Fans For The WGA

The Truth About Fremantle Website Is Live!

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:34:12 GMT

Check out http://www.truthaboutfremantle.com/ and learn when the American Idol Truth Tour will be coming to a city or town near you.

Criminal Minds Fanatic's Assistance Fund Blog Goes Live Today! (July 7th 2008)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:53:42 GMT

From http://criminalmindscharityblog.blogspot.com/

On Monday, July 7th at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, this auction site will go live in an attempt to raise money for the Actors Fund and the Writers Guild of America. Whether SAG strikes or is locked out or a deal is made is of course a concern, but regardless of whether there is additional labor turmoil, there remains a real need to help those that were adversely affected during the recent Writers Strike. Fans, actors, showrunners, writers, musicians, crew, etc. can work together to help make people financially whole again. Every week dozens of new donated items will be put up for auction. Open your hearts and your wallets for those that need it most and bid high. Open your closets and donate those items that some fan would love to own and you really don't need.

Items this week available for bids include items from Battlestar Galactica, Desperate Housewives, ER, Heroes, Judging Amy, Lost, The West Wing, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Criminal Minds as well as books by fantasy & sci-fi author Elizabeth Bear and items from Disney.

Event: Jonathan Handel's Investor Conference Call to Wachovia Capitol Markets TODAY

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:12:44 GMT

Per his Huffington Post column:

""For more thoughts on the situation, tune in to the investor conference call I'm doing for Wachovia Capital Markets, tomorrow (Weds. - may be today by the time you read this) at 11:30 a.m. Pacific (2:30 p.m. Eastern). The call is open to the public and free of charge. Call in details below:

DATE: Wednesday, July 2, 2008

11:30 AM Pacific; 2:30 PM Eastern

PARTICIPANT DIAL-IN: (800) 374-1206 (domestic)

(706) 634-5796 (international)

Passcode: 54441528

REPLAY DIAL-IN: (800) 642-1687 (domestic)

(available for 1 week) (706) 645-9291 (intl)

Passcode: 54441528"

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-handel/screen-actors-guild-whats_b_110365.html

If anyone can get a question to him on either

1) Why the conglomerates can legally get away with telling the talent there's no money in new media versus simultaneously telling shareholders that new media will be a cash cow

or

2) Just how much of shareholder funds AMPTP companies are wasting on the new "Lets Keep Working" trade ad campaign and associated PR film costs (especially given the inaccuracies in them...no actors union is on strike, the Milken Report figures they use are based on pretty thin conjectures, etc

I would be duly impressed

Psst Want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:03:25 GMT

Check out http://criminalmindscharityblog.blogspot.com/

Coming Together To Make A Difference

On Monday, July 7th at 2pm est, this auction site will go live in an attempt to raise money for the Actors Fund and the Writers Guild of America. Whether SAG strikes or is locked out or a deal is made is of course a concern, but regardless of whether there is additional labor turmoil, there remains a real need to help those that were adversely affected during the recent Writers Strike. Fans, actors, showrunners, writers, musicians, crew, etc. can work together to help make people financially whole again. Every week dozens of new donated items will be put up for auction. Open your hearts and your wallets for those that need it most and bid high. Open your closets and donate those items that some fan would love to own and you really don't need.

We're All In This Together......Still!

We have cool stuff pledged so far from shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives, The West Wing, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Daily Show & The Colbert Report.

Bookmark it and be there July 7th 2008 :)

Reminder: If you're interested in the actors negotiations...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:55:27 GMT

...those discussions etc are moving here:
whywewatchljcom

I may do the occasional writer related update here but I expect what is going on with the actors to take up most of my time.

Video: A Brief Message For The AMPTP

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:09:36 GMT

Check it out here: http://community.livejournal.com/whywewatchljcom/10653.html

SAG TV Videos: Dual Card Holders Are Voting No On AFTRA's Primetime TV Contract

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:42:56 GMT

go here http://community.livejournal.com/whywewatchljcom/10162.html for links to videos from

Anne-Marie Johnson http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0424509/

Dave Clennon http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0166359/

Danny Woodburn http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940173/

and Alan Rosenberg http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0742165/

AFTRA Posts More Substantial Summary Of the AFTRA Primetime TV Contract

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:29:34 GMT

Go here for the details:

http://community.livejournal.com/whywewatchljcom/8480.html

Variety 'Sit Down Shut Up' writers striking at Sony

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:21:37 GMT

A labor dispute has broken out behind the scenes on Fox's upcoming animated laffer "Sit Down, Shut Up."

