Writers Guild Of America | The New York Observer

Writers' Strike Cost L.A. $2.5 Billion

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:09:04 -0500

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 shut down production. Jack Kyser, chief economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., previously pegged the cost of the...

Gossip Girl Writers Return to 'Summer Camp'

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:17:51 -0500

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 high school," according to the New York Times' Brooks Barnes. On the Warner Brothers lot, Stephanie Savage and Josh...

Finito! Writers' Strike is Officially Over!

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:23:51 -0500

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 were employed when the strike began, you should plan to report to...

Morning Memo: Anna Wintour is Knackered; Academy Twists Strikers' Knickers

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:28:25 -0500

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 into the guesthouse at Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's home outside London. [Page Six]

Fashion Week big shots Anna Wintour and Suzy Menkes...

Writers Strike Could End By Sunday

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:07:10 -0500

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 the next day, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Studio executives and TV producers have been preparing for that...

W.G.A. Strike (Almost) Over?

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:13:58 -0500

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 signs just yet.

W.G.A. presidents Patric Verrone and Michael Winship tell it to 'em straight: "The facts: we are still in talks...

W.G.A. Leaders Get Tough on Talks

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:18:28 -0500

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 called for a toughened bargaining position, according to today's New York Times. "I've been doing some hard thinking about the...

W.G.A. Will Write For Grammys

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:37:13 -0500

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 red carpet in peace. Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America West, acknowledged the music unions...

W.G.A. Won't Picket Grammys

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:00:53 -0500

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 Feb. 10 ceremony, Mr. Portnow said, “we’ve got time” until the program and added that, “with all due respect...

Directors Make Tentative Deal With Studios

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:10:00 -0500

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 deal was announced, the moguls asked WGA leaders to start informal talks that could lead to the end of the strike...

Director's Deal Could Split Striking Writers

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:04:23 -0500

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 30. The writers' strike is in its 11th week.

Reuters reports:

Unable...

More TV Studios Slash Writer Deals

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:20:58 -0500

After 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 force that has made entertainment one of the most successful businesses in the country."

While most major showrunners have been spared...

Globes Winners Announced at Bizarre Ceremony

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:20:07 -0500

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 musical or comedy Globe.

But there were no dithering acceptance speeches or cheesy one-liners presented by hosts. Because the...

Media Moguls Break Out Bratty Behavior for WGA Supporters

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:40:02 -0500

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 AMPTP's giant multimedia members retaliating in every way possible against anyone in Hollywood helping the WGA's side in this strike dragging...

ABC, S.A.G. Attendees Bicker Over Hair, Make-Up Costs

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:25:28 -0500

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 times, it's industry tradition that networks and studios split the costs of getting talent ready for the red carpet at...

Weinsteins Make Deal With WGA

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:00:01 -0500

Harvey Weinstein confirmed rumors that his independent film company, The Weinstein Company, negotiated an interim agreement with striking writers. Mr. Weinstein told The New York Times that his New York-based company had come to terms with the Writers Guild of America in a deal similar to the one reached last week by United Artists, the first independent movie company to reach an interim contract with the writers, who have been on strike since Nov....

Spirit, SAG Awards Could Outshine Globes, Oscars This Year

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:23:31 -0500

Now that the Golden Globes has flopped and the Academy Awards are in jeopardy, the Screen Actors Guild and Film Independent Spirit awards shows have a chance to shine this year. Both shows—the proverbial bridesmaids, so to speak—have been granted waivers from the Writers Guild of America, so the stars are expected to show up in their designer finest. What else are they going to do with those red carpet gems they've been hording...

Networks, Studios Nix Parties After Golden Globes Cancellation

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:47:31 -0500

After the Hollywood Foreign Press Association officially announced the cancellation of the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards telecast yesterday, studios and television channels began cancelling their own parties that usually take place after the champagne dinner at the Beverly Hilton. HBO, Universal and InStyle/Warner Bros. were nixing their plans last night, according to Nikke Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily.

The Writers Guild of America is still considering picketing the press conference announcing the winners...

A Tonsorial Tutorial: Shaving David Letterman's 'Silly' Strike Beard

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:03:00 -0500

History has shown that a political movement is merely an idea until it finds a badge, a recognizable symbol of solidarity in strife. Women’s Lib had burning braziers; Environmentalists have the color green; the French Revolution is known for its guillotine; and Socialism waves a red flag. The Writers Guild Strike, now in its third month, has its own emblème, too—the strike beard.

