tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022653905840889580.post7031861612352115211..comments2023-10-17T02:44:03.005-07:00Comments on Animation writers: DGA deal - not horrible, but not great. ThoughtsStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17349670871562090251noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022653905840889580.post-44024024429403675522008-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:002008-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00If this were an "I want a 5% raise" / "No, I'm onl...If this were an "I want a 5% raise" / "No, I'm only going to give you 2%" negotiation, then yes. But this is a negotiation of how things should work in an entirely new medium. All the rules are changing and writers don't want the new system to stiff them. So the negotiation has been more like "We want it to work in a way where if you make money, we make money, and if you don't, we don't - and we don't want this new medium to be used as a way to stiff us compared to the way it's currently working" / "We want to use this new medium to stiff you". Harder to agree to meet in the middle in such a case. The AMPTP concession is not generally a real concession here, it's simply keeping the status quo moving into a new medium. The writers don't expect everything, but there are a number of things they just can't really budge on, or else they're moving backwards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022653905840889580.post-27678083291568070702008-01-20T16:02:00.000-08:002008-01-20T16:02:00.000-08:00Maybe I'm in the minority here, but it seems in mo...Maybe I'm in the minority here, but it seems in most negotiations both sides will walk away from the table and accept the fact that they weren't able to get everything in their favor. Isn't that what has happened to some degree with the DGA. They got a lot of good concessions, but they didn't bat a thousand and now a lot of writers are acting like the DGA were idiots because they should've gotten a 100% of what they wanted (and especially what the WGA wanted).<BR/>That's not how negotiations work in my experience. If the WGA expercts to get everything it wants before they declare the strike is over they're gonna be walking those sidewalks a long time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022653905840889580.post-85725371590707704282008-01-20T14:59:00.000-08:002008-01-20T14:59:00.000-08:00"Clips" seem vague. But it could be as innocuous a..."Clips" seem vague. But it could be as innocuous as "trailers".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022653905840889580.post-12921352210099823382008-01-19T11:25:00.000-08:002008-01-19T11:25:00.000-08:00Hey, Anonymous, look how much luck we had "revisit...Hey, Anonymous, look how much luck we had "revisiting" home video after the 80s deals. The "Union Blues" faction in 1985 and '88 passed out their little pins at the meetings, along with their flyers stating authoritatively that if home video became lucrative - if TV shows, say, were ever sold in boxed sets - we could "always renegotiate" our percentage.<BR/><BR/>Of course the AMPTP will "want to offer this" to the WGA. Under any realistic appraisal of the future of the internet it impoverishes anyone creating content.<BR/><BR/>Screenwriters should worry too. DTV, "Direct To Video" was an unknown term in 1985. DTI, Direct To Internet, will not be long in coming for low-budget features.<BR/><BR/>If the AMPTP wants a 17-day "promotion-only" window, with ads, for new shows, the WGA should get the same eps to put on a heavily-promoted parallel site of its own, alongside drafts of the scripts, writers' commentary, deleted script scenes. With advertising... all profits going to the writers. But purely for promotion, of course.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022653905840889580.post-58326604218030944832008-01-18T11:13:00.000-08:002008-01-18T11:13:00.000-08:00Sounds like the DGA actually did some research and...Sounds like the DGA actually did some research and are satisfied that this will work for now. And if things change they can revisit it later in 3 years. That sunset provision was probably added mainly for the sake of the WGA that has been screamimg that anything decided now would stick forever.<BR/>Now the big question is will the studios want to offer this same contract to the WGA?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022653905840889580.post-89372292972376570582008-01-18T10:26:00.000-08:002008-01-18T10:26:00.000-08:00I think the new media clause refers to new possibl...I think the new media clause refers to new possible vehicles for live action distribution/production. <BR/><BR/>Back in the day the Internet was considered new media as was DVD etc. This clause protects existing shows and methods of production if some new technilogical dohicky comes up.<BR/><BR/>I don't think it is giving goverence to a new "medium" of an animated adaptaion of a live action property.<BR/><BR/>I could be wrong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com