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MONDAY PM EXCLUSIVE REPORT: Today’s Talks Productive: “Reasonableness Ruled The Day”
As the WGA strike begins its 4th week, I’ve been told positive news about today’s resumption of contract talks between the writers and the producers. So positive, in fact, that I’m almost fearful to post it. But here goes: a very reliable source tells me that there appears to be a deal seemingly in place between both sides.
“It’s already done, basically,” the insider describes. That’s because of the weeks worth of groundwork by the Hollywood agents working the writers guild leadership on one side, and the studio and network moguls on the other. I was told not to expect an agreement this week. But my source thought it was possible that the strike could be settled before Christmas.
Look, I don’t want to raise false hope here. But this source has been very accurate in the past. The negotiations starting today will have a news blackout, so don’t expect any significant leaks. But consider the real possibility there’s been a breakthrough. Still, I must caution that this is Hollywood — where defeat is snatched from the jaws of victory nearly every time.
- Talks Restarted At Agent Bryan Lourd’s Home After Weeks Of Quiet Backchannel
- LET’S STRIKE A DEAL! Both Sides Agree To Go Back Into Talks
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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I am *wishfully* hoping that this is true. Just wanted to point out to nikki that they are talking about you in tv guide
EVERYONE seems to be reading your site. Does anyone know anmore inside info?
“How long will there be a news blackout?”
In the hopeful scenario, until the outlines of the impending (or finalized) deal are solid enough that both sides are willing to make public announcements about it.
In the pessimistic scenario, until talks break down so badly that one side or both go back to reaming one another in the press on a daily basis, because negotiating isn’t working any better than it did before.
Let’s hope it’s the former.
To JustaFan:
That was a really smart posting
Agents are apparently the conduit for resumption of talks, but they are not the ones who made it happen.
Take care everyone not to throw too much power in the agents’ corner. Writers need to start owning their own power especially in this new digital age, and writers need to take pride in the tremendous job they have done with this strike.
No one could make AMPTP return to the table unless they had a self-serving reason to do so. As JustaFan stated, ironically it has been the very source of this conflict, the Internet, that has played heavily into the AMPTP’s return to the table.
Do not undermine the fabulous job the writers have done in conducting this strike, nor, more importantly, the tremendous power of the internet which has eclipsed Big Media’s distortion of the issues and facts through traditional media.
The public is sick of getting squeezed by corporate America, be it at the gas pump, in the workplace, news reports, and so forth.
AMPTP has been losing the PR war, the public has rallied support for WGA, these reasons and more have played into a possible resolution of the strike.
Writers, own your power. Don’t ping pong your power back to the agents.
While I am crossing my fingers that things will wrap up quickly, and a fair formula for the writers will be embraced by the all. Honestly, I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon. I think the studios are going to wait the 60 days to do anything significant. I believe at this point, they would probably rather exercise their Force Majeure clauses and clean house. They can settle right after and cherry pick.
http://www.writerswrite.com/
“When the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced plans to resume talks today, one factor that apparently contributed to the detente was the fear among some studios that the blogs and videos were effectively casting them as villains.”
“They’re our version of electronic samizdat,” said Michael Winship, president of WGA East, alluding to underground publications distributed in the former Soviet Union. “The humor is devastating.”
Perhaps the most prolific purveyors have been writers for late-night comedy shows, who are accustomed to quickly satirizing current events. “We have the rapid-response model,” explained Rob Kutner, a writer for “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” who worked with his colleagues on a “Daily Show”-esque video report about the strike, delivered by writer Jason Ross from a makeshift set in front of the picket line.
“It is important to us that people understand what we’re doing and that we’re not just willfully taking their shows off the air,” said “Daily Show” writer Tim Carvell. “But it also just felt so good to write jokes again.”
Let’s wait to see it before we believe it. Meantime, I’m heading out to my picket line with as much resolve as before. Now is no time to get lazy or let ourselves be seduced by wishful thinking. WGA writers, GO TO YOUR PICKET ASSIGNMENT and don’t flinch until a deal is done.
I really do hope there is some sort of deal in place, however, there is a lot of very naive, Pollyanna-ish enthusiasm in this thread and I suspect it’s coming from people relatively new to the industry and/or those who were not part of the strike of ’88.
