LOS ANGELES -- Acclaimed television writer and The Sopranos creator David Chase will receive the Writers Guild of America, West's coveted 2008 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television, honoring lifetime achievement for outstanding writing, at the WGAW's upcoming Honorary Awards Luncheon on April 23 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.“We had to give this award to David Chase following the remarkable run of The Sopranos. Not doing so would be to deny him the closure that -,” said WGAW President Patric M. Verrone.

Whether contributing his diverse talents as writer, director, or producer - and often all three - Chase has been the creative force behind some of the most ground-breaking, indelible programming ever broadcast on network and cable television, including one of the most critically and commercially successful TV series, HBO's The Sopranos.

Read more at REELot.com 

FILM AND TELEVISION AWARD WINNERS

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
JUNO, Written by Diablo Cody; Fox Searchlight

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, Screenplay by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, Based on the Novel by Cormac McCarthy; Miramax

For the complete list of award recipients go to REELOT.

DGA Gains Solid Wage Increases with No Rollbacks  Plus Precedent-Setting Jurisdiction Over New-Media  and a Doubling of EST Residuals Rate

LOS ANGELES - The Directors Guild of America (DGA) announced today that it has concluded a tentative agreement on the terms of a new 3-year collective bargaining agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). 

Highlights of the new agreement include: 

Increases both wages and residual bases for each year of the contract. 

Establishes DGA jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution on the Internet. 

Establishes new residuals formula for paid Internet downloads (electronic sell-through) that essentially doubles the rate currently paid by employers. 

Establishes residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the Internet. 

 “Two words describe this agreement - groundbreaking and substantial,” said Gil Cates, chair of the DGA's Negotiations Committee, in announcing the terms of the new agreement. “The gains in this contract for directors and their teams are extraordinary – and there are no rollbacks of any kind.” 

Formal negotiations between the DGA’s 50-member Negotiations Committee and the AMPTP began Saturday, January 12, and were concluded today. Talks were led by Cates and DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth. They were preceded by months of informal discussions and nearly two years of preparation and research by Guild staff and consultants. 

“This was a very difficult negotiation that required real give and take on both sides,” said DGA president Michael Apted. “Nonetheless, we managed to produce an agreement that enshrines the two fundamental principles we regard as absolutely crucial to any employment and compensation agreement in this digital age: First, jurisdiction is essential. Without secure jurisdiction over new-media production—both derivative and original—compensation formulas are meaningless. Second, the Internet is not free. We must receive fair compensation for the use and reuse of our work on the Internet, whether it was originally created for other media platforms or expressly for online distribution.” 

The agreement includes the following gains in New Media: 

·Jurisdiction: The new agreement ensures that programming produced for the Internet (both original and derivative) will be directed by DGA members and their teams. The only exceptions are low-budget original shows on which production costs are less than $15,000 per minute, $300,000 per program, or $500,000 per series—whichever is lowest.

Electronic Sell-Through: EST is the paid download of features and TV programming. The agreement more than doubles the EST residual for television and increases the feature film residual by 80% over the rate currently paid by the employers.

Specifically, the EST residual rates will be .70% for television downloads and .65% for film downloads, above a certain number of units downloaded. Below that, residuals will be based on formula employers currently pay.

Payments for EST will be based on distributor’s gross, which is the amount received by the entity responsible for distributing the film or television program on the Internet. Having distributor’s gross as the residuals basis was a key point in our negotiations.

The companies are now contractually obligated to give us unfettered access to their deals and data. This access is new and unprecedented and creates a transparency that has never existed before. Additionally, if the exhibitor or retailer is part of the producer’s corporate family, we have improved provisions for challenging any suspect transactions.

Ad-Supported Streaming: After an initial 17-day window for free promotional streaming of Internet programs, companies must pay 3% of the residual base (approximately $600 for network prime time 1-hour drama) for 26 weeks of streaming. They can continue to stream for an additional 26-week period by paying an additional 3% -- or a total of $1,200 for one year’s worth of streaming. (During a program's first season, the 17-day window is expanded to 24 days to help build audience.)

 Sunset Provision: Allows both sides to revisit new media when agreement expires. 

