides make a decent deal without all the shouting. Let’s hope they can come up with something that we can all think is reasonable.

I’m hopeful.

In the meantime, though, Writers’ Guilds throughout the world are holding a day of solidarity.

For me, that’s going to take the form of a public demonstration in London. Your local Writers’ Guild will have more information about demonstrations local to you.

And there’s swag, too.

So if you can make it, come along and show your support for the writers. I’ll be there. Say hi.

Lucy’s also organising something in Bournemouth if you’re closer to her than here.

Well, funny you should mention that.

To those of us not in LA at the moment, it’s a bit difficult to get up and join a picket line. We need another way of bringing our sympathy with the writers to the studios’ attention.

So: send the moguls a box of pencils.

I’m serious.

It costs one dollar to have a box of pencils posted to a studio. That’s about 50p.

Twelve pencils. In a box. Unsharpened so they can’t hurt themselves. Pencils from sustainably managed forests, so it doesn’t impact the environment. And with an address so that they can be sent on to programs teaching kids how to write. (Because, after all, what’s a mogul going to do with a pencil? It’s not like these people can write.)

What does a box of pencils achieve?

A box of pencils doesn’t achieve anything.

But it’s not a box of pencils.

It’s a pallet of pencils.
It’s a truck of pencils.
It’s a dozen trucks of pencils.

Suddenly, it’s a message.
And, most importantly, it’s a symbol.

So if you support the writers, send a box of pencils to the AMPTP.

Well, iacta alea est, as Julius Caesar reportedly said before entering a big fight that he really didn’t want to have.

No deal was reached yesterday, so as of 12:01am today, the Writers’ Guild of America is on strike.

Here’s what we’re asking for. 

It’s not much.

But as you can see here, the studios don’t want to engage us on these issues.

The showstopper is a very simple one: We would like a share of the money coming in from the use of our work delivered electronically, while the companies would prefer to keep all of that money for themselves.

What that share actually is, is negotiable.

That’s it.

It’s not about DVDs, it’s not about being greedy, it’s not about sticking it to The Man.

It’s about being fair.

So what does this mean to writers based in the UK?

Well, we can still sell to UK producers. Also Canadian, Australian, European, and so forth.

What you mustn’t do is help the studios out by selling your work to an American producer until this strike is over.

There are two reasons why this is a bad idea.

Firstly, if you perform work for a company during the strike, you will not be allowed to join the WGA after the strike is over. Which means no work from America, the largest market for writing in the world. You want a career, don’t break the strike.

But there’s a second, stronger reason.

Because it would be wrong.

The reason 12,000 people have put their pencils down is to ensure that in the future, when your work is used, you will get an equitable payment for the work that you have done.

Don’t let them down.