As first reported by Deadline Hollywood Daily, writers on the show have stopped working after learning that Sony Pictures TV had placed the show under IATSE jurisdiction, rather than through the Writers Guild of America.

Writers and producers had assumed - and said they had been told - by Sony that the show would be covered by the WGA. That's because all of Fox's animated shows are WGA, under terms of a hard-fought battle won by the net's primetime animated scribes several years ago.

Sony, however, said the scribes should have known that "Sit Down, Shut Up" would be an IATSE- repped project, given that guild's deal with Sony Pictures TV's animation division, Adelaide Prods.

Now, it appears that the writers, studio and "Sit Down, Shut Up" may be caught up in the ongoing jurisdiction tussle that has been waged in recent years between IATSE and WGA.

"Sony's in an impossible place," said one insider. "They have a valid IA deal, while the writers (want to sign with WGA)."

Insiders said "Sit Down, Shut Up" exec producers Mitch Hurwitz, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were surprised to learn that "Sit Down, Shut Up" would be an IATSE show, rather than WGA, as was the rest of the show's scribes.

It's not a new issue for Oakley and Weinstein, who fought - and eventually secured - WGA coverage for their short-lived WB animated series "Mission Hill" (which was produced by Warner Bros. TV) earlier this decade.

As guild issues were being hammered out, the show's writers had been working without a contract - and without pay - over the past several weeks. Once it became apparent last week that "Sit Down, Shut Up" wouldn't be a WGA series after all, they stopped work.

"We started working as a favor to our friends at Sony," one scribe said.

It's unclear what kind of compromise might be reached. IATSE fought attempts in 2003 to give the WGA jurisdiction on NBC's "Father of the Pride's" writers, compromising by allowing some WGA-style contract features.

In this case, Sony said its Adelaide Prods. "has been a signatory to the IATSE bargaining agreement for at least ten years, and has been producing animated programming under that agreement. All of the deals made with the writers were specifically negotiated with their agents specifying that this program would be covered by the IATSE bargaining agreement."

On the Animation Guild (IATSE 839) blog, business rep Steve Hulett characterized the dispute as one between the writers and Sony, not IATSE.

"Please don't drag us into a fight between Sony and the WGA," he wrote. "This dispute is between corporate execs in Culver City who apparently misinformed some new hires on an animated television show. TAG ain't involved."

Hulett noted that as far as he knows, WGA has no contracts in place for animation writers at Sony. In the case of late-1990s UPN skein "Dilbert," Sony created a non-Animation Guild company for scribes, which the WGA organized, he added.

The WGA, meanwhile, said it is in conversations with Sony, and that it holds out "hope this will be settled soon."

"The writers of 'Sit Down, Shut Up' are Writers Guild members," the org said, "and they want the show to be covered by a WGA contract."

Should IATSE remain in place and the show's scribes opt not to return, the fate of the series - which is co-produced by 20th Century Fox TV - could be in jeopardy.

"Hopefully they work it all out," said thesp Jason Bateman, who lends his voice to the show's main character. "It would be a shame to spend four months (putting together the show) and then have all that go out the window."

Based on a short-lived live-action Australian comedy, "Sit Down, Shut Up" revolves around a high school where the faculty believes the students must always come second. Hurwitz, Oakley and Weinstein exec produce with Eric and Kim Tannenbaum.

Besides Bateman, the show's vocal talent includes Will Arnett, Maria Bamford, Will Forte, Tom Kenny, Nick Kroll, Cheri Oteri, Kenan Thompson and Henry Winker.

source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987427.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Audio Interview: Patric Verrone WGA West President & Michael Winship WGA East President...