“Our fundamental goal in these negotiations was to protect our interests in the present while laying the groundwork for a future whose outlines are not yet clear,” said Cates. “We knew that gaining jurisdiction over new-media production and winning fair compensation for the reuse of our work on the Internet were the key issues for setting a framework for the future, but we also had to secure real gains for our members in today’s world.” 

The new tentative agreement includes the following: 

Annual wage increases of 3% for primetime dramatic shows and daytime serials and 3.5% for all other covered programming.

Outsized increase in director’s compensation on high-budget basic cable for series in the second and subsequent seasons.

Annual residual increases of 3% for primetime shows and 3.5% for all other covered programming.

Specific advances that pertain to members of the director’s team. 

PLEASE SEE FACT SHEET BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS 

Details of the new agreement will be submitted to the Guild's National Board for approval at its regularly scheduled meeting on Saturday, January 26, 2008. The DGA’s current contracts expire on June 30, 2008. .

Read the facts:

FACT SHEET

DGA Tentative Agreement

January 17, 2008 

Basic Agreement 

Wage Increases

Compensation for all categories except directors of network prime time dramatic programs and daytime serials increases by 3.5%, each year of the contract.

Compensation for directors of network prime time dramatic programs and daytime serials increases by 3%, each year of the contract.

Outsized increase in director’s compensation on high budget basic cable dramatic programs for series in the second and subsequent seasons:

For ½ hour programs: 12% increase in daily rate and increase in guaranteed number of days to 7 days.

Results in show rate increasing from $9,009 to $11,760.

For 1-hour programs: 12% increase in daily rate and increase in guaranteed number of days to 14 days.

Results in show rate increasing from $18,010 to $23,520. 

Residual Increases

Residual bases increase by 3.5%, each year of the contract, except for reruns in network prime time.

Residuals for reruns in network prime time increase by 3%, each year of the contract. 

Healthcare

Employers continue to make health care contributions at specially negotiated rate of 8.5%, secured in the 2005 Basic Agreement to address the impact of the growing cost of health care on the DGA Plan. Provisions permitting decrease in contribution rate by employers removed. 

Other Provisions

Second Assistant Directors to manage locations in New York and Chicago.

Establishes a wrap supervision allowance of $50/day for the Second Assistant Director who supervises wrap on local and distant locations.

Increases incidental fees and dinner allowances for Unit Production Managers and Assistant Directors. 

New Media 

Jurisdiction over:

All new media content that is derivative of product already covered under current contracts.

Original content:

All original content above $15,000/minute or $300,000/program or $500,000/series, whichever is lowest.

Original content below the threshold will be covered when a DGA member is employed in the production. 

Electronic Sell-Through (Paid Downloads)

More than doubles the rate currently paid by the employers on television programming to .70% above 100,000 units downloaded.

Below 100,000 breakpoint: rate will be paid at the current rates of .30% until worldwide gross receipts reach $1 million and .36% thereafter.

Increases rate paid on feature films by 80% to .65% above 50,000 units downloaded

Below 50,000 breakpoint: rate will be paid at the current rates of .30% until worldwide gross receipts reach $1 million and .36% thereafter. 

Distributor’s Gross

Payments for EST will be based on distributor’s gross instead of producer’s gross, a key point in our negotiations. Distributor’s gross is the amount received by the entity responsible for distributing the film or television program on the Internet. We would not have entered the agreement on any other basis.

Companies will be contractually obligated to give us access to their deals and data, enabling us to monitor this provision and prepare for our next negotiation. This access is new and unprecedented.

If the exhibitor or retailer is part of the producer’s corporate family, we have improved provisions for challenging any suspect transactions. 

Ad-Supported Streaming:

17-day window (24-day window for series in their first season).

Pays 3% of the residual base, approximately $600 (for network prime time 1-hour dramas), for each 26-week period following 17-day window, within first year after initial broadcast.

Pays 2% of distributor’s gross for streaming that occurs more than one year after initial broadcast. 

Clips

Provides the companies with limited windows where they can distribute clips of feature films and television programs in new media to promote a program. Provides for payment for all other uses in New Media. 

Sunset Provision

Allows both sides to revisit new media when the agreement expires.

“The AMPTP walked away from the bargaining table on December 7, rather than negotiate a fair agreement for writers. NBC forcing Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien back on the air without writers is not going to provide the quality entertainment that the public deserves. The only solution to the strike is a negotiated settlement of the issues. If the AMPTP won’t come to the table, then it’s time for responsible companies to come forward and negotiate a fair deal.”

