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R.I.P. Oscar Producer Gilbert Cates

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday November 1, 2011 @ 11:19am PDTTags: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, AMPAS, DGA, Directors Guild Of America, Geffen Playhouse
Mike Fleming

2ND UPDATE, 12:45 PM: Reaction from Hollywood to Gil Cates’ death today is coming fast. The Geffen Playhouse in Westwood just released a statement mourning its founder and producing director, who in addition to his Oscar pedigree led the Directors Guild of America in labor talks and founded UCLA’s film school. From the statement:

Gil was many things to many people throughout the entertainment industry — to the Oscars, one their longest running producers; to the DGA, their longtime president and chief negotiator; to UCLA, the founder of their school of Theater, Film and Television; and to the Geffen Playhouse, he was our founder, our leader and our heart.

“Gil has always referred to the staff of the Geffen Playhouse as his second family” said Geffen Playhouse Chairman of the Board Frank Mancuso. “And it is as a family that we mourn this tremendous loss. Gil built this theater and he will forever be at the center of it – we honor his life by continuing the fulfillment of his dream. As my dear friend Gil would no doubt say ‘onward and upward with the arts.’ “

From DGA president Taylor Hackford: “There are few people in the history of the Guild who have matched Gil’s vision and influence on the organization and our industry. There was no greater champion of the creative and economic rights of directors and their teams and no truer friend to the membership, board and staff of the DGA. For more than fifty years, Gil has served the Guild — as president, as secretary-treasurer, as negotiations chair. It’s impossible to think of a single issue debated, program launched or battle fought on behalf of us all that didn’t have his special touch in its crafting.

From Steven Spielberg: “No one may ever again achieve what Gil Cates achieved in his contributions to the success of the Motion Picture Academy and the Directors Guild. In producing 14 Oscar shows for the Academy and leading the Directors Guild through challenging times and negotiations, he set a remarkable standard for dedication and excellence. He was the most liked person I knew and will be missed by all who knew him as a proud member of our industry and a great pal to everyone.”

UPDATE, 11:19 AM: The Academy has just issued this statement regarding the death of Gilbert Cates: “Gil was our colleague, our friend and a former governor of the Academy,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “He was a consummate professional who gave the Academy and the world some of the most memorable moments in Oscar® history. His passing is a tremendous loss to the entertainment industry, and our thoughts go out to his family.”

Cates produced the Academy Awards® 14 times between 1990 and 2008, more than any other individual. He was responsible for first bringing hosts Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Chris Rock and Jon Stewart to Oscar’s stage.

Cates served three consecutive terms as a governor of the Academy’s Directors Branch, from 1984 to 1993. He returned to the board for another term beginning in 2002, and held the post of vice president from 2003 to 2005.

PREVIOUS, 10:13 AM: Deadline has confirmed that veteran Academy Awards producer Gilbert Cates died at age 77. READ MORE »

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Hollywood Rallies Against Iran’s Draconian Verdicts Against Filmmakers And Stars

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday October 19, 2011 @ 3:20pm PDTTags: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, American Cinema Editors, American Society of Cinematographers, DGA, Directors Guild Of America, International Documentary Association, Iran, Jafar Panahi, Marzieh Vafamehr, PGA, Producers Guild of America, SAG, Screen Actors Guild, WGA, WGA East, WGA West, Writers Guild Of America
Mike Fleming

Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Faces Six-Year Stretch
Iranian Actress Faces Flogging Over Film

In September 2011, the Iranian government arrested six independent filmmakers for allegedly working with the BBC, on charges including espionage and treason. Along with the ongoing

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DGA Reaches Tentative Deal On Ads Pact

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday October 17, 2011 @ 3:36pm PDTTags: DGA, Directors Guild Of America, Russ Hollander, Taylor Hackford

New York – The Directors Guild of America today announced that the National Board of Directors has approved a tentative new national commercial contract to be sent to the membership for ratification.

