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Post by Niemmy on Jan 9, 2008 3:17:43 GMT -5
Yep! I can hear the tears of American actors from here! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 9, 2008 23:21:16 GMT -5
SHOWS ON STRIKE Entourage HBO According to star Adrien Grenier, the show is in jeopardy of never returning if the strike is not settled soon. It does not appear that there are any completed episodes unaired Avatar: The Last Airbender Nickelodeon Writing halted. Season 3 written Spongebob Squarepants Several writers fired. Speed of scripting slowed
Some Poor Kids will have to see Spongebob squarepans repeats
On January 3, 2008, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee appeared on The Tonight Show. Apparently unaware he was crossing the writers' picket line to do so, he told the Associated Press, "I support the writers, by the way. Unequivocally, absolutely. They're dead right on this one... I don't think anybody supports the producers on this one. Maybe the producers support the producers, but I think everybody in the business and even the general public supports the writers
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Post by Niemmy on Jan 10, 2008 14:35:39 GMT -5
Yes I can see that to kids that might suck Mightyly! But the again I hope they don't make anymore reality shows about fixing and decorating up houses "they are really starting to piss me off me big time!" Don't these assholes have lives? They have to spend it on a never ending quest to fix up there hoses "jezz I even hate mowing the bloody lawn! much else doing anything else to the place!
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Post by Niemmy on Jan 10, 2008 22:29:58 GMT -5
So has it been hot enough for ya lately Beatie?
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 10, 2008 22:56:52 GMT -5
STARS IN STRIKE More heroes stars joining the picket Line Masi Oka Sendhil Ramamurthy Greg Grunberg Jack Coleman
yeah the weather is hot and humid
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Post by Niemmy on Jan 10, 2008 23:23:50 GMT -5
hehe say that again Beatie! The best thing is when it get's hot I get to go home!Once it reaches 35 on the thermotere I'm out of there dude! Jezz I got let out of work at 11.30 today! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 11, 2008 23:52:16 GMT -5
STRIKE NEWS The Weinstein Co., the namesake independent film company formed two years ago by the high-octane siblings after being forced out at Miramax by Disney, has struck an interim deal with the Writers Guild of America enabling it to resume development on several of its movie projects.
"The Guild is proud to move forward with The Weinstein Company and hopes that other studios will follow its example," the WGA said in a statement Friday. "The conglomerates walked away from bargaining and have refused to resume negotiations, but this shows we can sign deals that are fair for writers and the companies that employ them."
While terms were not disclosed, the arrangement is said to be modeled on those the WGA has struck with David Letterman's Worldwide Pants and Tom Cruise's United Artists and will give writers a share of revenue generated through Internet distribution of the company's productions—the key sticking point in the union's battle with Hollywood producers.
Because it's not a signatory of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the Weinstein Co. was able to pursue a side deal with the union.
"We believe this strike must be resolved now, it's that simple," the Weinstein brothers said in a joint statement. “Each day more people are losing their jobs because of this strike and a trickle down effect is impacting the entire industry. There seems to be no end in sight and this should be a concern to all of us.
“While we understand and respect both sides of this issue, this agreement is a catalyst in bringing both sides back to the table so real conversations can begin. We should not forget that this time of year should be a time of celebration for our industry and it won't be until this strike is resolved.”
There was no immediate comment from the AMPTP on the Weinstein pact.
After talks with AMPTP shut down for the second time on Dec. 7, the WGA extended an invite to the major TV networks and nonsignatory producers to enter into individual negotiations. The union is hoping separate deals will force the big five studios back to the bargaining table.
But the Alliance appears to be digging in for the long haul.
"One-off deals do nothing to bring the WGA closer to a permanent solution for working writers," the AMPTP said in a statement Monday, shortly after the United Artists deal was finalized.
"These interim agreements are sideshows and mean only that some writers will be employed at the same time other writers will be picketing. In the end, until the people in charge at WGA decide to focus on the main event rather than these sideshows, the economic harm being caused by the strike will continue."
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 12, 2008 23:35:52 GMT -5
STARS IN SUPPORT James McAvoy Tom Hanks Angelina Jolie
STARS IN STRIKE Edie Falco Zachary Levi Chris Noth Susan Sarandon
The Writers Strike will go into its 11th Week without the Golden Globes AND it"S halway there to the 1988 Writers Strike
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 14, 2008 23:10:15 GMT -5
STRIKE NEWS The major commercial television networks may make money out of the Hollywood writers' strike because they do not have to pay as much for US programming as in previous years, according to Australia's best-known media buyer.
