And the AMPTP seconds the decision...

Also not surprising was the AMPTP being quick to weigh in with a statement of praise for the DGA and the contract it secured. And is it just our imagination or is the AMPTP putting a little edge back in its missives, in preparation for Round Three, with SAG?

Here's the AMPTP statement:

The members of the Directors Guild of America have ratified the sensible labor agreement we concluded. Our negotiations with DGA proved beyond any doubt that when both parties are prepared to bargain seriously, groundbreaking new media labor pacts can be reached without resorting harmful and unnecessary strikes.

DGA members give thumbs up to contract

No surprise that DGA members have voted overwhelmingly to ratify the guild's new three-year contract. Pact takes effect July 1 and runs through June 30, 2011.

Here's the statement issued today by DGA prexy Michael Apted:

It is my great pleasure to announce that the DGA membership has overwhelmingly voted to ratify the new collective bargaining agreements between the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The vote reflects the strong support and enthusiasm our members have for our new contract. We won important gains such as higher wages, higher residual bases, significant improvements in basic cable, a more secure health plan, and solutions to problems affecting our ADs and UPMs. 

We also set a series of important precedents crucial to our survival in this digital age -- among them, jurisdiction in new media, a doubling of the home video rate as it applies to electronic sell-through, and the establishment of a gross based payment in ad-supported streaming while maintaining our historic fixed residuals where there is continued uncertainty about actual grosses.

We entered this round of bargaining steadfast in our belief, borne of 70 years of negotiating experience, that what would make it possible for us to achieve our goals was our 18 months of research and preparation, our understanding of the issues our industry faces, and our willingness to sit across the table and negotiate until a conclusion was reached. We also recognized that this was only the beginning of a series of difficult negotiations and that we are still years away from the time when new media will be our industry's dominant revenue source.

This was, is, and will continue to be our approach to collective bargaining in this digital age. We believe the results speak for themselves.

In case anyone was wondering...

about the fate of this blog now that the strike is in the past tense -- it will stay up through the announcement of the results of the ratification vote on Feb. 26. Mega thanks to all who have been regular readers and commentators on Scribe Vibe during the past few months. If this strike taught us anything, it illuminated how vital a dedicated blog can be to enhancing our coverage of a fast-moving, unwieldy and deeply nuanced story like a strike.

WGA ratification ballot landing in members' mailboxes

The ballot for WGA contract ratification landed in the snail-mail boxes of many members on Saturday.

The package includes statements pro and con about the deal. But in a sign of how wiped out most people are after three months-plus on strike, the materials include no anti-deal statements and only one statement in support of the contract. That statement hails from "WGA North," described as 26 WGA members in San Francisco (insert Big Brother and the Holding Company joke here).

"We contend that this agreement is the beginning of a more equitable relationship with the AMPTP; we recognize that this relationship is a process - an ongoing creative and business collaboration," the statement reads.

Ballots are due back to the guild by Feb. 25. Members can also vote at membership meetings to be held that day in Gotham and L.A.

WGA Foundation benefit: Finding the funny in 'life's little tragedies'

Come one, come all, on Monday night at the WGA Theater in Bev Hills. The Humanitas Prize org and WGA have teamed up to present a panel with a bunch of very funny folks in support of a very worthy cause.

TO BENEFIT WGA STRIKE FUND FOR NON-WGA MEMBERS

Join us for the panel discussion “That’s Not Funny! Turning Life’s Little Tragedies Into Comedy” and the book signing of five-time Humanitas Prize winner Gary David Goldberg's autobiography "Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I Went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair," benefiting the WGA Foundation and Industry Strike Fund for Non-WGA Members. $20 donation suggested.

WHO: Rob Lotterstein, creator of the Fox sitcom The War at Home, will moderate the panel which includes writer/producers Gary David Goldberg (creator of Family Ties, Spin City, Brooklyn Bridge), Cindy Chupack (Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond), Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy), Marc Cherry (creator of Desperate Housewives), Bill Lawrence (creator of Scrubs) and Darren Star (creator of Sex and the City, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place), and Jenji Kohan (creator of Weeds).

WHEN: Monday, February 18th

7:00 PM: Cocktail Reception
8:00 PM: Panel Discussion
9:30 PM: Dessert Reception

WHERE: WGA Theater, 135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

To RSVP, please respond to HUMANITASMAIL@aol.com

Howard Gould weighs in

WGA negotiating committee member Howard Michael Gould -- whose Nov. 1 speech at the LA Convention Center member meeting was a galvanizing force in convincing members of the necessity to go on strike --has posted a detailed analysis of the intricacies of how the WGA reached a deal at Craig Mazin's Artful Writer blog.

He notes that there was no way that the AMPTP would reach a deal with the writers before it made a deal with the DGA -- 

"In retrospect it’s clear that, unless we were willing to settle for a mere extension of the last contract, accepting the DVD rate on electronic sell-through and leaving all other new media issues tabled for another three years, the AMPTP was never going to negotiate seriously with us before they made a deal with the directors."

With the WGA strike in its third month as the DGA negotiated, Gould believes the directors were able to get a better deal than they expected. And Gould contends that should lead to the DGA and WGA making a major effort to improve their usually chilly relationship -- which hasn't yet occurred, at least in any public way. 

"It can’t be emphasized enough that this year, the traditional, anticipated pattern was turned on its head," he writes. "This year, we didn’t get the DGA deal.  This year, the DGA got our deal. All would be better if the relationship between the Guilds were healthier, and this should be a primary area of attention over the next few years.  For starters, we owe them a big, public thank you, which we’ve yet to give them.  They owe us one, too."

Gould also goes into detail about the so-called "Dirty Thirty," who were pressing leaders to make a deal sooner rather than later. Here's the entire post --

http://artfulwriter.com/?p=331

"I mean, if you could do something, like, give all the picketers diarrhea or something, I think that would really, really push this to the next level."

From Funny or Die, if you haven't seen it already: Why the writers strike really ended.

WGA to SAG members: Support your leaders

In his first statement since announcing the end of WGA strike  Tuesday night, WGA West president Patric Verrone has told SAG members that they need to support their leaders.

Verrone has emailed SAG members to thank them for their support during the WGA strike. He pledged that WGA members will return that support and he urged  SAG to support SAG national exec director Doug Allen and SAG president Alan Rosenberg in the face of moves by the companies to foster dissent.

“Any union's bargaining strength is a function of what management thinks of its members' determination and its leadership's approval,” Verrone said. “Alan and Doug have been thoughtful and tenacious leaders throughout their tenures and I implore you to give them your faith, your resolve, and your patience in the months ahead. The more you trust them to do their job, the better they can do it. What the Writers Guilds accomplished this year was the result of our internal solidarity, as well as support from sister Guilds and unions nationwide, led by yours.”

Move comes with SAG being pushed by high-profile stars, including George Clooney and Tom Hanks, to begin negotiations as soon as possible and the AMPTP announcing it's ready to go. Allen's so far been mum about when he wants talks to start.

Here's the entire message, sent to SAG members by Rosenberg --

Strike's over, but the upfront isn't

There will be shrimp.

With the WGA strike over, CBS Thursday said it will move forward with one of the hallmarks of the small screen calendar: The upfronts.

