NBC will also have cameras at Golden Globes parties - if there are any - and will give winners a chance to appear on camera.
The Writers' pressure to completely lock down the awards show - no writers, no actors, no presenters - finally led to the compromise as the HFPA tried to salvage some version of its awards, long used as an early indicator of the Oscars.
It remains unclear whether any stars will appear.
As we look forward now to the Oscars, the WGA might want to consider a different course of action. They got the press they wanted and the ounce of flesh they craved from NBC, but should they also attempt to bring down the granddaddy of all awards?
It is important to remember that the AMPAS, which awards the Oscars, is not the AMPTP. Also, AMPAS has not yet asked for a waiver or an interim deal, so granting one when the request comes in would not be a capitulation on the part of the Guild.
Here's a quick look at a number of reasons why the WGA should work with, not against, AMPAS:
1) The Oscars show is the single biggest and most important celebration of our industry each year.
2) There can be no doubt but that nearly every single winner and presenter will be pro-WGA and will make very strong statements as such - for over three hours!
3) 11 of the 24 categories -- nearly half -- honor below-the-line achievements. Other than best song and, to a lesser extent, composer; these nominations are the only opportunity these very talented artisans ever have to be acknowledged on a national (much less worldwide) stage.
4) There are numerous ways to allow the show to go on. The WGA could grant an interim deal. The WGA could grant a waiver. The WGA could deny a deal or a waiver, but not picket. The WGA could picket, but in tuxedos and off to the side -- get the press, but allow (even encourage) nominees to attend.
5) The symbolism of being against the Oscars could do more harm than good.
Take a moment to enjoy the show with the rest of us, Writers. Allow yourselves a chance to celebrate the past year. It was a great one.
15 comments:
The 11 Below-The-Line Categories are:
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Editing
Best Makeup
Best Score (Musical or Comedy)
Best Score (Drama)
Best Song
Best Sound
Best Sound Effects Editing
Best Visual Effects
Frankly, I don't think letting the show go on and picketing it would be very effective. ABC would never show it, so for 99.9% of the world, it is an action that wouldn't even exist.
The only possible way I think the WGA should let the Oscars happen with WGA & SAG approval is if ABC ran no commercials during the telecast. Then the show happens, fans are happy and the struck company (ABC) receives no financial reward.
But the chances of that happening are less than zero. As NBC showed with the Globes, they could have the let awards happen without TV camera, but if they cannot make money off it, they don't want it to exist.
You know, going after the ads is in interesting way to approach things.
You're right, of course, that the network wouldn't run the show without ads.
But what if, as a condition of getting a waiver, a big chunk of of all ad revenue went towards a solidarity fund? I don't think you could get half, but it'd be worth bargaining over.
Throw in an additional condition that ABC has to air 2 30-second Speechless ads for free.
"But what if, as a condition of getting a waiver, a big chunk of of all ad revenue went towards a solidarity fund? I don't think you could get half, but it'd be worth bargaining over."
Now, this is a good idea!
The Oscars will still go on, no matter what. But there really is no way to avoid a picket line unless the strike is somehow settled before the ceremony. The 2008 Oscars will look a lot like the 1980 Emmy Awards, and there will very likely be a lot of people in Hollywood who don't understand why this happened when the WGA didn't act like this back in 1988, when a full Oscar ceremony happened during that WGA strike.
The WGA is simply too polarized and angry to consider anything but a full picket of the ceremony. And this level of anger and emotion is unfortunately blinding them to the consequences of that action. And the other side of this is that the act of picking and choosing who they grant their waiver contracts to is a violation of federal labor law. There may be other consequences of the shutdown of the Globes, namely a lawsuit from NBC, HFPA or Dick Clark Prods for the money they have lost from the WGA's behavior. There could also be an NLRB complaint filed against the WGA.
But all of this is beside the point of what it will really take to end this matter. We're all essentially waiting for the DGA to set a new pattern contract for the other guilds to modify. Even the WGA is waiting, since they no longer have any leverage with the AMPTP and seem to be flailing about to get media attention.
