Los Angeles – Emmy-winning writer Stan Berkowitz is set to receive the Writers Guild of America, West Animation Writers Caucus’ twelfth annual Animation Writing Award, recognizing his prolific career and creative contributions to the craft of film and television animation writing, as well as his efforts to organize animation on behalf of the Writers Guild.

The AWC’s prestigious lifetime achievement award will be presented to Berkowitz tonight at the AWC’s annual awards ceremony held at WGAW headquarters in Los Angeles.

“While Stan has built an acclaimed writing career bringing superheroes to the screen, he's a real-life superhero to the animation writing community – not only helping to raise the profile of animation writers through his many creative gifts, but also by playing a lead role in the Guild’s ongoing efforts to organize animation writing,” said WGAW President John Wells.

A two-time Daytime Emmy winner (shared for Batman Beyond in 2001 and The New Batman/Superman Adventures in 1998, Outstanding Special Class Animated Program), seven-time Daytime Emmy nominee, and one-time Primetime Emmy nominee, Berkowitz has most recently served as Story Editor for the upcoming animated superhero series, The 99, which was written under a Writers Guild contract.

Berkowitz’s many animated TV writing and/or co-writing credits include Legion of Super Heroes, The Batman, Transformers: Animated, Superman, Spider-Man, Justice League, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, Ben 10, The Brave and the Bold, and Friends and Heroes, a WGA-covered animated series for the BBC on which he served as Story Editor for 39 episodes.

Earlier this year, Berkowitz adapted Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness’ Superman/Batman: Public Enemies graphic novel into an animated direct-to-DVD feature for Warners Animation, which debuted in September. Berkowitz’s previous adaptation of Darwyn Cooke’s graphic novel, Justice League: The New Frontier, became a best-selling direct-to-DVD animated feature last year.

Berkowitz’s live-action writing and/or co-writing television credits include Dragnet: The 90’s, Power Rangers: Space Patrol Delta, The New Adam 12, Players, Grand Slam, Houston Knights, Mike Hammer, T.J. Hooker, The Adventures of Superboy and Cover Up. His screenwriting credits include Street Corner Justice (Screenplay by Stan Berkowitz & Gary Kent & Chuck Bail, Story by Chuck Bail) and Acapulco Gold (Screenplay by Don Enright & O’Brian Tomalin, Story by David Lees & Stan Berkowitz).

Berkowitz began writing for animated TV programs in 1994, when he worked with the legendary Stan Lee on Spider-Man. Prior to that stint, Berkowitz freelanced as an entertainment journalist for Esquire, People,

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Writers Guild of America, West and Writers Guild of America, East issued this statement this weekend from presidents John Wells and Michael Winship on behalf of the WGAW and WGAE:

"The Writers Guilds of America, West and East mark the passing of Nick Counter, longtime president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and convey their deepest sympathy to his family."

He was 69. He'd been ill for a long time, and was hospitalized several days ago, I'm told. A very controversial figure in Hollywood, Nick Counter served as President of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) for 27 years, from its formation in 1982 until his retirement in March of this year. Prior to being named AMPTP President, he served as outside legal counsel for the antecedent Association of Motion Picture & Television Producers for 10 years. As AMPTP President, Counter's primary responsibility was to lead the 80 industry-wide labor negotiations with entertainment industry guilds and unions on behalf of the studios, the broadcast networks, and certain cable networks. In his 27 years as AMPTP President, Counter negotiated more than 300 major guild and union agreements. Warner Bros chief Barry Meyer, considered the lead mogul behind the AMPTP, tonight called Counter "a brilliant negotiator who guided this industry through historic change and never lost his desire to be fair to all involved. We will miss him very much."