“CBS plans to hold a presentation for advertisers at Carnegie Hall in New York on Wednesday, May 14,” Eye said in a statement emailed to reporters.  It promised additional details to  be announced “at a later date.”

Eye usually follows its upfront with a finger food-filled bash at Gotham’s Tavern on the Green. A net spokesman wouldn’t confirm if the party was still on, but a rep for Tavern’s group sales office said the restaurant was fully booked for the afternoon and evening of May 14.

CBS announcement follows much speculation that NBC plans to curtail its upfront this year, with NBC Uni CEO Jeff Zucker all but saying so in several public statements. Net has said it will still brief advertisers in some fashion, and it will still participate in the spring upfront selling season.

Fox has made it clear it will reprise its streamlined upfront presentation. ABC and the CW have so far been silent on the matter.

--Josef Adalian

SAG thanks its members for WGA strike support

SAG president Alan Rosenberg, one the strongest supporters of the WGA strike, has sent a valentine to  guild members on the day before Valentine's Day.

He's told them they'll be getting back to work now that the writers strike is over and thanked them for their conduct during the strike.

"You showed your solidarity through a constant presence on the picket lines, by honoring picket lines, and through your commitment to the principles of economic justice for all creative artists," he added.

Here's the entire message --

Dear Screen Actors Guild Member:

Writers Guild of America members last night voted 92.5% in favor of ending the strike which began November 5. We anticipate that production will be starting up almost immediately and SAG members will be receiving work calls. There will be no WGA picket lines, so you can feel comfortable returning to work. If you have any questions about returning to work or other issues, please contact Screen Actors Guild's television contracts department at 323-549-6835.

On a personal note, I want to thank you all for your dedication and strength of spirit during a very difficult and challenging time. You showed your solidarity through a constant presence on the picket lines, by honoring picket lines, and through your commitment to the principles of economic justice for all creative artists.

All of your contributions to your fellow actors and striking writers are truly and deeply appreciated and have earned the heartfelt gratitude of the members of the Writers Guild of America and especially of your union, Screen Actors Guild.

Thank you.

Together in solidarity,

Alan Rosenberg

SEIU chief weighs in on WGA settlement

With the WGA strike over as of Tuesday night, reactions have been coming in steadily. Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, issued a statement early this morning and called it "the first major strike of the 21st Century."

SEIU had been among the more active supporters of the 14-week strike among non-entertainment unions. Here's Stern's entire statement:

"As the writers celebrate their victory in the first major strike of the 21st century, the Writers Guild of America has shown us that when workers stand united and unions demonstrate leadership and courage, we all win.

"This is not our grandfathers’ economy. Today’s global marketplace asks creativity and forward-thinking from us all. As new technologies continue to change our country and the world around us, we need to ensure that all working people are justly rewarded for their work. SEIU members asked the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to do the ‘write’ thing – the solution crafted by the Writers Guild and the AMPTP has forged a new path in this direction."

More from Patric Verrone on the strike, the contract and what it all means

By CYNTHIA LITTLETON

Perhaps the most interesting thing Patric Verrone said at Tuesday's news conference -- other than "the strike is over," of course -- were his observations the pressure points of for the guild and the majors during Hollywood's 100-day civil war.

The completion of the DGA deal was a turning point, but more so for the AMPTP than for the WGA. "I think that loosened up a lot of what the other side would offer," WGA West prexy Verrone said after announcing the results of the vote on whether to end the strike at the WGA Theater in Bev Hills. (Vid of Verrone's statement to the media is posted below.)

"If those proposals had been put before us on Dec. 7, when the AMPTP walked away from the negotiating table, we could've easily gotten a deal done by Christmas. Instead, five weeks went by while the AMPTP chose to negotiate with another union," he said.

After so much anger and bitterness, it's heartening to hear the leaders of both armies, studios and scribes, agreeing in retrospect that the thing that really broke the stalemate was the involvement of the CEOs. News Corp.'s Peter Chernin and Walt Disney Co.'s Robert Iger went into the fabled room; CBS Corp.'s Leslie Moonves used his considerable powers of persuasion and charm in a drinks meeting with WGA negotiating chief John Bowman (at Chernin's house with Warner Bros.' Barry Meyer joining them too), and at a private dinner at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills with Verrone and WGA West exec director David Young, who'd become a lightning rod for studio execs' anger at what they felt were disingenuously blue-collar tactics being applied in a white-collar situation.

Asked what he'd do differently if he had to do it all over again, Verrone didn't pause much before answering. "I'd hope that we had gotten into the room with the CEOs sooner. I really think that was vital to the process to meet with decision-makers, and I hope that going forward those decision-makers are more integrally involved with these kinds of collective bargaining action. I don't know if (the strike) could have been avoided. I'd like to have thought we could have done this without a strike but in retrospect it seems it as though we had to."

By the first week of February, the sides were feeling the pressure of the clock ticking down toward so many deadlines -- the Feb. 24 Oscarcast and the chance to salvage any of the 2007-08 TV season and pilot development. Verrone even allowed that the WGA was feeling some of the same heat, presumably from members with shows and pilots on their minds.

"It was a double-edged sword. They were getting pressure from the impending end of the TV season, the sinking of the pilot season and the fact that the Screen Actors Guild was going to honor our Oscar picket line. We were getting many of those same pressures. The point of true leverage for both sides really came to head right around that time -- the end of January, the beginning of February."

The DGA weighs in

The DGA has issued a typically terse statement at the end of the WGA strike, a month after making its own deal with the AMPTP.

Here's what DGA president Michael Apted said --

 
The DGA applauds the successful conclusion of the AMPTP/WGA negotiations and the end to the strike. 

The last three months have been painful ones for tens of thousands of working people in and around the entertainment industry, and like everyone else, our members are now eager to get back to work.

WGA's Press Release

The WGA has just sent out their official press release about the end of the strike:

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK – The membership of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) today voted overwhelmingly in favor of lifting the restraining order and ending their 100-day strike that began on Nov. 5. 3,775 writers turned out in Los Angeles and New York to cast ballots or fax in proxies, with 92.5% voting in favor of ending the work stoppage.

CEOs weigh in with official thanks

The CEOs have weighed in with their official thanks that the WGA strike is over --

This is a day of relief and optimism for everyone in the entertainment industry.

We can now all get back to work, with the assurance that we have concluded two groundbreaking labor agreements - with our directors and our writers -- that establish a partnership through which our business can grow and prosper in the new digital age. The strike has been extraordinarily difficult for all of us, but the hardest hit of all have been the many thousands of businesses, workers and families that are economically dependent on our industry. We hope now to focus our collective efforts on what this industry does best - writers, directors, actors, production crews, and entertainment companies working together to deliver great content to our worldwide audiences.

Peter Chernin, Chairman and CEO, the Fox Group

Brad Grey, Chairman & CEO, Paramount Pictures Corp.

Robert A. Iger, President & CEO, The Walt Disney Company

Michael Lynton, Chairman & CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Barry M. Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros.

Leslie Moonves, President & CEO, CBS Corp.

Harry Sloan, Chairman & CEO, MGM

Jeff Zucker, President & CEO, NBC Universal

WGA: Strike is officially over

The WGA strike is officially over. Here's the email that WGA West president Patric Verrone and WGA East president Michael Winship just sent out --

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 work on Wednesday.  If you're not employed at an office or other work site, call or e-mail your employer that you are resuming work.  If you have been told not to report to work or resume your services, we recommend that you still notify your employer in writing of your availability to do so.  Questions concerning return-to-work issues should be directed to the WGAW legal department at 323.782.4521 or the WGAE’s assistant executive director Ann Toback at 212-767-7823.