More Information: http://www.wga.org

GUILDS WILL MEET TO DISCUSS NEW MEDIA

LOS ANGELES - The Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America will meet shortly to discuss new media, including what the DGA has developed from its research and studies.

Neither the WGA nor the DGA will have any further comment on the meeting or any of the information shared in the meeting.

More Information: http://www.wga.org

The honorees are listed below in alphabetical order:

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR--OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
INTO THE WILD
JUNO
KNOCKED UP
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
RATATOUILLE
THE SAVAGES
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR--OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

DEXTER
EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
LONGFORD
MAD MEN
PUSHING DAISIES
THE SOPRANOS
TELL ME YOU LOVE ME
30 ROCK
UGLY BETTY

For the complete list of jurors go to REELot 

As you know, the AMPTP is currently unwilling to bargain with us. The internal dynamics of the AMPTP make it difficult for the conglomerates to reach consensus and negotiate with us on a give and take basis. We believe this multi-employer structure inhibits individual companies from pursuing their self-interest in negotiations. We nonetheless continue to hope that the AMPTP will return in good faith to negotiate a fair contract with writers, as two television seasons and numerous feature projects are currently at great risk.

Read the complete letter from the Negotiating Committee at REELot

See the complete list of nominees at REELot.

Dear Fellow Members,

Before we head into negotiations this morning, we want to give you an update on where we stand.

On Tuesday, after the companies had requested a four-day break so they could work on their proposals, we returned to the bargaining table. We presented a counter proposal to their streaming proposal of November 29. They presented no new proposals. On Wednesday, the AMPTP again had no new proposals, but they did have detailed questions about our streaming counter proposal and other aspects of our overall proposals – and from the give and take of those discussions, we felt that they might finally be ready to engage in serious bargaining. They told us they would have new proposals for us Thursday. On Thursday, we met at 10am, and they told us their new proposals would be ready shortly. At 5pm, they told us their proposals still weren’t ready, that they would be working on them late into the night, and that we should come back this morning at 10am. The fact that we saw everyone from the AMPTP leave the building by 6:45pm is not a promising sign, but we will be at the table at 10am this morning, ready to receive their new proposal.
Read the complete statement at REELot

“The Writers Guilds met [Wednesday] with the AMPTP and discussed issues of jurisdiction for original content for the Internet, Reality TV, Animation, and Basic Cable. The talks also were focused on contract enforcement. For the last two days, we have had substantive discussions of the issues important to writers, the first time this has occurred in this negotiation. However, we are still waiting for the AMPTP to respond to all of our proposals, including Internet streaming of theatrical and television product and digital downloads. Bargaining resumes [Thursday] at 10 a.m.”

FROM THE  WGA:

The AMPTP has announced publicly that their proposal is worth $130 million over the next three years. While it is unclear where that $130 million would be created, we greet this statement with real interest. If the AMPTP is serious about this figure, the WGA is confident we are close to a deal and hopeful that the companies will respond positively to our sincere movement to partner with them.

To further everyone's understanding of exactly where we are, we have prepared the following report. It explains the economic realities both sides are facing, and compares the WGA's proposal with the companies' proposal.

Read the complete report at  REELot

STATEMENT REGARDING AMPTP WGA NEGOTIATIONS

LOS ANGELES, November 29, 2007 – "The AMPTP today unveiled a New Economic Partnership to the WGA, which includes groundbreaking moves in several areas of new media, including streaming, content made for new media and programming delivered over digital broadcast channels.  The entire value of the New Economic Partnership will deliver more than $130 million in additional compensation above and beyond the more than $1.3 billion writers already receive each year.  In response, the WGA has asked for time to study the proposals.  While we strongly preferred to continue discussions, we respect and understand the WGA’s desire to review the proposals.  We look forward resuming talks on Tuesday, December 4.

We continue to believe that there is common ground to be found between the two sides, and that our proposal for a New Economic Partnership offers the best chance to find it.”

To Our Fellow Members,

After four days of bargaining with the AMPTP, we are writing to let you know that, though we are still at the table, the press blackout has been lifted.

Our inability to communicate with our members has left a vacuum of information that has been filled with rumors, both well intentioned and deceptive.