A solidarity fund? Who would manage that and where would the money go? I think it would turn into a boondoggle IF you could get the network to donate some of the ad revenue which is highly unlikely anyway.
The writers are ready to picket a press conference at this point. The WGA won't get anything done now so I am looking the DGA to make a fair deal. Of course the select bloggers over at UH are already bashing the DGA as weak even before anyone has seen their offer. Big suprise. Meanwhile the Force Majuer will begin soon and those with deals will lose them as the WGA "stays the course" and crashes the ship into the rocks taking the rest of us for a ride.
Nice work assholes.
399
Not my strike
Out of work
Home for short sale in Simi
BTL Guy, just one small error in your article. It's the AMPAS, not the MPAA that handles the Academy Awards. I know, doesn't mean a damn thing right now, but just for future writings and such.
I am an Academy voter, so far there has been no communication whatsoever concerning it. If I had to guess, the show will be delayed. WGA has already denied the clip issue, and I'm sure has full intention of picketing the event. I have a number of WGA writer friends, and I'm sad to report, the anger is greater than ever. I doubt it will subside by late February.
Concerning their anger, I always email back and ask them "did you really expect any different from AMPTP?" And, I guess they did.
I didn't. It's playing out almost exactly as I thought it would so far. The major studios are already using the strike excuse to cut back lot facilities people, and I'm sure more to follow. The strike is helping them trim costs, and I'll bet some of these positions will not return. I said this to my co-workers back in early November.
The tv series I do (I bounce back and forth between features and tv), our showrunner and writers were put on hiatus last week, and told not to report to the studio. (though we are still in post on 3 episodes). This is the same showrunner that thought it would be over within two weeks. I really think many were misled into this being "short" from the TV perspective. That stopping TV would get AMPTP to settle. Clearly this hasn't happened, and I never expected it to. It's going to be features that settles this, I think.
April at the earliest, (interestingly right around the same 22 weeks as 1988) or July as a possibility for the Fall tv season.
Anyway, back to the topic. I think the Awards will be delayed. I've been getting about half the screening schedules I would normally get. It all seems abnormally quiet.
Tranpobill, I feel for ya. This isn't our strike, it sucks. As BTL guy has said, it's middle management fighting upper management. We are the true middle class in this thing. The truth is, the WGA knew what this would do to BTL, but went ahead anyway. And going ahead when it wasn't even beneficial to their cause, said everything to me. And now we're trying to break up the AMPTP, geesh.
So far, no one has explained to me why November was better than June. (if what they really wanted was a better settlement anyway).
I feel they wanted this strike.
I'm looking for employment outside the industry, and may nor may not return.
PG, thanks for the correction. I knew something was wrong when I wrote it...
No problem BTL, I did notice there are still a couple of MPAA references in there. (no big deal of course) Just thought you'd like to know.
I noticed Jerry Monaco hasn't written back to us as of yet. He does have a site on Live Journal which I just browsed last night. Seems to know a lot about union history and such, would actually like to hear his take on all this.
Post Guy, I agree with a lot of your post.
The timeline has been going mostly along where I thought things would go. There have been exceptions. I didn't think WGA would go back to the table that first time until after the new year, but they did it a month early. Same result, though. I expected a blow-up and there it was.
I had expected more sound and fury about the TV season during this month, but it appears that the studios and networks are playing a much tighter hand of poker than that. Where before I would have thought there would be pressure to try to save pilot season, May sweeps, and the upfronts, it's now pretty clear that those are done for the year. The networks have wanted for years to adjust pilot season and save the upfront money and it looks like the WGA played right into their hands.