WGA firms up ratification vote

The WGA's planning to send out its ratification ballot to members shortly and has also told members that they can submit pro and con statements if those statements are signed by 10 members. There's no charge to do so but the pages must be camera ready and submitted to the WGA by noon Thursday.

The ratification vote is used as the formal approval of the new three-year deal and is expected to be completed in about two weeks.

United Hollywood preps for life after strike

One of the undisputed success stories of the writers strike has been United Hollywood, the blog founded by four strike captains that quickly became an unofficial hub for WGA members seeking news and commentary about the strike and the contract negotiations.

Now that the strike is all but over, United Hollywood’s stewards are vowing to keep the blog alive as a showcase for original digital content and as a forum for parsing industry issues from the creative community’s perspective. Blog has drawn more than than 20,000 visitors per day since it bowed a few days before the walkout began on Nov. 5, according to co-founder John Aboud.

“The name United Hollywood means something to people now, and we want to fulfill that promise,” Aboud said. “We want to move from a stance where we’re talking about the fight for the digital future to helping to build the digital future. We want to  help foster collaboration among writers and all aspects of the business. We all have a vested stake in the expansion of opportunity that digital (production and distribution) creates.”

Of course, United Hollywood will also keep a close watch on the next big labor negotiation looming this year between the Screen Actors Guild and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. And they will pay close attention to the WGA’s efforts to organize staffers working on reality shows and animated productions.

But now that scribes are going back to work, United Hollywood’s four founders, Aboud, Laeta Kalogridis, Daniel Thomsen and Kate Purdy, have regular gigs to go back to. The foursome, who have been running the site collectively out of their homes, are in the midst of recruiting like-minded people to take the reins, and they’re looking for a central location for it to call home.

United Hollywood is also in the process of lining up advertising and charter sponsors to fund their long-term plans. The site is a few weeks away from unveiling an elaborate redesign that will emphasize its original video offerings and broaden its news and commentary sections beyond labor issues.

Aboud said they’re hoping United Hollywood will become akin to a Huffington Post for showbiz insiders.

“We want to give more individuals a voice on the site,” Aboud said. “We’re looking for more contributors.”

-- Cynthia Littleton

WGA's Verrone and Winship on a media blitz

Leaders of the WGA West and WGA East have been on a media tour this ayem talking about the strike, the new contract and what it all means. Here's a transcript from the joint appearance of Patric Verrone and Michael Winship on Fox Business Network. (Pic and transcript supplied by Fox Biz)

On the 17-to-24-day promotional window for web streaming that has been the focal point of complaints by scribes, Winship said:

“We would have liked to have closed that window completely.  That is one of the things we did not achieve in this contract and something we will be working on going forward.  The important thing is that we got jurisdiction in new media, we got jurisdiction in the Internet and we got a percentage of the distributors’ gross. These were our major goals and we achieved those.”

Winship on whether the networks will air programs after 17 days that would require them to pay writers:

“I think that they will because they’ll recognize the value of those programs being on beyond that window.”

Verrone on the exclusion of animation and reality TV writers from the contract:

“We certainly heard from them and it was a heartbreaking thing for me as an animation writer...Those writers are more or less the sweatshop writers in this industry and our hope going forward is that we can improve that situation and get coverage from them.”

“This will be a great priority for us – organizing animation and reality.”

Verrone on how the WGA and the conglomerates came to a deal:

“The key sticking point was the preservation of the future of the Internet and the writers’ share in it…Your CEO, Peter Chernin, and the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, came into the picture, along with Les Moonves of CBS, behind the scenes to help us work out some of the details…”

Winship on the role the Directors Guild of America and their contract played in getting negotiations for the WGA back on track:

“I think the Directors Guild deal was achieved largely because we went on strike.”

WGA deal: Plenty to think about

By CYNTHIA LITTLETON

There's a lot to digest from all the info about the WGA deal that has been released in the past few days and discussed at Saturday's WGA West membership powwow at the Shrine Auditorium (pictured). A few things that stand out, or were pointed out to me by people much smarter than I am about this stuff:

No. 1 -- Surprising that more hasn't been made about the deal's provision on streaming of library product going back to 1977, which pays scribes 2% of distributor's gross from the FIRST year of the contract and with NO PROMOTIONAL WINDOW.

The deal defines library product as any program offered for streaming more than one year after the initial telecast of the program. (That's in line with the DGA's formula for network primetime shows that are offered for streaming for more than one year, and in line with the WGA's provision for the first two years of its contract.) That's probably going to be meaningful for some scribes in the near future as the majors push web initiatives like the NBC Universal-News Corp. joint vid venture Hulu.com, which is based on offering tons of segs, if not entire seasons, of library shows. Right now, ABC.com is offering the first three seasons of "Lost" for ad-supported web streaming, which means those scribes will be paid at the distributor's gross rate from the get-go once the contract is ratified.

A potential rub could come in the issue of how nets and studios determine the license fee that distribs will receive for older episodes that are licensed for web streaming. The issue gets even more complex when it involves different units of the same congloms, as so much of TV production and distribution does these days. Which brings us to the next standout issue in the WGA deal.

No. 2 -- What's all this business about an "imputed value" of $40,000 for an hourlong program and $20,000 for a half-hour program being established upfront for the switch to a distributor's gross formula for web streaming in the third year of the WGA pact. Isn't that like cooking the numbers, if both sides already know what the distrib's gross is going to be three years from now? Especially when it turns out that 2 percent of the "imputed value" works out to only a little more than the fixed residual fee from years one and two?

The answer is yes, and no, I'm told.

No more WGA pickets

WGA West president Patric Verrone has just made it official, telling members to put away their picket signs.

Verrone notified members about today's approvals of the new three-year deal by WGA's ruling bodies and explained the details of member votes on ending the strike and ratifying the contract.

"There will be no picketing Monday or Tuesday: all pickets are suspended until the WGA membership votes to either end or continue the strike," he added.

Given the strong support Verrone and other leaders received at Saturday night's membership meetings in pushing for the deal, it's nearly impossible that the membership would reject it.

Here's his entire messsage...

BREAKING: Showrunners back to work tomorrow

For the first time in more than three months, TV showrunners are heading back to the office on Monday.

Scribes who also have producing responsibilities on their shows will be allowed to return to work on Monday while the WGA conducts a membership vote on Monday and Tuesday on whether to formally lift the strike, WGA West prexy Patric Verrone said Sunday at a news conference to discuss the guild’s new contract and the vote to end the strike.

Given the overwhelming support for the deal expressed by WGA members at meetings in Gotham and L.A. on Saturday, it’s expected that the strike will be in the past tense by Wednesday.

Industry sources also report that the WGA contract reached with the majors is expected to include a provision that will allow scribes who were force majeuered from ongoing series to return to their old jobs. Insiders cautioned that some of force majeure issues are still being worked out by guild and AMPTP reps. The contract does not address those who were force majeured from overall deals and other contracts if they were not working on a series that will resume production.