But unlike with most political movements,...

W.G.A. Signs Deal With United Artists Studio, Kick-Starting Films

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:23:32 -0500

The Writers Guild of America and Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner's United Artists Corporation are expected to make an announcement today about an interim agreement that would allow feature film writers to go back to work for the studio. As Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily reports, "This is big. This is BIG!" Rumors are running rampant that the WGA is negotiating more side deals with The Weinstein Co., Lionsgate and Lucasfilm.

This...

As S.A.G. Departs, NBC May Unplug Globes

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:20:32 -0500

NBC executives have emerged from their Sunday night sweat-lodge, in which an answer was sought as to how they might telecast the Golden Globe awards without brining an angry storm of controversy upon their tribe.

Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg announced on Friday afternoon that not one of the more than 70 actors nominated for a Golden Globe will attend the Jan. 13 ceremonies because of the W.G.A.'s plans to picket the event. And...

Studios, Directors Begin Informal Contract Talks

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:12:29 -0500

The Directors Guild of America has begun informal contract talks with producers, raising stakes in the WGA strike. Sources said it appears the informal talks could last well into next week. But once the informal phase is over, formal negotiations will start almost immediately and an official announcement will be made. New-media residuals -- or how writers should be compensated when their work is reused over the Internet or mobile platforms -- represent...

Letterman's Beard Gets Key to NYC

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:30:06 -0500

Mayor Bloomberg welcomed Late Show host David Letterman back to the air after his two-month hiatus by presenting a key to the city to Mr. Letterman's latest fashion choice—the strike beard. Both Mr. Letterman and Conan O’Brien let out their inner mountainman as a sign of solidarity with the writers. While Jay Leno gets shunned by the Writers Guild of America for coming back on air with his own written monologues, Mr. Letterman is...

WGA, NBC Spar Over Leno Monologues

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 08:17:43 -0500

Jay Leno delivered his second monologue last night, one that he wrote himself. He could lose his guild membership or face a fine from the Writers Guild of America if he keeps writing his own late-night punchlines. The WGA lambasted Mr. Leno yesterday for delivering his monologue, saying it violated guild rules during the strike. NBC, which airs the Tonight Show, quickly fired back, arguing that "the WGA agreement permits Jay Leno to write...

Globes At Risk As Strike Heats Up

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:36:26 -0500

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association had hoped last-minute negotiations with the Writers Guild of America would allow the Golden Globes show to go on. But the guild announced yesterday afternoon that striking writers still intend to picket along the red carpet.

''The WGA has great respect and admiration for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, but we are engaged in a crucial struggle that will protect our income and intellectual property rights for generations to come,''...

Leno Breaks Rules and Writes Own Monologue

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:14:06 -0500

"You know what I'm doing? I'm doing what I did the day I started," said Jay Leno last night on his first return on air since the Writers Guild of America strike started. "I write jokes and wake my wife up in the middle of the night and say, 'Honey, is this funny?' So if this monologue doesn't work it's my wife's fault...We are not using outside guys. We are following the guild thing......

Writers' Strike Remains at a Standstill

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:00:01 -0500

Late-night TV will finally return tonight but it remains the only spot of sunshine in a gloomy forecast for the Writers Guild of America strike. Heading into its third month, there's no sign of a cease-fire any time soon, according to Variety.

Even the recent holiday break saw hostilities break out as the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers announced that its calculation of how much the eight-week strike has cost writers—$151.2 million—has...

Golden Globes Broadcast in Doubt

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:34:58 -0500

Panicked at the prospect of having to confront strikers as they walk up the red carpet, celebrities have sent what Hollywood publicity executives describe as a near-unanimous signal: If striking writers show up at the Golden Globes, the stars will not.

The New York Times reports:

Jorge Camara, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, reassured guests at its Christmas gala in Beverly Hills last Friday that the star power of the Globes, the organization’s...

W.G.A. Recruits Political Consultants

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:10:28 -0500

Now that the strike is in its eighth week, the Writers Guild of America is bringing out the big guns. The union has hired veteran Democratic political consultants Bill Carrick and Kam Kuwata to provide public relations assistance and strategic solutions. Mr. Carrick oversaw the campaign of former Los Angeles mayor James Hahn and the gubernatorial campaign of Treasurer Phil Angelides against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mr. Kuwata worked with Mr. Carrick on the Mr....