Harold Mitchell, chairman of Mitchell and Partners, said yesterday that major networks could profit from maintaining advertising rates, while shelling out less for American shows on hold because of the strike: "In the short term, there could actually be a financial upswing for the free-to-airs, from not having to pay for first-run drama they aren't getting."
The US strike, where writers are demanding payments from major studios for internet and DVD broadcasts, has been running for more than two months.
All scripted Hollywood shows have shut down production, meaning that Australian networks are receiving vastly reduced numbers of episodes of first-run American programs than in previous years.
Instead of a normal series averaging 22 episodes, networks will receive just 10 to 14 first-run episodes of some of their main ratings-drivers from the US, including Seven Network's Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, Nine's various CSI franchises and Cold Case, and Ten's House and various Law & Order franchises.
Mr Mitchell said this could lead to an Australian season of "repeats versus repeats", leaving networks with lower costs: "Presumably, they'd charge no less in ad rates." But he cautioned against taking viewers for granted. "People could gradually drift away from free-to-air TV to pay-TV if it happened over a period of time," he said.
Tim Worner, programming head for ratings leader the Seven Network, agreed that a repeats overkill could be dangerous.
"We have to be careful - with some shows, you're starting to see their bum through their pants," he said.
Mr Worner said Seven devised a plan last October to prepare for the worst. "The essence was turning a problem into an opportunity." That plan included holding back US programming that could have run during the summer, and expanding and extending Australian production.
Other networks have also made contingency plans. Nine Network's programming boss Michael Healy said the network had decided to make more local programs: "There are shows we have already commissioned because of the writers' strike."
Ten Network's programming head David Mott is also in commissioning mode, with the network to reveal more local shows "within the next week".
Any new shows Ten produces this year in reaction to the writers' strike would be in "genres you can get up reasonably quickly: for example, quiz shows and studio-based shows".
He said Ten's major local franchises, such as Australian Idol and Big Brother could also be expanded.
OTHER NEWS The strike is against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a trade organization representing the interests of 397 American film and television producers.[3]. The most influential of these are eight corporations: CBS Inc. (headed by Les Moonves), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (headed by Harry E. Sloan), NBC Universal (headed by Jeffrey Zucker), News Corp/Fox (headed by Peter Chernin), Paramount Pictures (headed by Brad Grey), Sony Pictures Entertainment (headed by Michael Lynton), the Walt Disney Company, (headed by Robert Iger), and Warner Brothers (headed by Barry M. Meyer).
According to a report on the January 13 edition of NBC Nightly News, if one takes into account everyone affected by the current strike, it so far has cost the industry $1 billion, a combination of lost wages to cast and crew members of television and film productions and payments for services provided by janitorial services, caterers, prop and costume rental companies, and the like
SHOWS ON STRIKE The Laura Adams Show Showtime Renewed for 18 Episodes, with the strike filming was scheduled to begin in December 2007 but has been delayed because of the Strike, 0 Episodes have been written.
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Post by Niemmy on Jan 15, 2008 3:55:12 GMT -5
So who is Laura Adams Beatie?
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 16, 2008 22:49:07 GMT -5
MOVIES UNDER THREAT The Justice League of America film, about to start production has been stopped as the completed script requires tweeking.
we dont know about laura adams
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 17, 2008 22:24:55 GMT -5
STRIKE NEWS The Hollywood directors' union has reached a contract deal with major film and TV studios.
The studios' tentative three-year labour pact with the Directors Guild of America (DGA) includes provisions to pay union members more for work distributed over the internet - a key sticking point in stalled contract talks with screenwriters.
But it is not immediately clear whether the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which has been on strike since November 5, will embrace the terms of the directors' deal as a template for a settlement of its own.
The writers says they will evaluate the directors' agreement.
The directors' deal comes five days after contract talks began. The official negotiations followed weeks of informal discussions with the studios, and months of economic research by the union.
The studios' bargaining arm, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, has invited the Writers Guild to engage in a similar round of "informal discussions ... to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for returning to formal bargaining."
Months of contentious off-and-on negotiations between the studios and the Writers Guild collapsed on December 7 when the union refused studios' demand to withdraw several of its proposals as a condition for continued bargaining.
Today the Writers Guild's reaction has been restrained.
"The terms of the [directors'] deal will be carefully analysed and evaluated" by union leaders.
The WGA concludes: "We hope that the DGA's tentative agreement will be a step forward in our effort to negotiate an agreement that is in the best interests of all writers."
Directors Guild leaders have been considerably more upbeat.
"Two words describe this agreement - groundbreaking and substantial," said Gil Cates, who chairs the Directors Guild's negotiating committee and is the producer of the upcoming Oscar telecast.