The TV biz was hit last month with a wave of firings and terminations of more than 70 writing and producing deals by the major studios as they invoked the force majeure provisions allowing them to terminate those contracts as a result of the prolonged strike.

--Cynthia Littleton and Dave McNary

BREAKING: WGA leaders to hold noon news conference

WGA leaders have called a press conference for noon today at WGA West headquarters to discuss the tentative contract proposal reached with the majors and the status of the three-month-old writers strike.

Members of the WGA West board and WGA East council are meeting today to finalize plans for the membership vote that is widely expected to end the strike, and the separate vote of membership to formally ratify the new three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Skedded to speak at the press conference are WGA West prexy Patric Verrone, WGA West exec director David Young, WGA’s negotiations committee chairman John Bowman. WGA East prexy Michael Winship will also be included via telephone.

Shrine time: The beginning of the end for the strike

It was a long night of waiting outside of the Shrine Auditorium tonight and tackling unsuspecting guild members as they walked out for their opinions, their thoughts and their perceptions of the deal. No exaggeration, the vibe was uniformly pro-guild, pro-guild leadership and pro-deal. (And pro-green. Observing the make and model of the cars of WGA members as they pulled into the Shrine lot, it was impossible not to notice the preponderance of Priuses._

"The strike was absolutely worth it -- look what we've acheived!?! -- but it's time to go back to work" was a common refrain heard members as they walked into and out of the meeting. We know the leadership got standing o's more than once, and the applause-o-meter was running on high, and that they got high marks for candidly assessing the pros and cons of the deal in light of the realpolitik of the industry today -- not at as it was 20 years ago, and not as it may (or may not) be in 20 more years, or even 10.

One guy you can always count on for a colorful comment that has some real substance to it as well is Matt Selman (pictured above) of "The Simpsons." In the feel-good, we-done-good moment immediately following the meeting, as small groups of scribes stood around outside the lobby of the Shrine, Selman took the long view of what they'd achieved with the Great Walkout of '07-08.

"People have crapped on this union as being about rich people trying to get richer," Selman said. "A lot of rich people, and medium-successful writers, of which I would count myself, gave up a huge amount of money so that writers who haven't even been born yet can make a decent wage."

-- Cynthia Littleton

The WGA Awards reception starts

The WGA East has started its "recognition reception" for the WGA Award nominees at the Broadway Millenium Hotel with about 150 people in attendance and a giant-screen TV showing striking writers at various Gotham sites.

The event launched a few hours after the WGA East concluded a mostly upbeat membership meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel to review terms of the tentative WGA deal. 

The WGA West decided last month to cancel its black-tie event because of the strike while the WGA East transformed theirs into a low-key reception without a red carpet. WGA East exec director Mona Mangan told Daily Variety that the event was scaled back because it would not have been seemly to have a full-blown formal affair with a strike going on.

"But it really is a night to celebrate because we have a contract -- depending on the membership vote -- so this is really a well-timed event," she added.


-- Sam Thielman and Dave McNary

Streaming still a sticking point

Amid the optimism that the WGA strike could be called off Sunday, there remains a major sticking point in the tentative deal for WGA members -- ad-supported streaming.

To recap -- The WGA’s streaming deal still included a combination of a flat fee for the first year (excluding a two- to three-week window of free usage for promotional purposes) followed by a percentage of distributor’s gross. Proponents of the deal say that it's reasonable for a new delivery system to have an initial free window; the objections center on concerns that writers are giving away potentially massive amounts of revenue since TV viewing will be quickly migrating to the Intenet before the end of the contract, given current viewing trends. Speculation had been going around in recent days that the length of the window would be shorter than terms in the DGA deal — 17 days for continuing shows, 24 for new shows. But the window matches the DGA’s.

NY Meeting comes to an end

The two-and-a-half hour meeting of the WGA's East Coast members was essentially informational, but members seemed to like the information they were getting.

No vote was taken but the sentiment was strong in favor of the tentative pact. Members said the room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Broadway theater district came alive with cheers at various points. Some skeptics drilled into details and asked pointed questions, but an exodus of satisfied scribes began after about an hour.

"This is a historic moment for writers in this country," said Michael Moore. "There is a certain irony about the achievement. I would have thought it'd be autoworkers or ironworkers getting this victory but instead it's the people who got beat up in school for writing in their journals."

WGAE NY Meeting

WGA's membership meeting in Gotham is winding down with scribes appearing to be upbeat about the terms of the new contract the guild just clinched with Hollywood's majors.

Except for the clutch of TV crews on the sidewalk, it looked like another touristy Saturday afternoon in the Broadway theater district.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel, where the Writers Guild's East Coast members gathered to vote on the proposed contract, had a few more security people with earpieces patrolling the lobby. But the vibe was quietly businesslike as scribes trickled in. Even Michael Moore didn't pause to sound off on his way in to the meeting.

An opportunistic rep of the World Socialist Web Site handed out fliers by the revolving door. "Reject the contract," he urged, though it's not clear whether any contract would have passed muster for the World Socialists.

As the meeting hit the half-hour mark, traffic streamed by, crowds gathered for the matinee of "Mama Mia" across the street. And journalists could only hurry up and wait for the word.

-- D. Hayes

WGA, AMPTP reach tentative deal

The Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

WGA West president Patric Verrone and WGA East president Michael Winship sent out an email to members at 3 a.m. Saturday alerting writers that a deal has been made that "protects a future in which the Internet becomes the primary means of both content creation and delivery."

(Stuart Levine)

Deal points after the jump or download them here.

Friday's WGA East picket thicket at Time Warner Center

WGA East is sticking with the "it ain't over 'til it's over" philosophy.

In a release about the Gotham branch's mass picket in front of the Time Warner Center on Friday, WGA East sez that it's next "big picket" is skedded for Wednesday outside of Viacom headquarters. Unless the strike is called off by then which is the fondest hope of many many folks on both sides of the country.

Nonetheless, just like Thursday's central picket outside Disney's HQ in Burbank, the WGA East drew more than 300 supporters on Friday, including Michael Moore, Tina Fey, Griffin Dunne, Seth Meyers, Rachel Dratch, David Chase, Terry George, Andrew Bergman, Tom Fontana, Warren Leight, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Jerry Coopersmith.

Also joining in were SAG and AFTRA members as well as non-pro union members from the SEIU and Pilots Union. The writers of "The Late Show With David Letterman" picked up lunch tab for the pickets, as they have since they went back to work under the interim agreement that Letterman's Worldwide Pants cut with the WGA.

-- Cynthia Littleton

(Pics provided by WGA East.)

From the front: The last mile?

It was appropriately sunny in beautiful downtown Burbank on Thursday as hundreds gathered outside the Disney and ABC gates for what hopefully will be the last mass picket of the Great Walkout of '07-'08. A few dozen others made sure there was a red-and-black presence outside NBC as well.

Officially, everyone was still in "cautiously optimistic" mode. But it sure felt like a gathering of people who'd spent a lot of quality time together but were preparing to go their separate ways for a while. There were lots of group hugs, group photos taken (as pictured below), numbers and email addresses exchanged and reminiscing about picket-line experiences in the past tense.

There will be one more three-hour picket sesh at NBC on Friday afternoon, and of course, the scribe tribe will undoubtedly turn out in significant numbers on Saturday for the 7 p.m. membership meet at the Shrine Auditorium.

