It’s been announced here tonight that there is an agreement between the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” said the WGA negotiating committee in a letter to membership. As the lawyers hammer out the details, the guild is not yet sharing the exact terms of the contract.
I have rejoiced in seeing the unions once again flexing their labor muscles rather than continue to be cowed by the companies. I'm in car country here in MI and always support labor. None other than Abe Lincoln pointed out that when one assesses both labor and capital, labor is paramount.
I know very little about the WGA other than the insight that you’ve given us over the last year or so but I can’t help feeling that as long as the corporatized monopolies control content not much will change. I seldom watch TV and rarely see “new” movies but was convinced to watch Ted Lasso. What wonderful writing! It harkened back to me the wonderful writers of the ‘70’s, when one was required to have more of a brain than a brick for thinking purposes.
I’ve been saving American Stalingrad to read as a whole and I have a couple of your books on my “to be ordered” list. Good luck!👍
Initial reporting is that the writers got most of what they wanted, but we shall see. The final agreement and subsequent contracts will tell the tale.....
It is critical - not only because the streaming totals for a show determine compensation for the writer, but also because much streamed content will never appear on DVD, so there won't be any royalties from those in the future. I am cheesed because Apple is VERY unlikely to offer the upcoming "Masters of the Air" series on DVD, so I will have to record it and burn my own copies for future reference. It's a first world problem.....
Let me know if it's any good. I have the feeling - from seeing who did the writing and who directed - that there's a distinct possibility of another "The Pacific" - one of the most fucked-up projects ever attempted, and proof (the entire team were the people who did everything right on "Band of Brothers") that you can do everything right and still be very wrong.
Horses for courses..... I quite liked 'The Pacific', but perhaps more from a technical standpoint - I thought the combat sequences were some of the best I've ever seen, and the technical details of uniforms, weapons (even replica Japanese tanks) were very well done. I'd be curious to hear your comments - always willing to learn from the cognoscenti..... :-)
MOTA will be interesting, in that they did not use a single real B-17 for the series. They had two full size replicas made. They look decent enough, but the whole series will be CGI for virtually all the action sequences, except individual planes taxying - the replicas have motors so they can taxy. I am waiting for this, but have my doubts - depending on post-production for most of the series has helped delay it for a long time. GOOD CGI can be as good as the real thing, but there's the rub. My two favorite takeoff sequences in the movies are "Memphis Belle" (1990) which combined five real B-17s with scale models and the absolutely insane takeoff scene in "Catch 22" - probably my all-time favorite.....15-20 real B-25J Mitchells.
Yes, that's all true. It's the writing that sucked. They used two different books by two different guys who never knew each other, and they flubbed each adaptation, missing the obvious important points (when the author says "this is the most meaningful thing that ever happened to me" you adapt that, and do it the way the author wrote it). They should have done one or the other. My vote would have been for "Helmet for my Pillow" for the whole show, stick to Guadalcanal.
It sounds to me like they (the WGA) are calling it a win. Whether it is that in fact is something that will be unknown until sometime next year.
In my experience, the other two strikes were an effective loss for the WGA, regardless of what the formal agreement was. The result of the 1988 strike was that rather than actually pay writers for writing a script, they came up with the Spec Script Follies, in which writers wrote in speculation of their script winning the sweepstakes and making them rich. In fact, they had better odds in the California Lottery. Paid options became a thing of the past eventually. Everybody was supposed to be an 80s/90s "entrepreneur." And "all that money" in VHS that was responsible for at least 90 of the 150 days on strike was so "last year" in terms of effect, since they wrote it for specific technology instead of a process.
Ditto the 2007-08 strike. reduction in service provided/cost increase in the health plan (why I dropped out and took the VA, which was vastly superior). Far fewer pitches. And this time they went for "all that money" in DVDs. Always 3 years late and $10,000 short.
In this one, there is no mention of independent confirmation on viewership data for streamers, on which residuals are paid.
I have the suspicion that I'm still going to be making more money from my books next year than the average "working stiff" WGA member makes. The studios and streamers are cutting back production, which means less opportunity.
The industry is in a state of change, like all things on our planet including us. New tech including AI but not limited to that, will continue to disrupt whatever the status quo is, that is one of the foundations of capitalism and the studios are capitalists at their core. This strike including the actors seemed to be a rearguard action, as you said, time will tell if any real advance was made, I wouldn’t count on it, it might be easier to predict what is going to be invented late next year. 🤷♂️
I have rejoiced in seeing the unions once again flexing their labor muscles rather than continue to be cowed by the companies. I'm in car country here in MI and always support labor. None other than Abe Lincoln pointed out that when one assesses both labor and capital, labor is paramount.
Without labor, capital is just numbers.