Among the rumors was the assertion that the AMPTP had a groundbreaking proposal that would make this negotiation a "done deal."  In fact, for the first three days of this week, the companies presented in essence their November 4 package with not an iota of movement on any of the issues that matter to writers.

Thursday morning, the first new proposal was finally presented to us.  It dealt only with streaming and made-for-Internet jurisdiction, and it amounts to a massive rollback.

For streaming television episodes, the companies proposed a residual structure of a single fixed payment of less than $250 for a year's reuse of an hour-long program (compared to over $20,000 payable for a network rerun).  For theatrical product they are offering no residuals whatsoever for streaming.

For made-for-Internet material, they offered minimums that would allow a studio to produce up to a 15 minute episode of network-derived web content for a script fee of $1300.  They continued to refuse to grant jurisdiction over original content for the Internet.

In their new proposal, they made absolutely no move on the download formula (which they propose to pay at the DVD rate), and continue to assert that they can deem any reuse "promotional," and pay no residual (even if they replay the entire film or TV episode and even if they make money).

The AMPTP says it will have additional proposals to make but, as of Thursday evening, they have not been presented to us.  We are scheduled to meet with them again on Tuesday.

In the meantime, we felt it was essential to update you accurately on where negotiations stand.  On Wednesday we presented a comprehensive economic justification for our proposals.  Our entire package would cost this industry $151 million over three years.  That's a little over a 3% increase in writer earnings each year, while company revenues are projected to grow at a rate of 10%.  We are falling behind.

For Sony, this entire deal would cost $1.68 million per year.  For Disney $6.25 million.  Paramount and CBS would each pay about $4.66 million, Warner about $11.2 million, Fox $6.04 million, and NBC/Universal $7.44 million.  MGM would pay $320,000 and the entire universe of remaining companies would assume the remainder of about $8.3 million per year.  As we've stated repeatedly, our proposals are more than reasonable and the companies have no excuse for denying it.

The AMPTP's intractability is dispiriting news but it must also be motivating.  Any movement on the part of these multinational conglomerates has been the result of the collective action of our membership, with the support of SAG, other unions, supportive politicians, and the general public.  We must fight on, returning to the lines on Monday in force to make it clear that we will not back down, that we will not accept a bad deal, and that we are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW

Michael Winship
President, WGAE

The spots will begin appearing on Thursday morning which will begin posting Thanksgiving Day and run exclusively on DeadlineHollywood.com through Sunday night. Beginning Monday, they can be found on SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com with links on UnitedHollywood.com and every day thereafter during the duration of the strike.

Included are SAG talent such as Sean Penn, Holly Hunter, Laura Linney, Alan Cumming, Jay Leno, Harvey Keitel, Kate Beckinsale, Tina Fey, Tim Robbins, Gary Marshall, David Schwimmer, Patricia Clarkson, James Franco, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Martin Sheen, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, Andre 3000, Chazz Palminteri, Jason Bateman, Christine Lahti, Patricia Arquette, Jenna Elfman, Olivia Wilde, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Eva Longoria, Justine Bateman, Joshua Jackson, Rosanna Arquette, Diane Ladd, Rebecca Romjin, Minnie Driver, Nicollette Sheridan, Robert Patrick, Matthew Perry, Ed Asner, and America Ferrera and the cast of Ugly Betty. Arrangements have been made to also shoot Woody Allen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jane Fonda, Marisa Tomei, Ethan Hawke, Jason Alexander, Charlize Therone, Minnie Driver, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Many, many more are also in the works.

Join members of the Writers Guild of America East and West, the labor community, and supporters and fans, as the WGA begins week four of its strike against the media conglomerates of the AMPTP.

Meet at Washington Square Park for a Solidarity Rally. They're expecting a large attendance from the union community -- including SEIU, SAG, UNITE-HERE, AFT, NYS AFL-CIO, national AFL-CIO, and the New York City Central Labor Council among others -- as well as some exciting speakers, music and entertainment.

They want to thank the thousands of union members from every industry who have joined them on the picket lines from New York to Los Angeles and stood with them to preserve decent working standards against corporate power. Now that they're going back to the table, it’s even more important to send the companies a strong message: We'’re all in this together and we demand a fair deal!