"We've been down this road before," said scribe Leonard Dick ("House," "Lost"). "I have faith in the (WGA) leadership...but I may continue picking for another two weeks -- just to be safe."

The timing of the apparent denouement of the strike is kinda funny for Dick. The last seg of Fox's

"House" that he finished writing around midnight on the day they went out finally aired on Tuesday. Dick noted that he's told his friends and family "wait until at least Saturday night before you stream it on Fox.com."

For sure, there's plenty of nervousness about the details of the deal. Many scribes seem to be zeroing in on the length of the "promotional window" that studios have for free streaming of shows before residual payment kicks in. As laid out in the DGA pact, that window is 24 days for freshman series and 17 days for all others. There's rumblings that the WGA has managed to shave some time off that window, probably for the freshman shows, but even seven days feels too long for a lot of folks.

"There are some real serious points that I need to be convinced of," said screenwriter Garrick Dowhen (pictured left). "A lot of us have lost a lot in all of this. I lost a development deal and a rewrite deal. It's cost me big."

Strike captain Marjorie David, a co-exec producer on NBC's "Life," echoed Dowhen's sentiment.

"We we want to make sure we went out for a reason," David said.

Thursday's picket site: Disney

With a deal expected to be announced as early as this weekend, what's expected to be the last big demonstration of the WGA strike has been set for Thursday outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.

(Seems like a curious choice of for the central picket site, given Disney CEO Robert Iger's role in helping to negotiate the compromise that is poised to put the town back to work, but...)

The United Hollywood site is telling members this:

"Send a signal to the companies: If you want to make sure no last-minute legalistic monkey business derails the progress toward a fair and reasonable WGA deal, take a few laps around Disney tomorrow."

SAG has also notified its members thusly:

"Now more than ever, we must bolster our commitment and keep walking picket lines to let management know that we stand firmly with our brothers and sisters at the WGA. The commitment of actors has been astounding—and our message has been heard loud and clear: The WGA’s fight is our fight."

For picketers, business as usual

The WGA strike's not over, particularly if you pass by the gates of any of the major studios.

Even with the writers strike expected to be in its final days, picketing continued Wednesday at the usual eight major studio lots in Los Angeles with WGA board members and negotiating committee members briefing picketers. More than 60 WGA members and their supporters turned out at CBS Television City, where board member Ron Bass was on the line during the late morning.

Strike captain Michael Russnow, who served on the board during the 1990s, said he could not help but start thinking about the next negotiations while he was supervising the CBS lines. He's hoping that the strike's legacy will be a continued spirit of activism and involvement by rank-and-file members.

"What we've shown the companies is that we're not going to sit still -- like we did for 20 years on DVD and cable -- as Internet revenues accelerate," he said. "We've clearly made an impact in areas like Wall Street and the Golden Globes. And staying on top of where the business is going has to be part of the 2011 negotiations."

The WGA West has asked that all picketers come to Disney Studios in Burbank on Thursday, except for those who regularly picket at NBC Burbank.   

-- Dave McNary

The winner in a contest we didn't know we were having

All-time weirdest strike-related press release:
(Note: Spelling and puncuation guaranteed authentic.)

WRITERS STRIKE PUTS ECONOMIC BOOM FOR SMALL HOLLYWOOD UPSCALE THRIFT

SHOP, TODAY  2-6-08

SHARP IMAGE THRIFT SHOP OWNER ARMANI MAXWELL WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE TOMMOROW TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE THOUSANDS OF OUT OF WORK WRITERS HAS CAUSED A ECONOMIC BOOM FOR THE THRIFT SHOP BUISNESS. HE WILL BE OPENING FIVE NEW STORES AS A RESULT OF A DOWN TURNED ECONOMY,  THE UPSCALE RESALE SHOP HAS SOME OF THE TOP DESIGNERS IN THE WORLD FROM GUCCI, PRADA VERSACE, ARMANI AND MORE. WRITERS, ACTORS, MUSICIANS, PRODUCERS ARE COMING TO THE STORE IN HEARDS AS A RESULT OF BEING OUT OF WORK AND LOOKING TO DRESS IN STYLE WITHOUT PAYING THE HIGH COST OF STYLE.

WITH TOUGH TIMES MOVIE STUDIOS SUCH AS FOX, PARAMOUNT AND WARNER BROTHERS ARE PROVIDING TONS CLOTHES TO THE LITTLE THRIFT BOUTIQUE.IN HOLLYWOOD. WHILE MOST OF RETAIL AND THE HOSPIALITY BUSINESS IS STRUGGLING DUE TO THE STRIKE AND ITS EFFECTS IN THE CENTER OF THE WORLDS ENTERTAINMENT BUISNESS, THIS THRIFT BUISNESS IN TINSLETOWN IS NOT AND IN FACT

EXPANDING

WHERE; SHARP IMAGE   8515 SANTA MONICA BLVD WEST HOLLYWOOD

WHEN     WED FEB 6, 2008 AT 11:30AM

-- Dana Harris

Calling all WGA members

WGA West president Patric Verrone and WGA East president Michael Winship have sent out a fairly short official message to members asking them to attend Saturday's meetings for a briefing on a tentative deal that could end the writers strike.

The duo reiterated the points made Monday night by negotiating committee chief John Bowman -- that the WGA's continuing to negotiate with the majors and that the WGA's ruling bodies will not take official on the proposed deal until after the member meetings.

Here's the entire message --

To Our Fellow Members,

As Negotiating Committee Chair John Bowman wrote you last night, we are continuing to negotiate the terms of a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. We anticipate that we will be able to present the terms of that agreement to you in the next few days.

In order to have a full discussion with you of the terms and how they were reached, and in order to get your input before making recommendations or decisions, we have scheduled membership meetings for current-active members only for this Saturday, February 9, in New York and Los Angeles.

The New York meeting will take place at 2 pm ET in the Broadway Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Times Square, 1606 Broadway (Broadway and 49th Street). The Los Angeles meeting will take place at 7 pm PT in the Shrine Auditorium (665 W. Jefferson Blvd.).

We urge you to attend. We have gotten to this point in our negotiation as the direct result of the power of this strike, which each of you has generated. Neither the Negotiating Committee, nor the East Council or the West Board, will take action on any contract until after the membership meetings are held and your voices have been heard. We are all in this together.

Best,

Michael Winship
President
Writers Guild of America, East

Patric M. Verrone
President
Writers Guild of America, West

-- D. McNary

BREAKING: WGA meeting Saturday at Shrine

The WGA West has announced the time for its general membership meeting on the negotiations -- Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Shrine Auditorium south of downtown Los Angeles.

Members have been told to bring a picture ID. The WGA's hoping to have a draft contract to present to the boards of the WGA West and WGA East and negotiating committee by Friday. In an email message to members late Monday the WGA's negotiating committee chief John Bowman notified members of the upcoming informational meetings and said neither the negotiating committee nor the boards would take action on the contract until after those meetings.

The WGA East has not yet announced the time and place of its weekend membership meeting.

-- Dave McNary

WGA schedules membership meetings

In another signal that the writers strike may be ending, the WGA leadership has scheduled a pair of weekend membership meetings to provide an update about the deal offered by the majors.