The agreement covers a three-year term from December 1, 2011 through November 30, 2014 and addresses wage increases (2% per year, plus a wage increase of 15.8% for 2nd 2nd assistant directors in the first year of the contract); health coverage (including a 17.65% increase in the employer contribution rate for all members plus additional contributions for directors); and the global marketplace for commercials (provides producers with additional flexibility to compete for jobs outside of North America while preserving existing employment opportunities for 1st assistant directors).

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DGA Honors Host & Presenters Unveiled

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday October 10, 2011 @ 3:24pm PDTTags: DGA, DGA Honors, Directors Guild Of America, Taylor Hackford

NEW YORK, NY – DGA President Taylor Hackford today announced the host and presenters for the eighth Directors Guild of America Honors, to be held at the DGA Theater in New York City on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and followed by an after-party at Nobu 57.

Comedian, actor, talk-show host and author Richard Belzer will serve as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.  He previously hosted DGA Honors in 2002, 2003 and 2008.

Following is a list of confirmed presenters:

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R.I.P. Joseph R. Aceti

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday October 5, 2011 @ 3:32pm PDTTags: DGA, Directors Guild Of America, Taylor Hackford

The Directors Guild announced today that retired TV broadcast network sports director and DGA Lifetime Achievement recipient Joseph R. Aceti has died. Here is the statement by DGA President Taylor Hackford:

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Joseph R. Aceti, beloved DGA member and the ninth recipient of the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Direction. Joe received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, capping a career that by all measures placed him in the pantheon of sports direction. Present at most of the seminal sporting events since the late 1960s, Joe worked for all four major networks on every type of major sporting event including

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DGA Wrongly Burned ‘Burn Notice’ In Report

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday September 16, 2011 @ 4:09pm PDTTags: Burn Notice, Directors Guild Of America

DGA Report On Director Diversity In Hiring Practices For Episodic TV

LOS ANGELES – The Directors Guild of America this week issued a report analyzing the ethnicity and

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DGA Report Assesses Director Diversity In Hiring Practices For Episodic TV

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday September 14, 2011 @ 10:36am PDTTags: Directors Guild Of America

LOS ANGELES – The Directors Guild of America today released a report analyzing the ethnicity and gender of directors hired to direct primetime episodic television across broadcast, basic cable and premium cable.

The DGA analyzed more than 2,600 episodes produced in the 2010-2011 television season from more than 170 scripted television series. The report showed that Caucasian males directed 77% of all episodes; Caucasian females directed 11% of all episodes; minority males directed 11% of all episodes and minority females directed just 1% of all episodes. Among one-hour series, Caucasian males directed 80% of episodes, and in half-hour series, Caucasian males directed 74% of all episodes.

The shows highlighted below are from major production companies ABC, CBS, Fox, HBO, NBC, Sony, Warner Bros. and other production companies whose shows appear on broadcast, basic cable and premium cable networks. They do not include series that have been cancelled. First-year shows are broken out separately because hiring decisions on first-year shows are often made differently than shows in their second seasons or beyond. Pilots are not included in the statistics. Shows that primarily hired only one or two directors for the entire season [Big Bang Theory; Eastbound and Down; The Game; How I Met Your Mother; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; The League; Louie; Retired at 35; Two and a Half Men] were included in the overall data, but are not singled out in the lists below.

DGA’s “WORST OF” Lists
Following are the shows with the worst records of hiring women and minority directors for the 2010-2011 television season:

9 SHOWS HIRED NO WOMEN AND NO MINORITY DIRECTORS:
Title (Production Company) – Percentage of Episodes by Women or Minority Directors:
· Bored to Death (HBO) – 0%
· Burn Notice (TVM Productions/Fox) – 0%
· Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – 0%
· Fringe (Warner Bros.) – 0%
· iCarly (Uptown Productions/MTV/Viacom) – 0%
· Justified (Woodridge Productions/CPT Holdings/Sony) – 0%
· Leverage (Leverage Productions) – 0%
· Victorious (Uptown Productions/MTV/Viacom) – 0%
· Weeds (Weeds Productions) – 0%