His recently named successor and longtime No. 2, AMPTP President Carol Lombardini, had this to say tonight: "Nick's passing is a profound loss for the entire entertainment community. We will all remember Nick for his passionate leadership, which was always guided by a resolute sense of fair play and an earnest desire that everyone come out a winner. Nick had a particular proficiency for developing consensus among diverse points of view and he used this skill to great advantage in negotiating hundreds of collective bargaining agreements that led to a sustained era of labor peace. Those of us who worked directly with him have lost a valued colleague and a dear personal friend. Our hearts go out to his family."

The MPAA pointed out: "He always treated people with dignity and respect in the tough circumstances of these negotiations. He knew that you could be thoughtful and kind even when the issues were difficult, and for that he was respected."

However, I would be remiss if I did not point out that Counter was not a popular figure among the majority of the Hollywood guild members who saw him as extremely polarizing. Their negotiators regularly complained about Counter's bargaining methods to force the guilds to negotiate with themselves. Counter wouldn't budge on the issues, and instead sat, and sat, and waited for the other side to get frustrated and start taking ... Read More »

The Writers Guild, West, is in the process of surveying members about why there is so little work in Hollywood right now, how they feel about that, and what the leadership can do about it:

"Dear Fellow Screenwriters & Television Longform Writers:



As the screenwriters on the Board of Directors, we are asking that you join
us in participating in an online survey. This survey is an
opportunity for all of us working in feature film and television longform to 
provide a candid assessment of the current climate for writers. We expect the data to be enlightening and informative for 
screenwriters as well as for the leadership and staff of the Guild. Furthermore, we believe it will help guide our
efforts to best represent the membership.

Writer-specific information will be kept confidential. Aggregated data, without reference to particular writers, may be released in Guild
publications as a means of informing the membership of the survey's
findings. The survey tool we have chosen includes SSL protection to ensure 
your privacy is protected when you participate.
We have each already completed the survey ourselves, and we were all able to complete it in less than twenty minutes. So without further delay please join us in participating in the 2009 WGAW Screenwriter/Television Longform
Writer Survey.

In Unity,
John Wells, President; Tom Schulman, Vice President; David Weiss, Secretary-Treasurer; Ian Deitchman, Board Member; Howard Michael Gould, Board Member; Mark Gunn, Board Member; Katherine Fugate, Board Member; Aaron Mendelsohn, Board Member; Billy Ray, Board Member; Howard Rodman, Board Member; Steven Schwartz, Board Member."

The Hollywood Disabilities Forum

For Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, Casting Directors, and Industry
Professionals to Explore Opportunities and Challenges of People with Disabilities in Entertainment

Event: Saturday, Oct. 24 – UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

What: An executive industry forum examining the accuracy of film and TV portrayals, as well as inclusion and opportunities for access of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry. The forum will focus on best practices of industry pioneers who incorporate stories featuring characters with disabilities and who hire performers with disabilities for TV, film, radio and stage productions.

A collaborative effort between entertainment guilds, educational organizations, and advocacy groups, this inaugural joint forum is presented by the I AM PWD (Inclusion in the Arts and Media for People with Disabilities) campaign of Actors’ Equity Association, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Screen Actors Guild; the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and its Writers with Disabilities Committee; and the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts.

Who: Peter Farrelly, producer-director-writer (There’s Something About Mary) — Keynote Speaker
Vince Gilligan, writer-producer (Breaking Bad)
RJ Mitte, actor (Breaking Bad)
Daryl “Chill Mitchell, actor (Brothers)
Janis Hirsch, writer-producer (Brothers, Will & Grace)
David Milch, writer-producer (Deadwood)
Geri Jewell, actor (Deadwood)
Robert David Hall, actor (CSI)
Danny Woodburn, actor (Seinfeld)
Linda Bove, actor (Sesame Street, Deaf West)
Bill Duke, actor-director (Karen Sisco, Predator)
Paul Kampf, actor-director-writer (Brothers Three: An American Gothic)
Special Video Appearance by Ricky Gervais (The Office)

When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 9-5 p.m.

Where: UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television -- 102 East Melnitz Hall; Parking in Structure 3.