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:36:10 GMT

...recorded at the National Conference For Media Reform 2008 by Freepress.net, here's a seminar on the history of the WGA strike entitled "Creativity and Talent in the Entertainment Industry: Impact of Consolidated Media"

You can listen here: http://www.freepress.net/node/41438

Or download the mp3 here: http://www.freepress.net/audio/download/41438/ncmr08_creativityandtalent_v2-48Kbit.mp3

Funny Or Die.com: Video: AMPTP Negotiator Talks About SAG

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:24:47 GMT

...it's like deja vu all over again but with actors

AFTRA has it's Vote Yes on Primetime Contract Campaign Posted To YouTube

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:15:40 GMT

...campaign is here
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=AFTRAnetwork&p=r

...deal details are here
http://www.aftra.com/primetimeYES/facts.html

Doesn't the deal look pretty much like the *exact same* deal the WGA got with *zero* improvements to you? Because that's how it looks to me

Summary: Which TV Shows Would Be Most Affected By An Actor's Strike Or Lockout

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:29:24 GMT

Go here for info: http://community.livejournal.com/whywewatchljcom/6238.html

I'll update it as I get more reliable info.

Video: Jericho Fans Save Jericho TV spot

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:40:08 GMT

...it will be running on cable channels in the Los Angeles area...for more info go to http://www.savejerichoagain.com/tv-campaign-info/

Video of Joss Whedon at the SAG Solidarity Rally

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:55:58 GMT

Go here: http://community.livejournal.com/whywewatchljcom/5010.html

SAG Solidarity Rally Video: Alan Katz (The Rosie O'Donnell Show)

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:48:24 GMT

Alan Katz, a WGA writer and strike captain talks to Tanja Barnes at the SAG Solidarity Rally on June 9, 2008

Variety poll: [Actors] Strike or no strike

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:25:10 GMT

If you want to vote in a Variety poll on Variety editor Peter Bart's new blog check out: http://www.variety.com/blog/130000613/post/280028028.html

The question is “Who’s in the right -- SAG or AFTRA?”

Your options are
SAG
AFTRA
They're both ridiculous
Side that keeps us from strike
Side that gets the best deal

I notice with a minimum of snark that the AMPTP is not an option...the poll question then of course would have to read "Who is utterly wrong?"

...and by the way Bart doesn't moderate comments...ouch!

Brainstorm some slogans with me here...

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:51:01 GMT

Over at whywewatchljcom we have started working on some icons and slogans to support the actors in their negotiations.

The concept we are working from is a play on a slogan the actors used during the WGA strike "we can't act a blank page"

So with for those of us holding the remotes it's "we can't watch a blank screen"

bookishwench came up with a pretty cool and yet simple icon for general support of SAG while fishtank_36 created a clever icon for CSI fans (you should head over to Why We Watch to see it...;)

I've got slogans I dreamed up for 5 shows modifying the basic concept of fishtank_36, but since I don't watch everything on TV and I know there's some fandoms I just won't get the sentiments right for, I could use your help. So either post your ideas for your favorite shows here or over in whywewatchljcom

My show suggestions (and critique away):

Law & Order: Criminal Intent: It doesn't take MCS to figure it out...we can't watch a blank screen(MCS is short for Major Case Squad)

Burn Notice: Michael Westen was burned. The viewers shouldn't be...

Mad Men: Sterling Cooper's a good ad agency but with nothing to sponsor?

Desperate Housewives: Without the wives we're just desperate...

House: No doctors = no patience...

Looking for LJ icon designers...

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:58:26 GMT

Hi all

I am looking for a few icon designers to help create some icons for the new LJ com whywewatchljcom If you've got ideas, post them over in the new com. Credit will of course be given and space to store them online will be found so as not to tax your bandwidth.

The slogan for the com is "We can't watch a blank screen" It would be cool if your designs could incorporate the slogan :)

Thanks

SAG Solidarity Rally Video: WGA West President Patric Verrone & WGA West Executive Director...

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:40:09 GMT

...David Young

Hat tip to Tanja Barnes at Brave New Media http://brave-new-media.blogspot.com

I have posted other videos from this rally at whywewatchljcom

Patric Verrone on Network Neutrality - June 4, 2008 interview at theStream.tv

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:46:57 GMT

Hat tip to Scott Ellington scott_ellington for this link

Filmnut - WGAw President Patric Verrone

Watch This Episode on www.theStream.tv

LJ community set up for following the actors negotiations....

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:37:33 GMT

...and for future entertainment industry labor union negotiations, events, news and information

http://community.livejournal.com/whywewatchljcom/

I'm still trying to figure out how RSS works so be patient with me :)

From WGA.org: SAG Solidarity Rally

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:30:48 GMT

We all remember how SAG members turned out in numbers to picket, march and rally with us during our contact campaign and strike. Now it’s our turn to be there for them.