In a message sent Monday night to members, WGA negotiating committee chief John Bowman said that the negotiating committee, the WGA West board of directors and the WGA East Council would not vote on the contract until after meetings.

Bowman wrote to the members after the latest offer from the companies received a generally positive reception in Monday meetings of the negotiating committee and WGA West board. But he warned that the negotiations have not been completed.

The WGA West meeting is expected to take place at the Shrine auditorium in downtown Los Angeles.

Here's the entire message --

Dear Fellow Members,

I would like to update you on where we stand with bargaining with the AMPTP.

While we have made important progress since the companies re-engaged us in serious talks, negotiations continue. Regardless of what you hear or read, there are many significant points that have yet to be worked out.

In order to keep members abreast of the latest developments, informational meetings are being planned by both Guilds for this weekend – details to be announced.

Neither the Negotiating Committee, nor the West Board or the East Council, will take action on the contract until after the membership meetings. As the talks proceed, never forget that during this period it is critical for us to remain on the picket lines united and strong. We are all in this together.

In Solidarity,

John F. Bowman
Chair, WGA Negotiating Committee

Wanted: Weight-challenged soprano, female preferred

Caution, caution, caution. Those were the watchwords on WGA picket lines Monday after a weekend of rising optimism that the three-month strike could soon end.

WGA board members and negotiating committee members continued their practice of bringing marchers updates -- mostly, "Don't believe the hype" -- and thanking them for their efforts. WGA West VP David Weiss showed up at the Paramount Windsor gate at mid-morning to speak with about two dozen picketers.

"It will be over when it's over and I don't think the fat lady is even warming up her voice yet," said strike captain A.L. Katz ("Tales From the Crypt"). "The devil's going to be in the details. And we are all very aware that the companies said after Thanksgiving that they had a great deal for us and then proposed a lousy deal. So once burned, twice shy."

The fat-lady analogy continued its workout with a Sunday evening voicemail message from Larry Gelbart ("Tootsie," "MASH") that went to WGA members:

This is Larry Gelbart. In all my decades as a member of the WGA, I’ve learned a few lessons about strikes and negotiations -- the most important being that it’s never over ’til it’s over, no matter how much the lady singer might weigh. As fellow and sister members of the Guild, you know how important the issues are for all of our futures and for those to whom we will one day hand our pens. Over the coming days, you will be getting calls asking you to join in to continue with the picketing. I ask you to set aside all the rumors, all the second-guessing, I ask you to set these aside and pick up a picket sign instead. I cannot stress how vital it is for all of us to show our commitment to our leadership during this current round of negotiations. Thank you.

That sentiment was echoed by SAG member Michael Miguel, who's been a constant presence at Par for the past three months and noted that SAG's contract expiration comes at the end of June. "I'm out here because we at SAG have to gear ourselves up for this just in case we have to go out this summer," Miguel admitted. 

Miguel's found that making the commitment to showing up every day for picketing has been a serious challenge to his integrity. "I'm doing something that's very tedious and many days I get comments from people who are not qualified to be commenting about what I'm doing, so it's really easy to be tempted to not show up," he said. "All this has made me understand how important it is to be consistent and diligent."

-- Dave McNary

From the picket line: "It ain't over 'til it's over'

"I won't believe it until I see it."

"When Patric Verrone tells me to go back to work, then I'll get excited."

"We've been down this road before."

"It ain't over 'til it's over."

Those seemed to be the prevailing sentiments among the strong crowd of 150-plus pickets who gathered Monday ayem outside 20th Century Fox's main gate on Pico Boulevard.

Strike captain Ashley Gable allowed that she was feeling "optimistic skepticism" following the news of the weekend that the WGA and studio brass had reached a major breakthrough after a marathon sesh on Friday.

There didn't seem to be a whole lot of anxiety about the lack of specific info from the guild -- mostly, pickets wanted to make sure there was a strong presence on the lines today to telegraph to the majors that they're not folding up their signs, not by a long shot.

"I wanted to be sure someone was out here early with one of these," said Joss Whedon, hoisting a sign, which wasn't easy given the gusty winds. (The wind even blew the water from the long rectangular fountain that runs the length of the pickets' loop onto the sidewalk, hitting strikers from the knees down and keeping the sidewalk muddy.)

Whedon arrived at Fox before 8 a.m., and helped set up the water jug and sign-in table. The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator said he's encouraged by the reports of progress but won't get overly enthused until there's "something I can vote on." He also noted the emotional factors that have raged during the strike. Whedon, for one, sez he's not going to be able to paste on a big smile as soon as there's a deal.

"I'm still really angry," he said. "I can't just recalibrate (my feelings) just like that."

TV scribe Mike Schiff said he's following the lead of a friend and fellow striker, who observed that "when he comes out here and there's no one walking here, he'll know something must've happened."

Steven Craig, a co-exec producer on Fox's "MadTV," said he wondered if the talk of a deal being at hand wasn't spin spread by the studios. Regardless, he's encouraged by the level of solidarity demonstrated by the guild. When he went out on strike, one of his superiors at "MadTV" chided him about how he'd feel after three months on strike.

"Here we are after three months and we've stayed strong. I feel great," Craig said, praising the leadership of guild bosses Verrone and David Young.

David Goodman and Susannah Grant, members of the WGA's negotiating committee, were also on the loop outside Fox. Both said they hadn't been privy to the details of what went down on Friday, and both said they were fine with that.

"If the best way to do this is in a room with six people, that's fine," Grant said. "I want this to be done in the most efficient way possible." At one point during the earlier rounds of formal bargaining with the

Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, there were 100 people in the room, Grant noted. Goodman cautioned those who pressed him for info that "it's not over 'til it's over." And he added that he had "enormous trust" in Verrone, Young and negotiating committee head John Bowman to make the right calls, and, hopefully, close the deal.

-- Cynthia Littleton

WGA responds to the rumors of a deal

The WGA has just acknowledged the flurry of rumors that the guild's moving toward agreeing to a tentative deal with the majors and urged caution.

In a message sent to members at mid-day Sunday, WGA West president Patric Verrone and WGA East prexy Michael Winship said, "The facts: we are still in talks and do not yet have a contract. When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership with an e-mail message.  Until then, please disregard rumors about either the existence of an agreement or its terms."

The presidents also said picketing will resume Monday. "Our leverage at the bargaining table is directly affected by your commitment to our cause," they added.

Here's the entire message:

To Our Fellow Members,

While fully mindful of the continuing media blackout, we write you to address the rumors and reports that undoubtedly you have been hearing.

The facts: we are still in talks and do not yet have a contract. When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership with an e-mail message.  Until then, please disregard rumors about either the existence of an agreement or its terms.

Until we have reached an agreement with the AMPTP, it is essential that we continue to show our resolve, solidarity, and strength.

Picketing will resume on Monday.  Our leverage at the bargaining table is directly affected by your commitment to our cause.  Please continue to show your support on the line.  We are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW
Michael Winship
President, WGAE

Guild signs four more interim deals

Amid a rising tide of optimism about a possible end to the WGA strike, the guild's announced that it's signed four more interim deals with New York-based indie film companies.

In an announcement early Sunday, the WGA said it's signed agreements with GreeneStreet Films, Killer Films, Open City Films, and This is that corporation.

The deals bring the number of interim agreements to 21. By signing, a company can hire WGA writers under terms that the guild proposed in December.

