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because the companies signing them know they will not have to abide by their terms for very long, since they'll be superceded by whatever final industry-wide accords are reached.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

The Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East are pleased to announce they have reached interim agreements with The Film Department and Intermedia. The Guilds continue to sign agreements with companies that value the essential role writers play in making films, television programs, and content for new media.

“Companies like Intermedia and The Film Department recognize the importance of signing a deal that compensates writers fairly for the work they do,” said Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West, and Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild of America, East, 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.”

“We are pleased that we were able to conclude successful negotiations with the WGA so that we can move forward with our production slate across all media, while being able to provide fair and equitable compensation to the writers now and into the future,” said Intermedia President Linda Benjamin. “In light of this agreement, we will shortly be announcing our updated film and television slate.”

Intermedia Film is a global, independent media enterprise with affiliates in London and Los Angeles organized under Munich-based parent company, IM Internationalmedia AG. The core business of the company consists of the development, financing, and distribution of high-quality theatrical films as well as TV productions.

Current and future Intermedia releases include Breach, screenplay by Adam Mazer & William Rotko and Billy Ray, story by Adam Mazer and William Rotko, starring Chris Cooper and Ryan Philippe; The Hunting Party, written by Richard Shepard, starring Richard Gere and Terrence Howard; One Missed Call, screenplay by Andrew Klavan, starring Edward Burns and Shannyn Sossamon; and The Prodigy, written by John Romano, starring Richard Gere.

The Film Department is an independent movie finance, production and international sales company founded 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. With capitalization of $200 million, the company plans to fully finance and produce six films per year budgeted between $10 and $35 million.

The deal with both companies is similar to agreements the WGA recently reached with Lionsgate, RKO Productions, Marvel Studios, The Weinstein Company, United Artists, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Spyglass Entertainment, MRC, Jackson Bites, Mandate Films, and Worldwide Pants.

Comments

[justasking]

Writers will never recoup what they have lost by this strike. Fees will be reduced, less pilots and overall deals. You will never get the respect you claim you want by behaving this way. I am not paid to write this as some of you claim instead of discussing the issue. You will never regain what you have lost. I don't know why that is so hard for you guys to understand.

[just asking 2]

Haven't the networks and studios already lost way more than it would take to pay the writers every single thing that they asked for? I don't know why this is so hard for them to understand.

[justasking]

Not sure the companies are feeling as much pain as the writers. Do you really think the companies are going to cave? I don't, they have other options, writers do not. They can try to sell to the internet but I don't see the internet companies rushing to writers to make deals with them, do you? Now some writers will lose health care for their family, not to mention the ones who can't make their 10,000 a month house payment. Your management only knows how to strike not negotiate, the CBS shareholder meeting is pure proof of that.
I say be honest with yourselves, the big companies always win and this will be no exception. This doesn't make it right but you must know what you're dealing with, not some romantic idea that you can win against the big guys. Think about it. No, I don't get paid to write this, in fact I have two people in my house who aren't getting paid a dime right now. I lived trough the 88 strike and it was ugly. We are getting played by SAG as well as the AMPTP. What happens if writers go fi-core. How will that help the guild? Think about it.

[The real Fi Core]

Internet companies have already made deals with the WGA (MRC, i seem to recall is the name of one), with more to come.

The WGA won huge victories in the sixties and seventies, obtaining residuals, healthcare, and other benefits. Certainly the landscape is different today, but to say "big companies always win," well, that's simply incorrect. What happens if writers go fi-core? Well, as long as we're conjecturing, what happens when the earth spins off its axis? Yeah, it could be a problem. One self-promoting ill-informed writer, John Ridley, who's making the rounds on the news shows, has gone fi-core. As of now, and despite what's written on these boards, it's not an issue, no matter how many times you keep suggesting the possibility as if it was imminent.

The WGA is fighting for a fair deal. The objections of naysayers such as yourself, and my evil other half, are all part of the battle. We fight on.

[justasking 2]

But I thought writers are millionaires who make $200,000 a year. Make up your mind on talking points.

Think about it. Company stock prices are way down, they have no real product, no future product, NBC had to give back millions to advertisers and lost millions more on the Gloden Globes, if CBS doesn't make an interim deal soon they'll be plucked up by someone else, Oscars are in jeopardy, viewership continues to slide, once pilot season is lost advertising billions for next year are in jeopardy, and on and on. But you're right, the company always win. That's why writers never got healthcare, never got pensions, never got residuals, never got credits, never got fair pay for their work. They struck, but the companies always win. Think about it.

[Stuart Creque]

justasking: "Not sure the companies are feeling as much pain as the writers. Do you really think the companies are going to cave? I don't, they have other options, writers do not."

It's taken a while, but yes, the companies are feeling the pain of the strike. When you think about the companies' other options, what are their other options for redeploying the physical, management and brand equity assets tied up in their entertainment production businesses? Turning the Warner studios in Burbank into a new housing development?

WGA writers need companies to turn their words into entertainment. The companies who make entertainment need the writers' words. It's not necessary for either side to "cave," but only for both sides to come to a mutually acceptable agreement.

And Lord knows I don't advocate viewing the situation through rose-colored glasses. But if the writers are able to stay united and strong on the line, their leverage is finally kicking in and the companies ignore it at their own very real peril.

[The real Fi Core agian]

I love it when you flatter me u can take my name but not my heart,so sad,but schools in 4 2 day,the best thing that could happen to this town is for the talks 2 break off,that way we can all get back 2 work,the networks are planning on handling this the same way they do the soaps,I think the wga is in a seperate reality,3 pilots have started and some shows that were shut down are starting up agian,some members of blt crews have start dates.Lesson 2 for today renaming the wga,weak guild of america naaaaa waiters guild of america naaaaaaaaaa wait I got it !!!!!!!!!!!!walmart guild of america u guys can work in the paper and pencil section!!!!!u will always know its me by fine writting skill and also a thing that no one can dispute only try to imitate the TRUTH !!!!!!no one can dispute that since this thing began the wga has lost on every single point and the onlt gains were made by the dga. sorry losers,this town is moving foward with out yous and the real workers the btl line are getting back 2 work.

[The real Fi Core agian]

Okay, my schitzophrenia is approaching dangerous levels. The crazy thing is, I fumbled around in my pocket and found a check from AMPTP. There was a note that said "we love the fact that you're borderline illiterate because it will make you empathetic, but you have to start sounding a little more like a person and less like a monster, or we may as well start posting ourselves and just sign them "AMPTP Shill." Jesus, what's happening to me?

[Dr. Emile Thrush, MD]

I'd like to ask for everyone's patience with the poster "Fi Core." As you can see, she has a personality disorder that, while we are not medically classifying it as "dangerous" at this point, it certainly can be quite unpleasant. It's a fascinating case -- "Fi Core" is actually a sixteen year-old Blond cheerleader from Orange County, the daughter of hardcore Republican right-wing parents who have done, in layman's terms, "quite a number on her." We see this posting behavior as relatively harmless (she discusses this site with us during her sessions), though, as previously stated, if she begins to act out and pursue some of her delusional thoughts in the real world, we will take action. Until that happens, again, we beg everyone's patience as this troubled young girl tries to, as they say, "right the ship." Interestingly enough, she is one of several patients of mine who have revealed to me that they're earning extra money working for AMPTP in some capacity. Hmmm.

Thank you for your time.