This is the moment in every horror movie where the characters breathe a collective sigh of relief thinking the danger has passed, only to have that false sense of security shattered seconds later when they’re confronted by the villain wielding a chainsaw who continues his wanton killing spree.
Remember that Freddy and Jason survived and went on to star in multiple sequels, thanks to greedy studio heads.
The AMPTP ain’t dead yet.
please say it’s true!! **crosses fingers**
A friend of mine picketing at the Universal gate unfortunately has the exact same take on this as Anon writer does. He and others with him suspect this is just a ploy by the AMPTP to feign being conciliatory when the truth is they’re trying to save face because of the huge backlash they’re receiving from the public.
He thinks they’ll walk away from the table and try to put the blame on the WGA. Remember, the DVD residual issue is back on the table again and they stormed off even when the Guild dropped it. They’re greedy SOBs obsessed with winning.
I hope my friend’s wrong but….
Oh please let this be true!
Nikki – Whenever this is resolved, you are one of the heroes of all of this mishegas…
I’ll believe the rumors…they make sense. The AMPTP is getting their asses kicked.
I don’t know about this. It sounds like the classic bait and switch, as the skeptic noted above, of the studios trying to attract some sort of public support because they have none. Of course I hope a fair resolution is in place, but I doubt it.
I think the AMPTP underestimated the support the WGA was going to receive from other unions and especially from viewers. Instead of interest and support for the strike waining it has grown steadily everyday with tv fans.
A deal may well be in place, but I can assure you that nobody on my staff will vote to ratify it unless the original DVD proposal is back in it.
I’ve also heard that it’s a “framework” for a deal, and not a final deal that’s been worked out.
Top agents are working frantically in the background. Within a couple of weeks we’ll either get a settlement… or the talks will hit another brick wall.
If we can work out a deal a SAG strike becomes less likely, too. That’s a very good thing. I’d hate to see the IATSE folks get caught in the middle of another strike. They’ve suffered enough.
I’m just glad they’re waiting until Christmas to resolve it. That way all of the non-writers who have lost their jobs (grips, caterers, electricians, etc.) will get to explain to their children why Santa won’t be coming this year.
alli have to say is that i wont believ it, if its just a “leaked” rumour.
its just the kind of the the AMPTP would do. leak the news (and im not attacking nikki in any way here), people think everythings fixed and stop supporting the WGA.
regardless of what we think is going on in those meetings, our support cannot waver until we here for certain things have been sorted.
If I had to guess, I think a big factor will be whether all the reality crap the networks scheduled for December (and beyond) to replace the shows no longer in production is a ratings success. Here’s hoping the numbers are as dismal as this past summer, in which I discovered cable TV and cable on-demand. Stop stalling and settle with the writers already!
As relieved and optimistic as this makes me, I am upset that DHD did not observe the News Blackout. I suppose it is the responsibility of a journalist to report what they know, but I feel that any kind of announcement like this can hurt the deal closing. There could have been a more vague, “insiders are optimistic” sort of posting.
I look at this as “Good News/Bad News”.
The GOOD:
I, too, look for a deal this week.
The BAD:
Verrone has probably caved – on the biggies, that is.
The DVD prop is off (O-F-F) the table. (actually has been for 23 years; c’mon we all knew it was a bargaining chip) As for IST downloads, the AMTP is persistent in their “home video is home video” argument. Bottom line – the good ol’ .3.
*Streaming vid: 1.2 after “try before you buy” (the ink was literally dry on this one – Variety 12/7).
*Made for internet juris: Orig.-No; Deriv.-Yes
The rest is basically housekeeping. Any meaningful WGA gains will be by way minimums and benefits.
As I see it, it would be a risky proposition, at best, to hold out through early ’09 in an attempt to crater the Feb. sweeps and pilot season.
Speaking as an ’88 victim/survivor in NY, you tend to pick up on the patterns.
Now, having aid all the above, in a few hours I may stand terribly corrected!
…Rob (FL)
Does this mean they’ll make us work over christmas hiatus?
I hope this really comes through for the writers and that it is a fair deal. It would be a nice thing to happen before Christmas as so many jobs and families are negatively effected.
please god.
Well this will turn my unhappy january into a happy one.The thought of waiting for Season 7 of 24 till maybe April or later was killing me . As long as the writers get there due . I await,we hope,the big strike ending announcement next week !!
I dont want to know that the deal is done i want to know that the WGA got a fair deal.