It's unclear when all WGA members could go back to work. If a deal is approved by leaders and ratified by members, that could take place within a few more weeks. It's also possible that WGA leaders could give a back-to-work order prior to ratification but that's uncertain.

In a statement, WGA East president Michael Winship said, “The independent film community in New York helped revitalize the motion picture industry with its boisterous originality, drive and resourcefulness. The interim agreements these companies have signed with the Writers Guilds are a reaffirmation of their dedication to great writing, bold innovation and good old fashioned, New York City street smarts."

“The unity between writers on both coasts has been steadfast, and these agreements are a tribute to that enduring solidarity," emphasized Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West.

Here's the entire announcement:

Saturday update: Breakthrough in talks

Talks between WGA leaders and top studio execs on Friday and Saturday have been productive enough to generate some cautious optimism that a settlement to the strike may soon be within reach.

WGA negotiating committee head John Bowman and WGA West exec director David Young had a lengthy meeting with News Corp. prexy Peter Chernin and Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger on Friday that was described as having gone well on balance following some tension at the outset. It's understood that those conversations continued on Saturday, though it was not clear if it was by phone or face-to-face.

But insiders said there was enough progress being made to raise the prospect of WGA leaders bringing a contract proposal directly to the boards of the WGA West and WGA East, possibly bypassing the resumption of formal bargaining between the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Sources indicated the informal talks had progressed to the point where draft language of a tentative deal was being drawn up and exchanged by lawyers and reps for both sides.

WGA's 17-member negotiating committee and the WGA West's board are already skedded to hold separate meetings on Monday, at noon and 3 p.m., respectively.

Chernin and Iger began the informal talks with WGA toppers on Jan. 22, on the heels of the AMPTP sealing a deal with the Directors Guild of America that the studios aim to use as a template for a WGA pact. A big stumbling block for the WGA is said to be the terms agreed to by the DGA for web streaming of TV shows and movies. The United Hollywood.com blog reported Saturday that "creative solutions to the biggest differences between the AMPTP and the WGA have gotten the tentative and cautious approval of both sides."

Neither WGA or AMPTP reps would comment on the status of talks in accordance with the news blackout both camps have agreed to.

Going into the weekend, studio toppers were said to be frustrated with the lack of substantive progress in the talks, which were designed to lay the groundwork for the resumption of formal bargaining.

The AMPTP and WGA last met in a formal session on Dec. 7. WGA has been on strike since Nov. 5.

-- Cynthia Littleton and Dave McNary

WGA-CEO informal talks go "OK" on Friday

WGA leaders and top studio brass had a lengthy meeting on Friday that was described as having gone "OK," in spite of rumors that rising frustration on the part of the CEOs threatened to derail the informal talks that began two weeks ago.

Insiders close to the situation said the face-to-face between News Corp. prexy Peter Chernin and Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger and WGA officials including negotiating committee chief John Bowman was not confrontational. It was not immediately clear if the sides would meet again on Saturday but some communication was expected to continue during the weekend.

Neither side would comment on the status of talks on Friday evening in accordance with the news blackout both camps have agreed to for the duration of the informal talks.

Top studio CEOs are said to be frustrated with the lack of substantive progress in the talks, which were designed to lay the groundwork for the resumption of formal bargaining between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and WGA. Chernin and Iger began the informal talks with WGA toppers on Jan. 22, on the heels of the AMPTP sealing a deal with the Directors Guild of America that the AMPTP aims to use as a template for a WGA pact. A big stumbling block for the WGA is said to be the terms agreed to by the DGA for web streaming of TV shows and movies.

The AMPTP and WGA last met in a formal session on Dec. 7. WGA has been on strike since Nov. 5.

-- Cynthia Littleton

Congressional reps send letter to Chernin, Iger

Three California Democratic Congressional reps have sent a letter to News Corp. prexy Peter Chernin and Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger to put the execs on notice that they monitoring the state of their talks with the Writers Guild of America. "The purpose of our letter is to encourage you to seek a fair, just, and swift resolution to this labor dispute," U.S. Reps. George Miller, Linda Sánchez and Lynn Woolsey wrote in the letter. The trio are members of the House Committee on Education and Labor and rank among the most liberal members of the House.

Here's the entire letter:

Taco Bell's tasteless stunt

As if their food wasn't enough of an insult, now Taco Bell has weighed in with a truly tasteless marketing stunt tied to the WGA strike.

Fast-food chain is offering striking scribes the chance to win a whopping $260 in free Taco Bell grub in exchange for writing witticisms for its taco sauce packages. Chain sez it will pick up to 10 "wisdoms" to be printed on sauce packages this fall.

“The writer’s strike is now in its second month, and Taco Bell wanted to show its support for the thousands of creative minds itching to press pen to paper, or in our case, Border Sauce packets,” said David Ovens, chief marketing officer for Taco Bell.

Could they be any more crass? All the more reason to support your favorite local Mexican eatery, for real carne asada and such. (If you're in the Pico/La Brea area, try CJ's Cafe on Pico, just west of Hauser. They have a veggie burrito to die for.)

-- Cynthia Littleton

Two more interim deals, these with Intermedia and the Film Dept.

The WGA has inked two more interim deals, signing with the Film Dept. and Intermedia.

The pacts are the 15th and 16th such agreements announced in the past month. The Thursday announcement comes a day after the guild announced a deal with Overture Films and less than a week after similar agreements were signed with Lionsgate, Marvel and RKO.

The interim deals let the companies hire writers under the terms and conditions offered by the WGA before formal negotiations with the AMPTP collapsed last month. For the WGA, the deals are a way to gain leverage in persuading the congloms to resume formal talks.

The  announcement comes with a news blackout on the informal talks between WGA leaders and moguls. Those talks -- aimed at laying the groundwork for official bargaining to resume -- began nine days ago.

The AMPTP's standard statement about the WGA's interim deals has been this: "These one-off agreements are meaningless because the companies signing them know they will not have to abide by their terms for very long, since they'll be superceded by whatever final industry-wide accords are reached. If companies truly had to live by the terms of these one-off agreements, we are confident none would ever be signed."

“Companies like Intermedia and The Film Dept. recognize the importance of signing a deal that compensates writers fairly for the work they do,” said WGA West president Patric M. Verrone and WGA East president Michael Winship in a joint statement. “In turn, we’ve designed an agreement for the entertainment industry that takes into account the economic realities that it faces.” 

Intermedia president Linda Benjamin said the company will shortly be announcing an updated film and television slate. The company's recent releases include "Breach" and "One Missed Call."

The Film Department is topped by former Warner Independent Pictures and Miramax Films president Mark Gill and former Miramax Films executive vice president and Yari Film Group COO Neil Sacker.

The entire announcement runs after the jump.

-- Dave McNary

Another voice from the WGA: "The DGA deal as it stands today is bad."

Despite last week's admonition by WGA leaders to members to cool down the rhetoric, high-profile writers continue to take potshots at the DGA deal.

Tom Fontana and WGA West board member Phil Alden Robinson have already made their displeasure known; the latest comes from John McNamara, whose credits include "The Adventures of Brisco County," "Profit," "Lois & Clark," "Vengeance Unlimited," "The Fugitive," "Eyes" and "Jericho."  In a post on United Hollywood, McNamara opens by noting that his overall deal at CBS/Paramount was terminated Jan. 14.