16 SHOWS HIRED WOMEN OR MINORITY DIRECTORS FOR FEWER THAN 15% OF EPISODES:
Title (Production Company) – Percentage:
· House (NBC) – 4%
· The Office (NBC) – 4%
· CSI (CBS) – 5%
· Supernatural (NS Pictures) – 5%
· Good Luck Charlie (It’s a Laugh Productions) – 6%
· Army Wives (ABC) – 8%
· Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – 9%
· Bones (Fox) – 9%
· Cougar Town (FTP Productions/ABC) – 9%
· Desperate Housewives (ABC) – 9%
· True Blood (HBO) – 10%
· Dark Blue (Horizon Scripted Television) – 10%
· Castle (ABC) – 13%
· NCIS (CBS) – 13%
· Modern Family (Fox) – 13%
· Gossip Girl (Warner Bros.) – 14%

The DGA noted that some series on the DGA’s “WORST OF” lists showed worrisome declines from their previous year hiring patterns. Burn Notice, House and Army Wives hired women or minority directors at significantly higher rates in 2009-2010 but failed to maintain the diversity of their hiring practices for the most recent television season.

DGA’s “BEST OF” List
At the same time, the following shows deserve to be highlighted for their more diverse hiring records in 2010-2011:

SHOWS THAT HIRED WOMEN OR MINORITY DIRECTORS FOR AT LEAST 30% OF EPISODES:
Title (Production Company) – Percentage:
· The Middle (Warner Bros.) – 63%
· Hung (HBO) – 60%
· In Treatment (HBO) – 54%
· 90210 (CBS) – 45%
· Treme (HBO) – 45%
· The Good Wife (CBS) – 39%
· Drop Dead Diva (Woodridge Productions/CPT Holdings/Sony) – 38%
· CSI: NY (CBS) – 36%
· Private Practice (ABC) – 36%
· Rules of Engagement (Montrose Productions/CPT Holdings/Sony) – 35%
· Nurse Jackie (Nurse Productions/Lions Gate) – 33%
· Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – 32%
· CSI: Miami (CBS) – 32%
· In Plain Sight (NBC) – 31%
· Mad Men (U.R.O.K. Productions/Lions Gate) – 31%
· 30 Rock (NBC) – 30%

First-Year Series
Although the DGA study did not include shows whose first season of production took place during 2010-2011 in the “WORST OF” and “BEST OF” lists above, the DGA feels that it is important to call attention to those shows that have already exhibited unfavorable patterns in their first season with the hope that such attention will help encourage these series to consider more diverse hiring practices in the future.

“WORST OF” First-Year Series
· Franklin & Bash (Woodridge Productions/CPT Holdings/Sony) – 0%
· Hot in Cleveland (King Street) – 0%
· Nikita (NS Pictures) – 0%
· Teen Wolf (On Site Productions/MTV/Viacom) – 0%
· Melissa and Joey (Prodco) – 3%
· Raising Hope (Fox) – 5%
· Breakout Kings (Fox) – 8%
· Harry’s Law (Bonanza Productions/Warner Bros.) – 9%
· Hawaii Five-0 (Eye Productions/CBS) – 13%

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R.I.P. Reza Badiyi

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday August 22, 2011 @ 2:13pm PDTTags: Directors Guild Of America

Reza Badiyi, who holds the Directors Guild of America record for helming more television episodes than anybody in the history of the medium, died Saturday at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He was 81. Badiyi was an award-winning documentary filmmaker … Read More »

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DGA Promotes Pair In Legal Department

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday August 18, 2011 @ 12:39pm PDTTags: DGA, Directors Guild Of America

The Directors Guild of America has elevated Associate General Counsel David Dreyfus to General Counsel, and Assistant General Counsel Tiffanie Baker has been promoted to Associate General Council to fill his spot. The staffing moves are the second … Read More »

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DGA Taps Trio For Associate National Exec Director Roles

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday August 16, 2011 @ 2:18pm PDTTags: DGA, Directors Guild Of America, Russ Hollander

The DGA will need extra space in its National Executive Director office after the guild announced today that it is giving execs Russ Hollander, David Korduner and Bryan Unger the title of Associate National Executive Director, each with different responsibilities. The moves come as part of an effort to “provide greater clarity about leadership roles and responsibilities for each of the guild’s core functions while also more clearly defining the role of the National Office and the regional offices,” the DGA said. Read More »