"The gains in this contract for directors and their teams are extraordinary - and there are no rollbacks of any kind."
The Directors Guild's existing contract covering 13,000 members - including directors, assistant directors and unit production managers - expires on June 30.
New media
The Directors Guild has a history of reaching swift labour pacts with the studios, but the latest deal has drawn unusually intense scrutiny because of its implications for ending a strike by the Writers Guild.
Some 10,500 writers walked off the job on November 5, shattering 20 years of Hollywood labour peace. The dispute centres on writers' demands for a greater share of revenues from film and TV content on the internet.
The Directors Guild deal contains a number of points addressing how directors should be compensated for work in new media, including provisions that essentially double the rate now paid for internet downloads.
It also establishes new "residual" fees to directors for the reuse of material in the form of advertising-supported online streaming and video clips.
The writers strike has taken an enormous toll on the entertainment industry.
Much of US television production has ground to a halt, major film projects have been derailed and Hollywood award ceremonies have been scaled back or cancelled.
With the writers threatening to picket next month's Oscar ceremony, and many actors expected to boycott the event if they do, even the film industry's highest honours have been jeopardised.
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 18, 2008 23:45:21 GMT -5
STRIKE UPDATE The 11 week old Wrtiers Strike will soon be coming to a end nex week if they accept a deal with the directors Patric Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America West, leaving the room on Nov. 5 after announcing the decision to strike. On Friday he said he believed negotiations would resume soon. An odd couple, not invested in the clubby ways of show business, the pair have upended Hollywood by leading some 12,000 screenwriters on a strike that is now ending its 11th week. This weekend, however, the two men are stuck deliberating a question that may bode ill for both: Is their writers’ rebellion over?
On Thursday the Directors Guild of America, which represents Hollywood’s movie and television directors, reached an agreement with production companies covering many of the same issues over which the writers are striking. Within Mr. Verrone and Mr. Young’s own union, a growing contingent, many with rich careers now on hold, is eyeing the directors’ settlement as a path to immediate peace, even though its terms fall short of the writers’ demands.
The moment promises a severe test of their staying power. In deciding whether to fight, fold or do something in between, the pair — and the guild’s membership, which is demanding a direct voice in the next decision — will determine just how long this strike will last.
In a telephone interview on Friday, Mr. Verrone said he believed “negotiations will resume” between writers and the companies soon, adding that he expected to meet with the membership in small groups and at a general assembly of members within the next two weeks.
For Mr. Verrone and Mr. Young, those moves will add to personal journeys that have thrust them into the limelight — courted by agents, chased by the press, lionized by stars — but may send them quickly back in the shadows if they fail at what has usually been an insiders’ game.
Even the most seasoned Hollywood observers are hard pressed to remember a time when such outsiders took the business on so wild a ride.
“One idea that comes to mind is David Puttnam,” said Martin Kaplan, director of the University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center, which studies entertainment, commerce and society, referring to the British film producer who briefly took charge of Columbia Pictures in the 1980s. “The system chewed him up and spit him out in 10 minutes.”
The word “Hollywood” says nothing much about either man. Gaunt and dark-haired, Mr. Verrone, 48, who graduated from Harvard, favors white shirts, crisp suits and the sort of ties most accountants might find in need of pepping up. Mr. Young, 49, who attended San Diego State, is blue-eyed, with softer features, and is comfortable with open collars.
The two do not socialize regularly. But they share a deep suspicion of the conglomerates — the News Corporation, General Electric, the Walt Disney Company, Time Warner and others — that now dominate show business as owners of the largest studios and television networks.
In an interview last April Mr. Verrone described himself as having inherited the mission of correcting decades of erosion in the status of writers, actors and filmmakers under pressure from profit-obsessed corporations. If trends continued, Mr. Verrone said, “then somebody else like me would come along. Somebody else would have to.” Mr. Young, who declined to be interviewed for this article, was best known as a principal player behind a hard-fought attempt in the mid-1990s by the Union of Needle Trades, Industrial and Textile Employees to organize workers who were making clothes for Guess? Inc. That drive failed when Guess? simply moved most of its work out of the country.
Mr. Verrone likes to speak of his own approach as “zealous advocacy,” a term he adopted in his law school days at Boston College. His zeal has proved contagious since taking over as president of the West Coast writers’ guild in September 2005.
He and Mr. Young won overwhelming support for the strike from members last October, as they tapped a deep well of resentment over declining income from movies, television’s drift toward reality programming and the deep-seated unfairness of a Hollywood system that perennially blames the script for problems that often have more to do with a runaway budget or a temperamental star.