Details: Fifty-six million Americans — 20% of the U.S. population — have a disability. Despite being the largest minority group in the country, people with disabilities are virtually invisible in entertainment media.

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• VIDEO: David Letterman Talks Extortion Plot On 'Late Show'
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• Ben Silverman Wooing Lorne Michaels
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• More On The Hollywood Reporter's Future
• SAG & AFTRA Reach Tentative Pact With Some Video Game Companies
• Disney Expectedly Restructures Miramax
• Sacha Exits Jimmy Miller's Management
• Disney Going To Announce Big Rich Ross Promotion
• David Letterman Reveals Blackmail Plot
• MGM Confirms Forbearance Agreement With Its Lenders Until Dec. 15
• Michael Bay Confirms Release Date Of July 1st, 2011 For Transformers 3
• Fox Files To Dismiss RedBox "Meritless" Lawsuit
• New Details On Upgrading Universal City

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These WGAE signings are especially important as they are the first signings under the union's Writers Guild 2.0 initiative -- and the first real foothold in the digital media realm, which is the future of showbiz:

NEW YORK CITY –The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) has signed 11 new companies creating content for digital media. These new signatories have produced more than 12 web series currently available online and have additional series in development. The writers at these companies will become WGAE members. The organizing of these projects and writers is part of the WGAE’s Writers Guild 2.0 initiative and demonstrate that writers working in digital media are interested in joining the Writers Guild.

The new WGA signatories are:

-- Dinosaur Diorama TV, LLC – producers of many web series, including The Burg (www.TheBurg.tv), All’s Faire (www.AllsFaire.tv), The All for Nots (www.AllForNots.com), and Greg and Donny (www.youtube.com/GregAndDonny)

-- Concierge: The Series – an original web series about the day-to-day operations of a down-on-its-luck hotel aspiring to greatness, featuring an ensemble cast of New York city comedians, improvisers, and actors (www.ConciergeTheSeries.com)

-- Kapri Productions, LLC – producer of Elena Moscat’s web series Life After Lisa, which is about college life in the mid 1980s (www.filmfest.com)

-- New Jill Productions, LLC – its web series Jack & Jill is a comedic look at a trashy romance novelist’s struggle to get through her first book reading after a stint in rehab (www.newjilltv.com)

-- Super Heroic Pictures – its web series Issues The Series is based writer/director Scott Napolitano’s experiences working at Comic Relief and in other retail jobs (www.IssuesTheSeries.com)

-- Tailslating, LLC – producer of Andy Parks’s web series The Haley Project, an interactive 37-episode series about a misfit college sophomore who investigates the mysterious and untimely death of her best friend (www.TheHayleyProject.com)

-- CJP Communications – a leading corporate public relations firm and developer of branded content. Its web series include The Temp Life and The Fall of Kaden (www.cjpdigital.com)

-- Allevon - a web series by writer/director Celia Peters

-- The Louise Log - a web series by writer/director Anne Flournoy (http://TheLouiseLog.com)

-- An untitled product from writer/creator Chioke Nassor, who also created Titsburg (www.titsburgcomedy.com)

-- Hedge Fund Productions, LLC – producer of the web series Hedge Fund created by Chris Murray (www.hedgefundproductions.com)

“We are excited and honored to be the first independent web production company and studio to ... Read More »

Refresh for breaking news...
5th UPDATE: One interesting note which both sides have pointed out to me tonight. If the SAG presidency race had just consisted of Unite For Strength's Ken Howard and Membership First's Anne-Marie Johnson (without spoiler Seymour Cassell whose positions were extremely hardline), than Johnson would have won the popular vote. More on this in a SAG/WGA election analysis I'm writing tonight.

4TH UPDATE: Here's the official SAG announcement, finally:

KEN HOWARD ELECTED AS SCREEN ACTORS GUILD PRESIDENT;
AMY AQUINO ELECTED AS SECRETARY-TREASURER
Guild Also Announces Results of National Board Elections

Los Angeles (September 24, 2009)—Screen Actors Guild today announced results of elections for its top two elected positions. Ken Howard will serve as Screen Actors Guild president and Amy Aquino will serve as secretary-treasurer. Both will serve two-year terms beginning September 25.