I know very little about the WGA other than the insight that you’ve given us over the last year or so but I can’t help feeling that as long as the corporatized monopolies control content not much will change. I seldom watch TV and rarely see “new” movies but was convinced to watch Ted Lasso. What wonderful writing! It harkened back to me the wonderful writers of the ‘70’s, when one was required to have more of a brain than a brick for thinking purposes.
I’ve been saving American Stalingrad to read as a whole and I have a couple of your books on my “to be ordered” list. Good luck!👍
This is a great Substack
Yes Stewart, it is!
Initial reporting is that the writers got most of what they wanted, but we shall see. The final agreement and subsequent contracts will tell the tale.....
Indeed. That thing about "transparency" on viewership is big.
It is critical - not only because the streaming totals for a show determine compensation for the writer, but also because much streamed content will never appear on DVD, so there won't be any royalties from those in the future. I am cheesed because Apple is VERY unlikely to offer the upcoming "Masters of the Air" series on DVD, so I will have to record it and burn my own copies for future reference. It's a first world problem.....
Let me know if it's any good. I have the feeling - from seeing who did the writing and who directed - that there's a distinct possibility of another "The Pacific" - one of the most fucked-up projects ever attempted, and proof (the entire team were the people who did everything right on "Band of Brothers") that you can do everything right and still be very wrong.
Horses for courses..... I quite liked 'The Pacific', but perhaps more from a technical standpoint - I thought the combat sequences were some of the best I've ever seen, and the technical details of uniforms, weapons (even replica Japanese tanks) were very well done. I'd be curious to hear your comments - always willing to learn from the cognoscenti..... :-)
MOTA will be interesting, in that they did not use a single real B-17 for the series. They had two full size replicas made. They look decent enough, but the whole series will be CGI for virtually all the action sequences, except individual planes taxying - the replicas have motors so they can taxy. I am waiting for this, but have my doubts - depending on post-production for most of the series has helped delay it for a long time. GOOD CGI can be as good as the real thing, but there's the rub. My two favorite takeoff sequences in the movies are "Memphis Belle" (1990) which combined five real B-17s with scale models and the absolutely insane takeoff scene in "Catch 22" - probably my all-time favorite.....15-20 real B-25J Mitchells.
Yes, that's all true. It's the writing that sucked. They used two different books by two different guys who never knew each other, and they flubbed each adaptation, missing the obvious important points (when the author says "this is the most meaningful thing that ever happened to me" you adapt that, and do it the way the author wrote it). They should have done one or the other. My vote would have been for "Helmet for my Pillow" for the whole show, stick to Guadalcanal.
Thanks for the breakdown and not the hype, TC.
Disappointing.
Time will tell, as it usually does. Will be so glad when Colbert and Daily Show return. Hope the “behind the scenes” types get a piece of the pie…
Their strike is next year.
Thought they were part of this one. Thanks
Break a leg.
The rumors reaching this archipelago over the weekend were of positives in all columns except on AI. Waiting to see.
sounds like a win to me...
It sounds to me like they (the WGA) are calling it a win. Whether it is that in fact is something that will be unknown until sometime next year.
In my experience, the other two strikes were an effective loss for the WGA, regardless of what the formal agreement was. The result of the 1988 strike was that rather than actually pay writers for writing a script, they came up with the Spec Script Follies, in which writers wrote in speculation of their script winning the sweepstakes and making them rich. In fact, they had better odds in the California Lottery. Paid options became a thing of the past eventually. Everybody was supposed to be an 80s/90s "entrepreneur." And "all that money" in VHS that was responsible for at least 90 of the 150 days on strike was so "last year" in terms of effect, since they wrote it for specific technology instead of a process.
Ditto the 2007-08 strike. reduction in service provided/cost increase in the health plan (why I dropped out and took the VA, which was vastly superior). Far fewer pitches. And this time they went for "all that money" in DVDs. Always 3 years late and $10,000 short.
In this one, there is no mention of independent confirmation on viewership data for streamers, on which residuals are paid.
I have the suspicion that I'm still going to be making more money from my books next year than the average "working stiff" WGA member makes. The studios and streamers are cutting back production, which means less opportunity.
The industry is in a state of change, like all things on our planet including us. New tech including AI but not limited to that, will continue to disrupt whatever the status quo is, that is one of the foundations of capitalism and the studios are capitalists at their core. This strike including the actors seemed to be a rearguard action, as you said, time will tell if any real advance was made, I wouldn’t count on it, it might be easier to predict what is going to be invented late next year. 🤷♂️
True dat.
Glad you know the entrails of the business. Not glammed up the way PR would have it, but more real than most want to admit.
I hope this agreement is otherwise ... for all the talented individuals covered.
You and me both, but one thing I have learned in 40 years' residence in Okeefenokee West is that optimism is frequently a mirage.
👏🎉👍