NBC Gave Carson Daly Ultimatum to Come Back on Air

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:30:30 -0500

"An ultimatum was put in front of me," Carson Daly told the Los Angeles Times about his decision to bring back his late-night show without writers during the W.G.A. strike. "It was, 'Put a new show on Dec. 3 or 75 people are fired. What's your answer?' " He quickly decided that he couldn't live with the notion of putting loyal staffers out of work. Mr. Daly said he'd heard from a couple of...

W.G.A. Writers Facing 'Faceless' Enemy?

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 11:25:00 -0500

In past writers' strikes, there were clear villians. It was a studio head: Walt Disney or Lew Wasserman (of MCA). But today, the writers strike itself (and follow-up clashes) are being fueled not by studios making movies or TV shows, but by the money and power of the corporate "congloms" (The Walt Disney Co., News Corp., Time Warner Inc. and Viacom Inc.) and by their potential stranglehold over future technologies, according to Variety.

All...

W.G.A. Members Stewart and Colbert to Return Without Writers

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:48:02 -0500

Now we can truly witness how clever Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are on their cable news satire shows. They'll be returning to their daily recordings on Jan. 7. The announcement arrives just days after their network predecessors announced their return to late-night on Jan. 2.

The New York Times reports:

Both hosts are Writers Guild of America members. The guild, in a statement, accused Comedy Central of forcing the two hosts back to...

Stars Shy to Cross Picket Lines for Late-Night Shows

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:56:10 -0500

The late-night talk show hosts are returning. But the stars are not yet ready to come out for them if it means crossing the writers' picket line. Celebrities don't want to be the first to accept a booking on a show and face the wrath of the writers alone.

The New York Times reports:

Uncertainty over whether many of Hollywood’s biggest stars will be willing to cross picket lines and appear on “The Tonight Show...

People's Choice Awards Nixes Ceremony Due to Strike

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:53:28 -0500

Since the Writers Guild of America denied the People's Choice Awards a strike waiver, producers of the Los Angeles ceremony worried if celebrities would show up to the extravaganza. So they nixed their original plan to tape a ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium and instead will offer a series of pre-taped clip packages featuring honorees receiving their awards. Queen Latifah will remain as host but now shoot her segments from a soundstage.

Variety reports:...

NBC Taps Monk, Psych During Strike

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:24:04 -0500

With no end to the writers strike in sight, NBC is tapping into its cable sister station USA's hit shows Monk and Psych to fill out next year's spring schedule. The two shows run as a two-hour block on USA on Friday nights, are set to return with new episodes on the cable network Jan. 11. Those episodes will then air on NBC on Sunday nights beginning in March, according to the Hollywood...

W.G.A. Denies Waivers for Oscars, Globes

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:54:07 -0500

Continuing to play hardball, the Writers Guild of America turned down waiver requests for both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. Writers won't be drafting a script and the organizations won't be able to use use clips of movies and past Academy Awards shows.

Broadcasting & Cable reports:

In a letter, WGA West president Patric Verrone said, “We must do everything we can to bring our negotiations to a swift and...

Late-Night Shows Back by Jan. 2

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:46:10 -0500

As the Media Mob told us this morning, there were reports of late-night shows possibly returning by Jan. 2. Those rumors have been confirmed by NBC this morning, according to The New York Times.

NBC officially announced today that its two late-night stars, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, will return to the air on Jan. 2 even if the strike against networks and studios by entertainment writers is not resolved by then.

The two hosts...

W.G.A. Tries New Negotiating Strategy

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:06:57 -0500

The WGA will make the "legal demand" today to change the dynamic in its stymied contract fight by seeking talks with individual studios rather than through the umbrella Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers bargaining unit, according to Variety.

It's highly doubtful that any of the majors will be willing to engage in individual talks with the guild, given the unanimity of the CEOs' disdain for the guild's stance in the bargaining...

W.G.A. Files Labor Complaint

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:04:32 -0500

And the hits keep coming: The Writers Guild of America filed an unfair labor practices complaint against Hollywood studios in a bid to force them back to the negotiating table with striking writers. Studios spat back that they didn't illegally break off talks.

The Associated Press reports:

The ''baseless, desperate NLRB [National Labor Relations Board] complaint is just the latest indication that the WGA's negotiating strategy has achieved nothing for working writers,'' the Alliance of...

Late-Night Shows Back by Jan. 7?

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:55:42 -0500

With late-night talk shows hemorrhaging audiences since the beginning of the strike, the big four hosts are becoming impatient and may try to make a comeback by Jan. 7. Nothing's been officially decided, and nobody will comment. But with the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers so broken up, people familiar with the situation said several hosts are nearing the conclusion that it's time to return.

