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☆ After Outcry, Writers Guild Tries to Explain Silence on Hamas Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Nicole Sperling | More About Nicole Sperling | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

They also noted that other major Hollywood unions had issued statements condemning the attack. “I hope this letter goes a long way to sort of calming some of it down,” said Mr. Gordon, who signed the open letter to the guild. He will change his guild membership status to “financial core,” according to his letter. Under that designation, he will still receive the contract benefits earned by the guild but he will no longer be able to vote or attend any guild meetings. “If one cannot condemn, clearly, and without reservation, what Hamas perpetrated, one’s moral compass is absent, not broken.”

Persons: ”, Meredith Stiehm, Michele Mulroney, Betsy Thomas, Jerry Seinfeld, Eric Roth, Amy Sherman, Palladino, Maisel, “, Howard Gordon, Gordon, Dan Gordon, “ Wyatt Earp, Mr, Gordon’s, pusillanimous Organizations: Writers Guild of America West, The New York Times, Toronto Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Polish

A writers’ strike has frozen Hollywood for months. Writers and studios have reached a tentative deal, the Writers Guild of America announced yesterday. The tentative deal includes most of what the writers sought. In the coming days, union members will vote on whether to approve the agreement. “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” the W.G.A.

Organizations: Studios, Writers Guild of America

Hollywood’s bitter, monthslong labor dispute has taken a big first step toward a resolution. The Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,000 screenwriters, reached a tentative deal on a new contract with entertainment companies on Sunday night, all but ending a 146-day strike that has contributed to a shutdown of television and film production. Conspicuously not doing a victory lap was the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of studios. “The W.G.A. have reached a tentative agreement” was its only comment.

Persons: Hollywood’s, Guild’s Organizations: Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers

The work stoppage isn’t officially over yet, and actors remain on strike. attained suggest that as organized labor enjoys a surge in popularity across a variety of industries, its muscle-flexing is achieving results. “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional,” the W.G.A. News reports suggest the deal includes provisions for residual payments from streaming, minimum staffing of shows and limits on the use of artificial intelligence. Until then, writers are still on strike, though they’re not actively picketing.

Persons: isn’t, they’re Organizations: Guild of America, Hollywood

Other unions are digging in as well. The Writers Guild of America is in the fourth month of its strike against major Hollywood studios, while the actors’ union, known as SAG-AFTRA, is in its second. A Gallup poll published in August found that 67 percent of Americans approve of unions, the fifth straight year such support has exceeded the long-term polling average of 62 percent. Time is running out for Congress to reach a compromise to keep the government running past Oct. 1. The confab is part of an effort to lay groundwork for a meeting between President Biden and President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November.

Persons: Drew Barrymore, Biden, Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Xi Jinping Organizations: Guild of America, Hollywood, SAG, Labor Department, Gallup, Republican, Biden, U.S Locations: U.S, California, Malta, Ukraine, Taiwan, San Francisco

☆ The Talk Shows Have Labor Pains
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( James Poniewozik | More About James Poniewozik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But as this year’s strike went on, the guild and its vocal supporters made clear that any hosts restarting their shows during this walkout would not be showered with likes. members have said that something like his return to air would today be considered strikebreaking because airing the show inevitably involves creative work that constitutes writing. The producers of today’s returning talk shows, of course, disagree. Regardless, I don’t think today’s backlash is the result of contract wording or a philosophical shift on the nature of the scribe’s craft. (David Letterman returned to air with a full staff because his production company, Worldwide Pants, struck its own deal with the writers.)

Persons: Conan O’Brien’s, NBC’s, ’, O’Brien, ”, —, today’s, peck, Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jon Stewart, aughts iconhood Organizations: Gallup Locations: Kentucky, America

☆ A Quirky Auction to Support Crew Members Affected By the Writers Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Jessica Roy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A typical Hollywood charity auction, like the Baby2Baby Gala, might consist of beauty sessions with sought-after dermatologists, autographed books and set memorabilia, and the occasional five-minute photo op. The charity auction organized by the Union Solidarity Collective, a group of writers and directors who came together this year to help crew members affected by the Writers Guild strike, is trying something different: It offers dozens of quirky experiences, many featuring hidden talents of celebrities that have little to nothing to do with their current career paths. The strike, now in its fourth month, has left writers and crews without paychecks and health care coverage. charity auction will go to the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s crew health care fund. Qualifying crew members (those with less than $10,000 in assets) can enroll for a $350 grant, which — depending on their income — can help cover most if not all of their monthly insurance costs.