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Foursome Set For DGA Honors On Oct. 13

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday August 12, 2011 @ 11:02am PDTTags: DGA Honors, Directors Guild Of America, Patrick Leahy, Sheila Nevins

Nora Ephron, Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, IATSE International president Matthew Loeb and HBO Documentary Films’ Sheila Nevins have been tapped for the 2011 DGA Honors, set for Oct. 13 at the DGA Theater in New York. The evening … Read More »

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DGA Awards Sets Schedule For January 28

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday July 29, 2011 @ 1:45pm PDTTags: DGA Awards, Directors Guild Of America

The DGA has released its schedule and timeline for its 64th annual DGA Awards, which are set for Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. The feature film nominees will be announced Jan. 9. Here’s the other key dates:

Feature Film Award
Nov. 29: Mail Feature Film Nomination Ballots & Open Online Voting
Jan. 6: Deadline for Returning all Feature Film Nomination Ballots by Mail/Online
Jan. 9: Announce Five Feature Film Nominees; Mail Feature Film Final Ballots & Open Online Voting
Jan. 16-20: Membership Screenings of Five Nominated Feature Films
Jan. 27: Deadline for Returning all Feature Film Final Ballots by Mail/Online Read More »

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Taylor Hackford Re-Elected DGA President

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday June 25, 2011 @ 7:10pm PDTTags: DGA, Directors Guild Of America, Elections, Paris Barclay, President, Steven Soderbergh, Taylor Hackford, Thomas Schlamme

LOS ANGELES – Director Taylor Hackford was re-elected President of the Directors Guild of America by acclamation at the Guild’s National Biennial Convention held today at DGA National Headquarters in Los Angeles. Additionally, 140 delegates representing the 14,500 members of the DGA elected a new slate of officers and members of the National Board of Directors. Steven Soderbergh was re-elected National Vice President; Gilbert Cates, who formerly served two terms as DGA president, was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer. Also elected were First Vice President Paris Barclay; Second Vice President William M. Brady; Third Vice President Betty Thomas; Fourth Vice President Gary Donatelli; Fifth Vice President Thomas Schlamme; Sixth Vice President Vincent Misiano; and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Scott Berger.  A complete list of the new officers and board members is below.

Complete List of DGA Officers and Board Members

President – Taylor Hackford
National Vice-President - Steven Soderbergh
Secretary-Treasurer - Gilbert Cates
Assistant Secretary-Treasurer - Scott Berger
First Vice-President - Paris Barclay
Second Vice-President - William M. Brady
Third Vice-President - Betty Thomas
Fourth Vice-President - Gary Donatelli
Fifth Vice-President - Thomas Schlamme
Sixth Vice-President - Vincent Misiano
Board Members – Michael Apted, Kathryn Bigelow, Stephen Glanzrock, Lesli Linka Glatter, Cleve Landsberg, Michael Mann,
Donald Petrie, Scott L. Rindenow, Liz Ryan, Ed Sherin, Jesus Treviño
Associate Board Members - Alan Curtiss, Duncan Henderson, Dennis Mazzocco, Barbara Roche, Mary Rae Thewlis, Alternate Board Members – Laura Belsey, Theodore Bogosian, Jon Favreau, Victoria Hochberg, Rod Holcomb, Jeremy Kagan,
Randal Kleiser, Linda Laundra, Garry Marshall, Oz Scott, Millicent Shelton,
Michael Zinberg
Second Alternate Board Members – Lee Blaine, Tim Engle,
Julie Gelfand, Kathleen McGill, Jennie O’Keefe, Joyce Thomas

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Directors Guild Members Ratify New Pact

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Tuesday January 18, 2011 @ 6:02pm PSTTags: DGA, DGA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Directors Guild Of America, Movies, TV

The TV-Theatrical deal between the DGA and the studios and networks was ratified by what the guild only said was an “overwhelming” margin of its membership without providing details:

Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford today announced that

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HAMMOND: DGA Awards Nominees Analysis

By PETE HAMMOND | Monday January 10, 2011 @ 11:54am PSTTags: 83rd Academy Awards, Academy Awards, Black Swan, Deadline Hollywood Pete Hammond, DGA Awards, DGA Awards Nominations, Directors Guild Of America, Inception, Movies, Oscars, The Fighter, The King's Speech, The Social Network
Pete Hammond

Certainly with today’s announcement  of the all-important and often soothsaying Directors Guild nominations for feature film, there were no jaw-droppers on the list. David Fincher’s The Social Network, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, David O. Russell’s The Fighter, and Tom … Read More »

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Directors Guild Nominees: Aronofsky, Fincher, Hooper, Nolan, Russell

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday January 10, 2011 @ 9:06am PSTTags: DGA, DGA Awards, DGA Tom Hooper, Directors Guild Of America, Movies

The Directors Guild of America has nominated Black Swan helmer Darren Aronofsky, The Social Network‘s David Fincher, The King’s Speech‘s Tom Hooper, Inception‘s Christopher Nolan, and The Fighter‘s David O. Russell for top honors. That’s right, no Danny Boyle, no … Read More »

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DGA And AMPTP Agree On Tentative TV/Theatrical Contract: No Big Gains

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Tuesday December 7, 2010 @ 2:22pm PSTTags: AMPTP, DGA, Directors Guild Of America, Labor Relations, SAG AFTRA AMPTP Deal, WGA AMPTP Negotiations

I had predicted Hollywood could most likely expect quick and easy negotiations. And the DGA’s took just three weeks and change. And why not when your Hollywood Guilds are just rubber-stamping what crumbs the studios and networks are feeding SAG/AFTRA and DGA members despite this rapidly improving economy? The Directors Guild Of America leaders made it plain early on that they weren’t going for big wages or even a substantially better New Media deal (despite promising it would during the last bargaining go-round). Instead the DGA negotiators were focusing on increased Health Plan and Pension contributions, just like they were for SAG and AFTRA. The AMPTP’s current contributions are at 14% for the DGA, and probably go to 16.5% on the new contract if ratified. So that’s three big Guilds down, and only the Writers Guild of America still to go.

No date for the start of negotiations has yet been set for the WGA, whose contract ends May 1, 2011. But the moguls behind the AMPTP always intended to negotiate with the writers last (even though their pact was expiring sooner) to ensure there’s the most Hollywood antagonism towards them. Although SAG/AFTRA and the DGA traded information during their talks, they’ve left the WGA out in the cold. Now you can expect a lot of silly trade stories filled with false rumors about WGA “strike talk” in order to scare the Industry which in turn will pressure the writers to settle quickly. Don’t get me wrong: no one wants another strike so soon. But that also doesn’t mean that the WGA has to wimp out like the other Guilds. Excuse me, but wasn’t this year when all the Hollywood Guilds were going to join together and fight, fight, fight, for what is rightfully their share of the money pie? Anyone? Anyone?

The following statement was issued today by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP):

The Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have successfully concluded a tentative agreement on a new TV/Theatrical contract, again demonstrating the benefits of an early deal for the entire entertainment industry. These early talks allowed us to bridge the gaps created by uncertain economic times and deliver increases in areas critical to DGA members.

The DGA’s chief negotiator Gil Cates said the following:

Los Angeles – The Directors Guild of America today announced that it has concluded a tentative agreement on the terms of a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Negotiations, which began on November 16, concluded this afternoon. Details of the tentative agreement will be released once the agreement has been submitted to the Guild’s National Board for approval at a special board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, December 8.

The DGA’s current contracts expire on June 30, 2011.

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DGA & AMPTP Start Contract Talks Nov. 16

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday November 11, 2010 @ 11:47am PSTTags: AMPTP, DGA, Directors Guild Of America, Labor Relations, Movies, TV

As expected, the networks’ and studios’ negotiating alliance announced:

LOS ANGELES – The Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced today that they have agreed to enter into formal contract negotiations on Tuesday,

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