"Given that this financial blow is due to the strike and the fact that it's been well over a decade and a half since I made any real money via the MBA, I should be writing to you gentlemen begging you to take the DGA deal," he said, referring to the WGA's minimum basic agreement. "Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm writing to urge you -- don't settle for anything less than the best deal possible."

McNamara doesn't go into details about the DGA terms, but he's still explicit about it just the same. And he urges WGA members to hold out for a better deal.

"The DGA deal as it stands today is bad," he wrote. "It may be a bad deal with a few good points, but it is not the reverse. Don't be swayed to think otherwise. You know what's right here. Everyone does, no matter what they say out of anger, desperation, greed or exhaustion."

Here's the entire post --

On January 14th, my overall deal at CBS/Paramount was terminated. So this is actually my two cents... plus hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I bring this up so you'll understand that starting on November 5th, I began losing a substantial amount of money. (To put in perspective: I started my career as a playwright, and what I made in my first year of writing theatre, I lost each day as a suspended showrunner.)

As of the 14th, I’ve now lost everything due me under my term deal.

Given that this financial blow is due to the strike and the fact that it's been well over a decade and a half since I made any real money via the MBA, I should be writing to you gentlemen begging you to take the DGA deal.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I'm writing to urge you -- don't settle for anything less than the best deal possible.

Because this isn't about me or my losses. This isn't about any one writer. This is about thousands of us, up and down fortune's ladder, some who are better off than I am right now, many much worse off, but each of us linked by this:

We all know the difference between a good deal and a bad deal.

"Good" is any provision where our share grows alongside all possible delivery forms.

"Bad" is anything else.

The DGA deal as it stands today is bad. It may be a bad deal with a few good points but it is not the reverse.

Don't be swayed to think otherwise. You know what's right here. Everyone does, no matter what they say out of anger, desperation, greed or exhaustion.

My Dad was a trial lawyer. He spent most of his life trying to sway people. A job that was always easier when he represented a client whose plea or defense was legally sound. Because then he didn’t have to use as many words. My father always said, “The more words you use to explain something, the less true it is.”

What you’re trying to do can be boiled down to two short, declarative sentences:

If they make nothing, we make nothing. But the more they make, the more we make.

Any argument against those sentences would have to be elaborate in the extreme. Possibly confusing. And certainly disingenuous.

Do what's right. Don't back down, don't concede, don't give in to fear, pressure, or worst of all, the common wisdom.

I set out to have a long career that would weather many ups and downs. So far, that's what I've had and there's no denying I'm in one of life's little troughs at the moment. But I'm not alone. And I haven't lost my bearings. This is a fight for the future.

Someday, when that future becomes the present and I look back on all of this, I want to say I was a small part of a big fight that mattered. I stood with people who knew that. We rose together and took action.

I'm proud to do what I do for a living; more proud of that than any check that's ever crossed my desk. Checks are cashed, and parking spaces are painted over. But I'm a writer -- with you -- forever.

- John McNamara

AMPTP to SAG: Benchmark? What benchmark?

The AMPTP has joined the brawl over interpreting terms of the DGA deal.

A day after SAG expressed its deep misgivings about the terms of the directors' pact, the AMPTP took SAG to task Wednesday over its characterization over the appropriate compensation for paid downloads.

SAG had claimed that the DGA's doubling of the download residuals formulas -- to .7% for TV and .65% in features -- was actually an AMPTP rollback since the WGA, SAG and the DGA had filed grievances over the download rate not being at the pay TV rate of 1.2%.

But the AMPTP said SAG's all wet since none of the guilds ever pursued the grievances; instead, they opted to hold them open and address the issue at the bargaining table. "The bottom line is clear: The 1.2% figure was never a benchmark of any kind," the AMPTP said. "It was merely a demand that none of the Guilds ever seriously pursued."

Here's the entire AMPTP statement --

We believe it is important to correct a mistake that is being perpetuated regarding residual payments for permanent downloads.

In 2006, SAG, WGA and DGA claimed that the appropriate residual formula was the 1.2% residual for pay television. The AMPTP took the position that that the home video formula should apply to these releases. All three Guilds filed grievances on this issue, but the grievances were never pursued by the WGA or the other Guilds.

The bottom line is clear: The 1.2% figure was never a benchmark of any kind. It was merely a demand that none of the Guilds ever seriously pursued. 

To summarize, all three Guilds filed claims in 2006 arguing that the release of television and theatrical motion pictures by electronic sell-through should generate residuals at the pay TV rate. The Companies maintained then, as they do now, that electronic sell-through is another form of home video because, among other reasons, the individual retains a permanent copy.  If the Guilds believed that they had a strong case, they would have pursued their grievance claims; instead, they held them open, preferring to address the issue in negotiations.  This is what the DGA has done. In bargaining its tentative
agreement, the DGA doubled the EST rate for television and secured an 80% residual increase for the EST film rate.

Overture Films signs interim deal

The WGA has inked another interim deal, signing with one-year-old Overture Films.

It's the 14th such deal announced in the past month and comes on the heels of similar agreements signed last week with Lionsgate, Marvel and RKO. The interim deals let the companies hire writers under the terms and conditions offered by the WGA before formal negotiations with the AMPTP collapsed last month.

For the WGA, the deals are a way to gain leverage in persuading the congloms to resume formal talks.

The Overture announcement comes with a news blackout on the informal talks between WGA leaders and moguls. Those talks -- aimed at laying the groundwork for official bargaining to resume -- began a week ago.

Overture, backed by John Malone's Liberty Media, launched operations in late 2006 headed by industry vets Chris McGurk and Danny Rosett. Its first feature, caper comedy "Mad Money," opened earlier this month.

Rosett, whose title is chief operating officer, said in an interview that the interim agreement will allow Overture to continue begin moving forward on its 2009 slate. And he noted that as word got out Wednesday, the volume of inquiries accelerated.

"You could feel the momentum picking up this morning," he added. "We feel like this is something that helps get us beyond being 'in theory.' We felt that we had a very reasonable conversation with WGA about what's best for our company."

Overture's going into production Feb. 13 on "Humboldt Park," which has a completed script. Upcoming releases include "Sleepwalking," starring Charlize Theron and Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor."

The AMPTP's standard statement about the WGA's interim deals:  "These one-off agreements are meaningless because the companies signing them know they will not have to abide by their terms for very long, since they'll be superceded by whatever final industry-wide accords are reached. If companies truly had to live by the terms of these one-off agreements, we are confident none would ever be signed."

DGA tells SAG to stuff it

DGA president Michael Apted has accused SAG of trying to monkeywrench the week-long informal talks between the WGA and the moguls.

Apted issued the blast early Tuesday evening in response to SAG president Alan Rosenberg and national exec director Doug Allen's attack on the DGA deal. He pointed out that Rosenberg and Allen said in their letter to the SAG membership that too little is known about the DGA/AMPTP deal for anyone to
"assume" anything about it.

"Then why do they need to send any letter to their members?" Apted said. "They are not in negotiations and have not scheduled any. Their letter has one purpose and one purpose only: to interfere with the informal talks currently underway between the WGA and the studios. Simply put, their assumptions and arguments are specious. The DGA deal is a great deal for our members."

- D. McNary