This Monday June 9, please join SAG for a demonstration of support for their negotiating team’s efforts to win a fair contract.

What: SAG Solidarity Rally

When: Monday, June 9 from 10 am to 12 Noon

Where: Screen Actors Guild National Headquarters
5757 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

source: http://www.wga.org/subpage_newsevents.aspx?id=2857

Note Fans and viewers are welcome to attend the rally...it might be a good idea to wear something navy blue or royal blue (the colors of SAG's standard T shirts)

Video SAG vs AFTRA vs AMPTP

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:35:20 GMT

From Funny Or Die.com...a satirical take on the relationships between SAG, AFTRA & the AMPTP...

A letter from actor Anthony DeSantis on the rally at SAG HQ in LA on Monday June 9th 2008

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:35:48 GMT

Calling all California area fans...the actors need your support at a rally tomorrow (Monday June 9th 2008) at 10:00 am at SAG's offices at 5757 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles

Here's a letter Anthony DeSantis has sent out describing his take on the actors negotiations situation:

"My name is Anthony DeSantis. It is right that I should stand behind what I send out over the internet. You can IMDB me http://www.imdb.co.uk/name/nm0220876/ for reference but suffice to say that I qualify as no man's "High-Profile" actor. I am, by definition, a middle class actor. I make most of my money from commercials. I've never made enough in just over ten years in LA to make a living doing TV and film alone but I have made my Plan 1 benefits every year since 1997 primarily due to commercial work. I've never made over $100,000 in one year as an actor. I'm right in the middle class sweet spot. (Full disclosure--I've been on the Hollywood Board of the Screen Actors Guild for 5 years and have run with Membership First each of those years. For those of you who don't know, Membership First has swept the elections save for one or two people here and there for each of those five years. That means that people have believed for those years in what Membership First stood for and what we've been doing for longer than the US Department of Homeland Security has been in existence.)

The above means that I've been around the top 20 per cent or so of my profession for over a decade. Ask anyone in any other professional field who is in the top 20% of their peers if they feel they deserve to be able to buy a house, feed a family of four, have two solid cars and save enough to put those two kids through college and finally retire comfortably?

You bet your ass they believe they should and so should any actor who goes on hundreds of unpaid auditions, books jobs that never air, gets turned down again and again only to show up in "upscale casual" or with an armload of changes or races across town three times in a day through LA traffic so they can avoid the ire of a 20-yr-old intern who thinks you should have made it from Santa Monica to Burbank on time at 5pm for a one-line co-star read. You're damn right we deserve to be paid fairly. What we/you do is invaluable to the creative process. There are no Studios without you. There are no Ad agencies without you. There are no Producers without you. There are no casting agents without you. Without you there are only novels. No films. No TV. No commercials; Just paperback books and the oral tradition.

Is this a time of uncertainty? You bet. Am I afraid that my livelihood is in danger of going away? Damn right. Do I wish there was an easy way out, that we could all select and be able to save what has been built for us by the generations who came before us? I tell you I do.

But Rome is on fire. Your neighbors are quietly disappearing in the dead of night.

This is your time in history to change history. You have the power. How? Is it hard? What do you have to do?

Just show up. That's all.

Monday June 9 at 10am. You know the address. 5757 Wilshire Blvd. You probably went there when you paid your initiation fee, the one that said that you were now a professional actor. We'll be right in front. It's the building that houses The Screen Actors Guild. The Union that has represented James Cagney, Jimmy Stewart, Deborah Kerr, Bette Davis, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Meryl Streep, Ed Asner, Patty Duke, Charlton Heston, etc., and even Tom Hanks and George Clooney (No, I'm not suggesting that I expect any of them to show up or have any opinion that could be construed as supporting the Screen Actors Guild in its battle with AFTRA). Each one of them work or worked and built their careers under the contracts and protections of Screen Actors Guild. They owe it and it owes them. Can't one exist without the others.