They will continue to hold rallies, informational leaflets, and pickets at various locations around New York City.

“There isn’t an actor I talk to who hasn’t felt what the writers are going through,” said William Petersen, the star of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Petersen picketed along with Marg Helgenberger, Wallace Langham, and other members of the cast of CSI.

“The writers’ fight is our fight,” said Camryn Manheim, star of Ghost Whisperer. “They’re the ones who make us look good. Writers deserve to be compensated for the entertainment, the stories, the humanity and everything they put into the world. People are benefiting from the writers’ work.”

Contract talks affecting 10,500 writers broke off Nov. 4, when negotiators from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers walked away from the bargaining table. The WGA strike began Nov. 5.

For more on this story go to REELot

LOS ANGELES  --  The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) today united in support of a bill that will provide for a more reasoned and thoughtful evaluation of any changes that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may make to critically important media ownership rules. The bipartisan legislation was introduced today by Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Trent Lott (R-MI).

For more on this go to  REELot

75 of TV’s top showrunners will join their fellow WGA members on the picket line at Disney/ABC Studios while RENO 911 writers/stars walk the line at Sunset-Gower Studios.

Details & Times at REELot.

Read on to learn what happened - or didn't.

News Release

CONTRACT 2007 NEGOTIATIONS STATEMENT

LOS ANGELES – The WGA Negotiating Committee, on behalf of the Writers of Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), has issued the following statement regarding Contract 2007 negotiations:

Early today, the WGA completely withdrew its DVD proposal, which the Companies said was a stumbling block. Yet, the Companies still insisted on the following:

* No jurisdiction for most of new media writing.
* No economic proposal for the part of new media writing where they do propose to give coverage.
* Internet downloads at the DVD rate.
* No residual for streaming video of theatrical product.
* A "promotional" proposal that allows them to reuse even complete movies or TV shows on any platform with no residual. This proposal alone destroys residuals.
* A "window” of free reuse on the Internet that makes a mockery of any residual.

The AMPTP made no response to any of the other proposals that the WGA has made since July. The AMPTP proposed that today's meeting be "off the record,” meaning no press statements, but they have reneged on that.

For more information about the Writers Guild of America, West, please visit www.wga.org. For more information about the Writers Guild of America, East, please visit: www.wgaeast.org.

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) represent writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, and new media industries in both entertainment and news. The unions conduct numerous programs, seminars, and events throughout the world on issues of interest to, and on behalf of, writers.

See what the AMPTP has to say.

UPDATE: WGA & AMPTP return to the negotiating table 10am Sunday with federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez.

Guild-covered work under the MBA must cease at 12:01 a.m. where you are located. However, any literary material due to a company in an different jurisdiction must be delivered prior to 12:01 AM in city where the company is located.
IT'S OFFICIAL - This afternoon, the WGAE Council and WGAW Board unanimously voted to call a strike. The Writers Guilds will go on strike Monday, November 5th at 12:01 AM. At that time, all Guild-covered work under the MBA must cease.

The WGA will send more detailed information over the weekend.

Read the complete transcript of WGAW President Verrone's and WGAE President Winship's remarks from today’s WGA press briefing at

REELot

LOS ANGELES – Before a standing-room-only audience of 3,000 Writers Guild members in the Los Angeles Convention Center’s West Hall in downtown L.A. Thursday night, the Writers Guild of America Negotiating Committee, on behalf of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), announced its unanimous recommendation to call a strike against the film studios and television networks that make up the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg joined the Negotiating Committee onstage to voice his union’s support of writers.

During the largest membership meeting in WGAW history, the Negotiating Committee reported that the AMPTP had called a halt to talks by demanding that the Guild accept the extension of the current DVD formula to new media. The committee also informed the audience that in three months of negotiations, the AMPTP has not responded in any serious manner to its initial proposals.

Members spent three hours in frank discussion of the report and recommendation. From microphones on the floor, WGA members expressed their anger at the Companies’ refusal to bargain seriously, reiterating their overwhelming support for the Negotiating Committee, Guild leadership, and for the bargaining agenda of the WGA.

The WGAW Board and the WGAE Council will meet Friday to consider the recommendation of the Negotiating Committee and to decide the next steps.

More Information: http://www.wga.org

Go to REELot news for complete 2007 Negotiation coverage.