Ballots were mailed to 99,485 paid-up SAG members on August 25, and 27,295 were tabulated today, for a return of 27.44 percent. Presidential candidates Ken Howard received 12,895 votes, with Anne-Marie Johnson coming in second with 8,906 votes, Seymour Cassel got 4,838 votes, and Asmar Muhammad received 402 votes.

“I’d like to be among the first to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our newly elected Screen Actors Guild national leadership. I look forward to working closely with our new president, Ken Howard, and new secretary-treasurer, Amy Aquino, as we focus on the wide range of critical issues facing our members in the coming year,” said SAG Interim National Executive Director David White. “I also extend my thanks, and the gratitude of SAG members and staff to Alan Rosenberg and Connie Stevens for their service and sacrifice on behalf of our union.”

“I am deeply honored to be chosen by the membership to lead the Screen Actors Guild,” said Ken Howard. “I campaigned on the promise that I’d do everything in my power to strengthen our position at the bargaining table by building a greater unity with AFTRA and the other entertainment unions, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. Despite the sharp differences that those of us active in Guild affairs sometimes have over strategy and tactics, we need to continually remind ourselves that we’re all on the same team, fighting for the same thing — and by pulling together, we’ll only grow stronger.”

“I am truly honored that the members have entrusted me with this responsibility,” said Amy Aquino. “Progress has already been made toward strengthening SAG’s finances and I want to

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Tonight is the 3rd annual “Evening Before Emmys" fundraiser for the Motion Picture & Television Fund. But outside the event in Century City, the grassroots organization "Saving The Lives Of Our Own" held a candlelight vigil to protest the "Evening Before Eviction" -- its moniker for the MPTF closures of the acute- and long-term care facilities. Tonight's protest was expected to include members of SAG, Teamsters Local 399 (one of the leaders, Steve Dayan, is being interviewed photo), AFTRA, the WGA, DGA, IATSE and others. "Saving The Lives Of Our Own" is a grass-roots coalition of entertainment industry workers, long-term care residents, their families, and community members. In weeks leading up to the event, the protest group wrote to the partygoers and said:

We respectfully ask that you please reconsider your decision to participate in the MPTF's September 19 'Evening Before Emmy' event. 

Unfortunately, the money raised at this event will NOT go towards saving this historic and vital long-term care facility, which these residents depend on now and future generations of Hollywood's rank-and-file workers will depend on in the future. Though fundraising offers have been made, the Fund’s administrators have responded by saying that no amount of money would change their closure decision.

The MPTF’s sacred promise, 'We Take Care of Our Own,' its noble mission since its founding by Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford in 1928, has been broken.

The appeal was directed to “Evening Before Emmy” Host Committee Members Christina Applegate, Simon Baker, Drew Barrymore, Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg, Courtney Cox & David Arquette, Ellen DeGeneres & Portia De Rossi, Jillian & Patrick Dempsey, America Ferrera, Tina Fey, Sally Field, Mariska Hargitay & Peter Hermann, Neil Patrick Harris, Holly Hunter, John Krasinski, Hugh Laurie, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Conan O’Brien, Amy Poehler & Will Arnett, Ellen Pompeo & Christopher Ivery, Ryan Seacrest, Kyra Sedgwick & Kevin Bacon, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jon Stewart, Kiefer Sutherland, Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Westfeldt & Jon Hamm, Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks.

Tonight's protest sparked this statement from MPTF Foundation CEO Ken Scherer:

"We are very gratified by tonight’s strong showing of support for MPTF from our sponsors, the television studios, networks, talent agencies and individual participants in The Evening Before. It is a demonstration of their awareness of the Fund’s importance in the lives of so many people in the Hollywood community.

“It

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