I know you've heard a lot of this before. Maybe you've tuned a lot of it out. I'm going to say it again anyway. I'm going to say it until I have to leave town with my belongings in a Pod because the corporations, in their bottom line sort of way, are squeezing every penny out of that bottom line and leaving me and all the other middle class actors packing their families and their belongings in a station wagon to seek their salvation, ironically, to the East where they came from with their dreams of making their fortunes--their careers in Show Business. Don't worry. The Producers and each and every level of that bloated, economically unsound, bureaucracy will still be pushing low-cost, high-return reality television along with movies shot with stars and a bunch of AFTRA members working along side their non-union friends, and driving their sweet new Bentleys, Beemers, and Benzes. No need to cry for them and their MBA's. They'll even tell you they like going to ArcLight theatres to see the two hour American Idol spectacular (Who ever knew that reality could cross over to Film when movies started tanking at an alarming rate because the stars had no one to act in scenes with?)

Does anyone out there know many actors who make a living solely as an actor doing Guest Stars and Co-stars any more? Ask the old-timers. It used to be possible.

Does this all sound far-fetched? Think of this. AFTRA is out to get 100% jurisdiction in television. How do I know? They said so. (The following is from a post by Matt Kimbrough, AFTRA leader and 08 W&W chair: It is taken from a much longer personal account of the AFTRA SAG situation and how it comes to be where it is. You can find the full post on the internet. It is dated April '08)

"President Connolly created a Strategy Cabinet of elected National Officers and key committee chairs to oversee this independent future. This cabinet first met in the spring of 2004. There, NED Greg Hessinger presented a stark financial future. Without increasing jobs, without organizing new work, without streamlining its operations, AFTRA could be out of business in a decade. The decision was made to make AFTRA's mission to organize work for itself (my bolding) for all categories to be sure, but freelance actors represented the largest population and the area where the most erosion of AFTRA's work had occurred. This had happened again in part because merger, if achieved, would bring all actor's work under one banner. Now that it had failed, twice in five years, AFTRA had to change its culture. It had to look to save itself and no longer expect support from SAG. It began its march for independence, therefore implicit competitiveness in television, with SAG. (my bolding))"

Once AFTRA has all of television (If we stand up now and stop them.), do you think they'll be happy with that? I don't. They'll find a way to promulgate a film contract if they haven't already. All of television? Ludicrous you say? AFTRA has been described by our employers as "cheaper" and "more flexible." That means that AFTRA is willing to sell you, the actor, for less money: less money in residuals, more free runs on cable, with fewer protections, etc. etc. The information is out there. You should be reading it. Even if S.A.G. signed the same contract, *the one that eliminates residuals on made-for-new media productions as of July 1 '08, *offers no protections for product placement, *expects you to negotiate your right to say no to clip use at the time of hire when you are most vulnerable, *gets nothing on DVD, *settles all current and future Force Majeure claims in the studios' favor, and *creates a working environment that allows non-union actors to work along side those actors that the studios get to decide are "professionals." Even if S.A.G. signed that same sub-standard contract it is still very likely that the studios will continue to push new pilot jurisdiction to AFTRA because it's the "cheaper", "more flexible" union. AND DON'T FORGET: Whatever you think of the agency situation, AFTRA has allowed our agents to be partially owned by our employers or anyone who wants to pony up some cash. So, when your agents and your employers lie post-coitally in bed together smoking their Cuban cigars, do you think they're going to want to set up their projects at the "more expensive", "less flexible" union? The union that fought for a decent wage and refused to give away your future? Hell no. AFTRA could have all TV shows (except for the eternal CSI's and ER) within two years: whatever isn't Reality.

Look, I don't hate AFTRA. In many ways I admire their strategy, tenacity and single-minded attack. They are following their script beautifully. That doesn't mean that I should stand quietly by, choosing to appease rather than standing up and saying, "Your strategy is costing me and my friends our careers and I will do all I can to stop you." Haven't we learned from history?

Rome is burning. Leave your fiddles in the closet.

Come Dance with the horse that brung you (I know. Mixing my folkisms). Stand firm with the Screen Actors Guild. It ain't a secret remedy. It's what unions have done in this country for a century. They stood shoulder to shoulder with their brothers against corrupt management (No, I'm not saying the Studios are corrupt, just designed and built on an anti-labor premise.), against scabs, and against those who believe that going along to get along with the boss man is an acceptable strategy while selling out their brothers and sisters who are standing in the streets, defiantly demanding to be paid the way any professional employee deserves to be paid.

In hope and solidarity,
Anthony DeSantis