To answer the question why the WGA went out in November rather than waiting, I would say look at who's coming to the table now. The WGA leadership was trying to pressure the AMPTP to make a deal with them before the DGA did their customary early negotiations. The WGA thought about waiting to June wasn't just that the studios would have a stockpile of scripts, particularly since a joint guild strike would make any such scripts unfilmable. It was also about heading off the DGA and putting the WGA into the driver's seat. They knew that if they waited until June, the DGA would already have made the new pattern deal and they'd have to live with the pattern. As Patric Verrone said, this was about respect. Back in 1988, a very big deal was made about making the DGA follow the new WGA pattern. (Even though there really wasn't one)
You are correct that they wanted the strike. Here's a simple comparison. The DGA spent two years and 2 million dollars on research to prepare for a contract negotiation on new media. The WGA spent almost two years preparing for a strike. Both guilds are getting the fruits of those labors - the DGA is negotiating a new contract and the WGA is having a long strike.
I also agree that the WGA seriously underestimated the resolve of the AMPTP. Our showrunner told us that David Young was "known for short strikes" so we'd all be back at work quickly. Looks like that was a little premature. (And also looks like she didn't know about what happened with him and Guess Jeans either)
I've been seeing the force majeure layoffs happen over the last two months, and noted the staff cutbacks last month. I have a friend in ADR at Universal and his whole department was informed before Christmas that their contracts would be ended as of January 2nd. So this has been happening quietly across town, and it will continue likely until the summer. I agree that many of these positions will not return as the studios will find more ways to cut overhead. (I have a feeling many studio jobs will be reclassified as temp jobs when this is done, thus allowing the studios to eliminate a lot of pension/health payments and lower many salaries.)
In the end, I do believe that it is television that will end the strike, as there is still plenty of feature film material in the pipeline - enough to take the studios through the year. With television, the networks can limp through the spring, but I seriously doubt they'll try an all-reality fall.
The most optimistic scenario I can see is if the DGA gets a good contract by next month, and if the WGA ratifies that by March. In that event, we could be back up and running in April with new TV scripts. But that's really assuming that everybody behaves from here on out, and I see no indication that this will happen. It's more likely that the DGA will take into March to work out the new contract, as I've been repeatedly saying. And that the AMPTP will then turn to SAG to head off that strike before it happens. That takes us to May, at which point the WGA has the choice of going with the established pattern (and effectively submitting to the AMPTP's instructions from Dec. 7) or staying out on strike even longer. By that point, I seriously doubt they will do anything other than make a deal. And then serious problems will happen inside the WGA as the consequences of the strike hit home. (8-9 months out for no reason, having the entire industry angry with them, many members of that guild forced to leave the business, etc.)
For the rest of us, it's going to be a difficult time. We're looking at losing at least 25% of the people who work in and around this business, as people can't wait 8 months to make their next mortgage payment. (And I have major issues with WGA people who make comments that people should have been saving up in case they went on strike. NOBODY should be asked to save up a year's worth of mortgage payments in case somebody else's guild goes on strike. That comment is beyond arrogant) I think the business will be a lot leaner when it comes back up, and a lot of people will be working for less.
This all assumes that the hardline WGA members are able to accept the fact that they aren't going to "break" the AMPTP and that they simply aren't going to "win" this strike, and that they'll have to settle for what the moderates can live with. If they can't do that, then we're looking at a strike that could go to August before the AMPTP breaks the guild and starts hiring writers whether or not the WGA has a contract. The WGA may not be aware these days of what happened to SEG, but it doesn't take much for the AMPTP to stop recognizing a guild or union. And they certainly aren't remembering what happened to the P-9 members who correctly struck Hormel back in the 80's and watched their union and hometown be destroyed.
Hey Kevin, well written post, nice timeline perspective. Try posting that on Perez Finke's blog or UH - it would be interesting to see if it gets past the censors and if it did, the response it might have.
On another note; is there any word on the DGA negotiations? Have the formal talks begun? Maybe they are keeping the talks private unlike the writers did with theirs by blabbing the results daily.
Thanks BTL Guy keeoing for this blog open without filtering.
Kevin, you posted what a few of us came to realize not too long ago.