...

Directors Defy WGA, Negotiate With Producers

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:25:58 -0500

The WGA convinced the Directors Guild of America to stay away from the bargaining table with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers while they were on strike. But now they're scheming to belly up after New Year's Day and start a new master contract, according to The New York Times.

An existing contract between the Directors Guild of America, which represents about 13,500 directors and associated production workers, and the Alliance of...

Strike Humor: 'Zagat-Style' Guide to W.G.A. Picketing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:40:01 -0500

Via Deadline Hollywood Daily:

2007 STRIKERS GUIDE TO LOS ANGELES STUDIOS

CBS RADFORD
Once the "ultimate destination" for the "proletarian struggle," now this "no frills" "bunker" is a "safe bet" for avoiding anyone you've "slept with." "Ample construction dust" and "non-specific anxiety" make visiting the MacDonald's bathroom a "high point" at this "bland", "very casual" locale. "A gem."

DISNEY STUDIOS
When it comes to "waving cardboard" at the shadow of a "frozen, Nazi-loving...

Award Shows Beg W.G.A. For Mercy

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:47:00 -0500

Panic has set in for Golden Globes producers. They have asked the Writers Guild of America for a waiver to allow writers to pen the Jan. 13 show's script, but few expect it will be granted, according to Variety. Maybe it will actually be an entertaining show without the lame puns and half-baked chuckles, but who will actually cross the picket line and fill up The Beverly Hilton's seats?

So will the stars...

Studios Cancel TV Critics' Parties Due to Strike

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:59:36 -0500

The W.G.A. strike has forced the cancellation of the TV Critics Assication's winter press tour—another indication that the networks are digging in for the long haul, according to Variety. The two-week schmooze-fest brings a few hundred reporters and publicists to the Los Angeles area for a series of press conferences and parties.

Fate of the semiannual tour has been in limbo since last month, when NBC announced it was pulling out of the event (Daily...

Pilot Season, Upfronts on Chopping Block Due to Strike

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 11:43:50 -0500

The writers' strike enters its sixth week today, and with no end in sight, industry suits are warning that the talks could overhaul long-standing traditions in television. More game shows and reality shenanigans will take over the airwaves, leaving scripted episodes on the shelf until writers return. Pilot season and the yearly "upfront" presentations are also on the chopping block.

Wall Street Journal (via Lost Remote) reports:

"There's a huge transition in our...

WGA Throws Curveball, Frustrating Studios

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:33:49 -0500

Studio negotiators were stunned when the Writers Guild of America discussed unionizing reality shows and animation, yesterday. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had thought those topics were off the table, according to the Associated Press.

Variety is reporting that the union is now facing the prospect that the studios will grow impatient with the molasses movement of negotiations and make a "take-it-or-leave-it offer" as early as next week.

Variety reports:

Little...

Writers (Finally) Making Progress in Strike Talks

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:45:56 -0500

Negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the studios will continue today, after the feuding groups came out of a two-day talk with "substantive" progress made, according to the Associated Press. However, both sides are still arguming about compensation for movies and TV shows streamed online. The studios had proposed a flat $250 payment for a year's use of an hour-long TV show on the Web (compared to the $20,000 paycheck writers get...

Jay Leno to Pay Staff Through Christmas

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:59:04 -0500

In a meeting yesterday, Jay Leno told his staff he'd continue to pay their salaries through Christmas, Variety reports.

Previously, Mr. Leno had been paying them on a week-by-week basis, which he'll continue to do after the holiday, he reportedly said.

Strike's Black Cloud: What Is Entertainment Worth?

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:34:31 -0500

"It's in the zeitgeist now—we're at a moment in time where people don't how to value things, Michael Lynton, chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, told the Los Angeles Times. "Art and media are a reflection of society. And if you no longer have an internal sense of what the dollar or a tank of gas is worth, it's no surprise that you don't know what content on the Internet is worth either. It goes...

W.G.A. Talks Resume Today

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:13:31 -0500

Exactly one month after the strike began, Writers Guild of America leaders are expected to deliver a counteroffer, with a focus on new-media issues, in response to the offer the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers presented last week.

Variety reports:

The AMPTP said its latest proposal isn't a "take-it-or-leave-it offer." The org continues, "It is designed to allow both sides to engage in the kind of substantive give-and-take negotiation that can lead to...