Persons: Oppenheimer, David Krumholtz, ”, Paul Scheer Organizations: Union Solidarity Collective, Writers Guild, Television

☆ Studios Say Talks With Striking Writers May Resume Next Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Contract negotiations between Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters could restart next week, the studios said in a statement on Thursday. A return to bargaining — the last talks were held three weeks ago — could be a turning point in the strike, now in its fifth month. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of entertainment companies, and the Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,000 television and film writers, have been squabbling over procedure. Union leaders, who denounced the disclosure, have since insisted that the onus is on studios to keep improving their offer. On Wednesday, the Writers Guild made a move, according to the statement by the studio alliance.

Persons: —, “, ” Organizations: Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild of America, Union, Writers Guild

The network said that the show would be returning on Sept. 18 without written material that is “covered by the W.G.A. strike,” a similar approach to that taken by “The View,” which began airing episodes from its new season this month, circumventing union writers. Barrymore, who had stepped down as the host of the MTV Movie and TV Awards in May in solidarity with the striking Hollywood writers, was greeted by a wave of critical backlash online after the decision to go back on air. Representatives for Barrymore and her show did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Recent hosts include the author and TV host Padma Lakshmi, the author and comedian Phoebe Robinson, and actors like LeVar Burton, Nick Offerman and Cynthia Nixon.

Persons: Barrymore, ”, Colson Whitehead, gestured, Ms, Padma Lakshmi, Phoebe Robinson, LeVar Burton, Nick Offerman, Cynthia Nixon Organizations: MTV Locations: United States

☆ Drew Barrymore’s Show Is Picketed as It Resumes Amid Writers’ Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Drew Barrymore announced in May that she was stepping down as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards to show solidarity with striking Hollywood writers, she received an outpouring of praise from fans and viewers who supported her stance. One man held a sign that said, “Drew the right thing.”The network said “The Drew Barrymore Show,” a sunny, interview-oriented program that debuted in 2020, was returning without written material that is “covered by the W.G.A. strike” — similar to the approach taken by some other talk shows during the dual strikes by writers and actors that have shut down much of Hollywood. “The View,” the daytime juggernaut, began airing episodes from its new season this month. On Monday afternoon, as “The Drew Barrymore Show” prepared to tape its first episode since April, a couple of dozen picketers from both the Writers Guild of America and the union that represents actors, SAG-AFTRA, marched outside CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street, as audience members lined up along the sidewalk for the day’s taping.

Persons: Drew Barrymore, “ Drew, ” Organizations: MTV, CBS, Writers Guild of America, Center, West Locations: Manhattan, Hollywood

☆ The Message Is in the Merch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Jessica Roy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Neil Gaiman had worn some version of a black T-shirt nearly every day for the past 36 years. Then, on a balmy Tuesday in May, he decided to make an important wardrobe change. Across New York and Los Angeles, T-shirts advertising support for creative workers’ labor unions are nearly everywhere you look. When SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, decided on its own strike last week, the dispute took on new proportions. As the demonstrations head into a 13th week, a pressing need has arisen: clean T-shirts.

Persons: Neil Gaiman, I’m, ” Mr, Gaiman, “, ” Organizations: Guild of America, Hollywood, SAG Locations: New York, Los Angeles

☆ As Strike Continues, Writers Turn Focus to Ryan Murphy’s Productions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Matt Stevens | More About Matt Stevens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He is among the high-profile showrunners who have donated during the strike to the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides grants to those working in film, TV and other disciplines. Disney owns the FX cable channel, which is home to his “American Horror Story” franchise, which began airing in 2011. “We’re not here in protest of Ryan Murphy, the guy, we’re here in protest of production happening without writers and while writers are on strike,” said Josh Gondelman, a member of WGA-East’s leadership, who was out picketing on Thursday. The Writers Guild had summoned its members to a so-called Horror/Fantasy Theme Day in Queens as the writers’ strike entered its third month. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of Hollywood companies, has said that its contract offer includes “generous increases in compensation for writers.”