The WGA strike has given the studios cover for what they have wanted to do for a while : Kill the non productive term and development deals, saving millions. Revamp the way they do pilots, no more shoot 20 to put 5 on the air to get 2 that make it to a second season. Settle with the DGA, whom they can make a reasonable deal with. Then turn to SAG. By June , the actors will have been out of work for almost 7 months, are they willing to strike for more than the DGA got?
By June, they will have a little more visibility on how their internet initiatives (Hulu, etc.) are doing, and can make a deal that makes sense to them. The writers have little leverage now, and will have even less by mid year.
In the meantime, a lot of good people will have been hurt, cannon fodder for the WGA and AMPTP, and the business will look very different to those of us who make our living from it.
Kevin,
Yes, I agree with you too. I guess I should have qualified my "feature" pressure for April. And I've said in other posts, there is enough product between films in production and negative pickups (there are numerous good films out there for purchase), until somewhere mid to late 2009. My thoughts on April were for the big tentpoles. That's when the real money makers will really start to get behind for Summer and Winter 2009, even with a shortened production schedule.
I'm pretty sure the studios went into this agreeing to cancel the Spring tv season, and am not surprised by that whatsoever. (and played right into Fox's hands.....American Idol) I keep putting myself into the shoes of someone running any of these companies, and that's what I keep coming up with. If I'm Murdoch, I'm thinking about 2015 and beyond, and it's time to send a message. I think we are all seeing what the message is.
I read some pretty big names were released today, Jinks/Cohen producers on "American Beauty".
As far as "who goes first" on the negotiations, I still don't completely understand how that matters in this particular climate (anger and hate), and a legitimate reason to strike early.
Assuming the DGA does come to an agreement, and not a slam dunk as we've seen Jan 7th come and go, no one has to follow it. As with everyone "assuming" this would happen in June, I feel all assumptions on patterns are off too. Stockpiling wasn't going to work as I've said in other posts, that's why BTL guys proposal made complete sense.
I have no idea how the WGA underestimated the resolve of AMPTP. Just look at it with a little common sense, and you'd realize to "pick your battles", (Internet first) and come back in 2 years going for your next one and your next one. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
The frenzied nature of their effort is frightening. But the complete and arrogant disregard of collateral damage has made me frustrated, angered, and moving into outraged. The WGA wants respect, but doesn't want to give it to the rest of us. That IS an outrage!
Words like "we're concerned about our crews" are meaningless without the actions to back it up.
Who goes first matters simply in terms of ego. The WGA has always had problems with the contract patterns being set by the DGA. It's another affront piled on with all the others that directors have done to writers over the years. (The whole argument about "A Film By..." was symptomatic of this.)
So for many people, letting the DGA talk first isn't that big of a deal - if they make a good contract, more power to them. To the WGA, this was another insult. As they said, they went into this situation wanting respect. Making the AMPTP negotiate with them first, before the DGA, was part of that intention. Of course, this didn't result in a good contract offer, and they wound up backed into this strike, and then playing right into the AMPTP's hands.
I agree that their actions lately are not encouraging. But what else can they do now if they're going to maintain their position? The AMPTP is ignoring them, and the only impact the strike is having is a negative one for everyone but the moguls. And once the DGA actually starts the formal talks, the WGA will be stuck watching the contract develop from the sidelines. (And that had to be another part of the AMPTP's intentions all along)
I only hope that when this is done, the consequences aren't too severe, and that the cooler heads at the WGA will have learned something about what not to do in the future.
Agreed Kevin, I forgot about that "A Film By" fiasco. I'm not sure I agree with the credit myself.
Yes, it does come back to this whole angle of striking of what I believe was the wrong time. The WGA had the option to go first and get a reasonable deal months ago, in front of the DGA.
What is reasonable? For me, it's decent gains I guess. I don't put Animation, Reality, and sympathy strikes into decent gains, those are all far reaching. Those along with Internet and DVD are exactly why we are in this position. Those are massive gains when put together.
Anyway, yes agree with your DGA ramifications, makes sense.
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