The New York Observer » Writers Guild of America http://www.observer.com Just another WordPress site Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:51:14 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Writers’ Strike Cost L.A. $2.5 Billion Stormclouds are parting in Hollywood, as Spencer Morgan wrote in this week's Observer, but the 100-day WGA strike's cost is finally being revealed: $2.5 billion. Not so bad, when compared to previous estimates. The Associated Press reports that the figure includes wages lost by writers and other entertainment industry workers when the strike Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/writers-strike-cost-l-2-5-billion Gossip Girl Writers Return to ‘Summer Camp’ What are those Gossip Girl writers doing now that they can finally return to work? Gossiping, of course! Now that the Writers Guild strike is finally over (rejoice!), and scribes are returning to their crummy offices and barely-there story lines, they're feeling "an emotion akin to what they remembered experiencing on their first day of Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/gossip-girl-writers-return-summer-camp Finito! Writers’ Strike is Officially Over! Hooray! Writers return to the grindstone today. Official letter from the WGA presidents after the jump.

To Our Fellow Members: On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guilds East and West voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the restraining order that was invoked on November 5th. The strike is over. Writing can resume immediately. If you Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/finito-writers-strike-official-over Morning Memo: Anna Wintour is Knackered; Academy Twists Strikers’ Knickers Some fashion week models are wearing T-shirts backstage that tout Angelina Jolie's Global Action for Children to attract attention to the cause as they get their pre-show hair and makeup done. [WWD]

Amy Winehouse was denied a US visa to attend the Grammy Awards, but she may appear via satellite. [Us]

Also, Winehouse is moving Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/morning-memo-anna-wintour-knackered-academy-twists-strikers-knickers Writers Strike Could End By Sunday Sweet relief! The Writers Guild of America strike may be ending by sun-up Monday morning. Today, studio moguls and guild leaders are expected to finalize a three-year contract and send it for their writers' review on Saturday before more meetings. The guild board could approve the contract Sunday and encourage writers to return to work Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/writers-strike-could-end-sunday W.G.A. Strike (Almost) Over? Several reports claim that an end to the four-month long Writers Guild of America strike is imminent. The New York Times reports that "a tentative agreement" may come "as early as [this] week." But W.G.A. members and leaders are telling striking writers that they might not want to lay down their picket Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/w-g-strike-almost-over W.G.A. Leaders Get Tough on Talks Oh, things are shaking up in the writers' talks! Studios and the Writers Guild of America seemed to be finally making progress in their closed-door negotiation sessions, but Phil Alden Robinson, writer and director of Field of Dreams and a member of the governing board of the Writers Guild of America West, has publicly Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/w-g-leaders-get-tough-talks W.G.A. Will Write For Grammys The Writers Guild of America showed mercy on Grammy Awards producers by approving an interim agreement that would allow striking scribes to write a script for the ceremony, which takes place on Feb. 10. Last week, the WGA announced that they would not picket the awards show, which would allow the stars to strut the Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/wga-will-write-grammys W.G.A. Won’t Picket Grammys The Writers Guild of America decided not to picket the Grammy Awards telecast, organizers announced yesterday. “This really creates a comfortable environment for everybody to come,” said Neil Portnow, chief executive of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Though it is unclear whether writers guild members will be able to write for the Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/wga-wont-picket-grammys-0 Directors Make Tentative Deal With Studios As noted yesterday, the Directors Guild of America announced an agreement with studios on a new deal, turning the heat up on the striking writers to negotiate terms. The three-year DGA deal addressed some of the writers' key concerns, including advances in payment for programming on the Internet.

Variety reports:

Minutes after the DGA Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/directors-make-tentative-deal-studios Director’s Deal Could Split Striking Writers The Directors Guild of America is on the brink of an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which puts the pressure on striking TV and movie writers and the studios to settle their spat. DGA leaders are entering the sixth day of negotiations today to replace a contract that expires June Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/directors-deal-could-split-striking-writers More TV Studios Slash Writer Deals ABC started cutting writer deals on Friday, Warner Bros. TV, CBS Paramount Network TV, Universal Media Studios and 20th Century Fox have fallen in line, slashing writers and producers from their rosters, according to Variety.

The WGA reacted strongly to the studios’ moves, saying the AMPTP members were "alienating the very creative Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/more-tv-studios-slash-writer-deals Globes Winners Announced at Bizarre Ceremony

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Atonement were the big winners at the 65th Annual Golden Globes awards. Period drama Atonement, the on-screen adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, won best drama. Sweeney Todd took home the best comedy or musical award and its star, Johnny Depp, received the best actor in a Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/globes-winners-announced-bizarre-ceremony Media Moguls Break Out Bratty Behavior for WGA Supporters The studios have started bringing out the big guns, apparently. We're not just talking about hair and make-up this time. "What an incredible list of petty, mean-spirited and just spiteful behavior the Hollywood CEOs are compiling for themselves," writes Nikki Finke on Deadline Hollywood Daily. "I've been confirming episode after episode of the Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/media-moguls-break-out-bratty-behavior-por-wga-hollywooders ABC, S.A.G. Attendees Bicker Over Hair, Make-Up Costs According to Variety, the latest front in Hollywood's labor war is over hair, makeup and limos. Insiders told the trade paper that ABC and ABC Studios will not pick up the tab for its talent attending the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 27, set to air on TNT and TBS. In less contentious Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/abc-sag-attendees-bicker-over-hair-make-costs