Dennis Palumbo, a screenwriter-turned-psychologist whose practice includes a number of Hollywood writers, said guild members — many of whom have come to regard the companies as negative parental figures — appear to see Mr. Verrone and Mr. Young as friendlier alternatives. “Which parent do you go with, the big, bad parent that you know, or someone who’s presenting himself as an Alan Alda parent?” Mr. Palumbo said
OTHER NEWS The Colbert Report is now pronounced The ColBERT RePORT General Hospital Using scab/financial core material as of January 4, 2008. Writing led by non-striking guild member Garin Wolf. Unknown if Head Writer Robert Guza Jr. and his team will return after the strike.
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 20, 2008 23:02:06 GMT -5
STRIKE NEWS The leaders of the Writers Guild of America plan to resume negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in the hopes of ending the strike effective on January 22nd 2008, ER executive producer John Wells states that he thinks the strike can be easily resolved within two weeks
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Post by beatie08 on Jan 21, 2008 22:07:58 GMT -5
STRIKE NEWS NEGOGATIONS TO END THE WRITERS STRIKE Spurred by the day-old employment contract signed by the Directors Guild of America, Hollywood's writers and the major studios agreed Friday to resume talks, hoping to reach an agreement that would end the nearly 11-week-old strike, according to several people close to the matter.
Writers Guild of America leaders plan to meet as early as Tuesday with News Corp. President Peter Chernin and possibly other top executives, reviving talks that studios broke off early last month, the people said. Representatives of the Writers Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, declined to comment on the meeting.
But in an interview Friday, Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West, said the union welcomed an offer made by the studios Thursday to resume bargaining. "Everyone wants us to get back into negotiations, and that's what we intend to do," Verrone said.
Verrone declined to give his assessment of the tentative DGA deal, saying guild officials were still studying its contents. The guild's negotiating committee will meet today to discuss the directors deal and make recommendations to Verrone and Executive Director David Young on how to proceed in their upcoming talks.
Guild leaders face mounting pressure from show runners and screenwriters to use the DGA agreement as a basis for a new three-year contract of their own. The guild has scheduled outreach meetings with members in the next two weeks to brief them on the DGA agreement.
Though the directors deal falls short of what the writers were seeking, it generally received positive reviews by several negotiating-committee members and top writers.
"I'm really impressed with how mindful the DGA was [in striking a] deal good enough to put the whole town back to work," said Scott Frank ("Minority Report," "The Interpreter"), who is a DGA member and a former Writers Guild board member.
"They were under enormous pressure, and they seem to have delivered."
Writer-producer John Wells ("ER," "West Wing"), who has close ties to the studios, went further. "This is a precedent-setting deal," the former guild president said, "much better than any deal negotiated for the creative guilds in several decades." Wells expressed his support of the DGA deal in an e-mail Friday morning to hundreds of writer colleagues.
Though many writers view the new DGA contract as far from perfect, they say it makes strides toward their main goal: securing fair pay for work distributed over the Internet, cellphones, digital video players and other devices.
Sales of digital downloads are small today but are expected to grow rapidly in the next decade as entertainment migrates online. Some analysts estimate that movie download revenue will rise to nearly $2 billion by 2011.
Studios gave directors considerably more than they had offered writers before their talks broke down.
Among other things, directors managed to double the residual payments they currently receive when movies and TV shows are sold online. As recently as a few weeks ago, Wells said, the studios vowed that they would never raise the rate.
Also appealing to writers was a provision in the directors contract extending union contracts to Web shows, both original works and those derived from existing scripted television programs. Web shows that cost more than $15,000 a minute or $300,000 an episode would be covered under the directors contract.
Although most original Web content costs less than that to produce, an influx of traditional filmmakers is quickly increasing budgets. One recent example is "quarterlife," the $5-million-plus Web series created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, producers of the hit television series "thirtysomething" and films including "Blood Diamond."
Still, some writers contend that the thresholds are too high because the vast majority of original Web shows currently are made on shoestring budgets of $500 to $6,000 an episode.
The directors deal for the first time provides a system for compensating talent for shows that are streamed free on ad-supported websites. Directors would get a fixed fee of about $1,200 in the first year that a one-hour drama is offered online. That's a vast improvement over the $250 that studios offered writers in their talks.
Some writers, however, complained that the deal would give studios too wide a promotional window for streaming shows online before they have to start paying residuals.
Studios would get a 17-day window for existing shows and 24 days on new series. The concern is that most viewers watch reruns of their favorite shows online within days after the initial broadcast -- not weeks -- giving studios little incentive to run a program beyond the promotional window
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