Strike Two?
On Tuesday, the WGA finally put their new contract with the AMPTP to an official vote and it was approved by 93.6% of the membership. This is great news, but unfortunately there are still storm clouds on the horizon and they spell: SAG.
After the WGA pact was a done deal but before it had been made official, The Hollywood Reporter noted how eerily quiet it was on the development front. Apparently the industry assumed the writers would be busy during their downtime and that the end of the strike would open the floodgates on new material. This hasn’t happened. THR speculates that either the writers weren’t writing spec scripts during the strike or that no one wants to be the first to admit that they were.
Yesterday, Variety reported that several studios are holding back on projects that won’t be able to complete shooting by June 30, the date the current Screen Actors Guild contract expires. This news was followed by a SAG announcement that they have no intention of even beginning talks until April at the earliest, in part because they need to hammer out the details over their joint bargaining agreement with the AFTRA, the union that represents television and radio artists.
Finally today, SAG’s New York board announced a resolution urging leaders to follow the DGA example of early talks and to begin discussions by March 31.
I’m not sure what medium and long term impacts the lengthy WGA strike will ultimately have on those of us in the audience. We know it chopped the TV season off prematurely and it’s estimated in some corners that it cost the local economy $2.5 billion (even the guy who delivers water to our office was impacted by the industry slow down). Even if the impact from a consumer standpoint proves minor however, a SAG strike on top of the WGA strike (or even a significant delay in resolving the issues) would have to be bad news.
Hopefully the increased urgency for everyone involved will lead to a swift and satisfactory resolution for all sides and we can just get back to the joy of going to the movies.
Meanwhile according to Variety, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees will begin their own negotiations with the AMPTP on April 7 even though the current contract doesn’t expire until August 2009.
Filed under: News
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In other news, the price of gasoline will be going up to $4 per gallon. That will impact everyone and everything for sure.
I would assume that the writers were working on material during their down time. As a singer/musician I’m always practicing and working on new material, even if I don’t have a job coming up immediately. I would imagine it’s the same for the writers (and I do write as well, though not for the public). If writing is what you do, you just can’t help it. When ideas come, you write.
However, it is possible that they don’t want to admit that they did. But I don’t see why they should be embarrassed about it, for my reason stated above.
The THR article seemed to speculate that it might be kind of a “screw you” to the studios rather than embarrassment. Also that they’re sort of waiting to test the temperature of the economic waters before anyone commits to anything, the assumption being that the first person out of the gate will appear desperate and get screwed.
I completely agree with the “screw you” sentiment. And, yes, I could see the logic of not wanting to be the first person out of the gate. As it is, the studios will be cutting back jobs (including those of writers) due to the hit they took during the strike.
This ordeal isn’t over for a long shot. Hopefully the actors won’t be forced to go on strike. But whether they are or aren’t, as always I think it will be the writers who continue to get shafted the most.
I read one post-Oscar article that suggested that the reason they gave awards to all non-Americans this year is because they were teaching a lesson to the American actors who wouldn’t have crossed the picket line to attend the ceremony if the strike hadn’t been settled. But that doesn’t make sense to me. I’m pretty sure that DDL, Julie Christie and other foreign actors who make American movies are members of SAG. They wouldn’t have crossed the picket line. The only one who was not a member of SAG was Marion, but she also said that she wouldn’t cross the picket line.
It’s probably just more sour-graping.
Yeah, I don’t buy that conspiracy type stuff. Maybe I’m just naive.
No, I don’t buy it either. I think this person was just making an excuse as to why their favorite didn’t win.
The four acting winners gave outstanding performances and deserved to win. Though Tilda Swinton wasn’t my favorite she was still excellent in Michael Clayton and I can’t complain. Besides, she gave one damn funny speech. She’s both irrepressible and irreverent. AMPAS needs that.
I call sour graping. :-)
It’s not just sour graping, it’s loony.
The human capacity to come up with complicated reasons for things happening when the obvious is staring them right in the face astounds and irritates.
The people who won did so because they gave great performances and they received the most votes. Any other theory is pure speculation unless you can come up with written statements from each voter on who they voted for and why.
Alison, you being a singer/musician is so cool. I dare say it has ups and downs like any profession, but it always seems to me that those who have the courage, passion, and determination to forge artistic careers are being true to themselves in a deeply special way.
Thanks, sartre. It’s not easy. I have to do other non-related work in order to make ends meet. New York City rent is very high. I’m very lucky in that I found a situation that’s extremely flexible, lets me earn money to live on and allows me to do what I want.