Persons: Murphy, “ We’re, Ryan Murphy, ”, Josh Gondelman, ’ Organizations: Entertainment Community Fund, Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Disney, FX, WGA, Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers Locations: Queens

☆ Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Great ‘Indiana Jones’ Adventure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Talk Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Great ‘Indiana Jones’ AdventureThere’s a photo of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, taken at an Emmys afterparty in 2019, that captures, better than any other contemporary celebrity photo I’ve seen, the enduring allure and glamour of Hollywood success. Phoebe Waller-Bridge with Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm Ltd. Christ, I don’t know the answer. Now people could be like, “I’ve got a show,” but you don’t know where it’s going to go out, you don’t know how many people are going to see it. Whereas before you’re like, no one cares, no one’s watching, no one’s going to give you anything, but you’re going to do it anyway, now you’re like, they’re going to give you everything!

Persons: Phoebe Waller, Indiana, “, Waller, Indiana Jones, James Bond, ”, ’, I’ve, I’m, Harrison Ford, “ Indiana Jones, ” Jonathan Olley, —, I’ll, We’re, you’ve, it’s, “ I’ve, ” Waller, ” Luke Varley, he’s, Josh Cole, Phoebe, they’d, I’d, what’s, David Marchese, Emma Chamberlain, Walter Mosley Organizations: Indiana Jones, Amazon Studios, Lucasfilm, “, BBC, YouTube, Cal Newport Locations: British, Waller, “, America

☆ Tony Awards Viewership Increases to 4.3 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

(The writers had already successfully disrupted the MTV Movie & TV Awards last month, which prompted the cancellation of the live ceremony; MTV and CBS share the same corporate parent, Paramount.) The Tony Awards represent a vital marketing tool for Broadway as it still makes its slow recovery out of the pandemic. Given the relatively low viewership of the Tonys, the show has always been more of a prestige play for CBS than a profit machine. relented, and the end result was an awards show that went heavy on live performances and introductory videos, and went without scripted material or pre-written bits. Thank you to attendees wearing #WGAstrong pins, and to everyone who showed solidarity with the writers during last night’s unscripted awards show.”The unscripted ceremony, which was hosted by Ariana DeBose, was mostly well received.

Persons: W.G.A, Ariana DeBose, Jesse Green Organizations: CBS, MTV, Paramount, Writers Guild of America, The Locations: York

☆ Even People With Good Jobs Get Exploited - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Simone Stolzoff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Indeed, creative, mission-driven and prestigious jobs often take advantage of employees’ love for what they do. This stems from bosses’ tacit assumptions that their employees would do the work even if they weren’t paid. The idea that employees work for something other than money is also pervasive in industries that are geared toward helping people, such as education. “Teaching is a calling,” tweeted Mayor Eric Adams of New York City a few weeks ago. When a workplace is seen as virtuous, she claimed, it’s easier for workers to be exploited.

Persons: ”, Charles Rogers, Eric Adams, Adams, Ettarh Organizations: ” Employers, New, New York Locations: Los Angeles, New York City

☆ Hollywood Directors Reach Deal With Studios as Writers’ Strike Continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The entertainment industry will be looking closely at what the directors’ deal — and the actors’ negotiations — will mean for the Writers Guild of America, the union that represents the writers. More than 11,000 writers went on strike in early May, bringing many Hollywood productions to a halt. Over the last month, the writers have enjoyed a wave of solidarity from other unions that W.G.A. Whether a directors’ deal — or a possible actors’ deal later this month — undercuts that solidarity is now an open question. “Our position is clear: To resolve the strike, the companies will have to negotiate with the W.G.A.

Persons: —, ’, “, It’s gaslighting Organizations: Writers Guild of America

☆ The W.G.A. Strike Feels Personal to Me. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ron Currie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Most discussion of the Hollywood writers’ strike has centered on money: the studio chiefs, tech demigods and private equity oligarchs who have it and the writers like myself whose labor should entitle us to a greater share of it. One morning back in the summer of 2002, I was walking my dog when I got a call that my father was having a heart attack. Dad was a longtime Teamster, Local 340, which represents a grab-bag of freight jockeys, municipal workers and emergency services types. By the time I arrived, doctors had succeeded in dissolving the clot that had been choking off one of his coronary arteries. I found him lying in the I.C.U., less than a quarter of his heart muscle still functioning.

Persons: ’, we’ve, He’d, Dad, twitching Organizations: Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Teamster

☆ Tony Awards Officials Ask Striking Writers to Reconsider Broadcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Michael Paulson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Broadway producers and industry leaders say that the annual awards show is a vital marketing tool for the industry, and particularly important to the financial health of new musicals. members are striking for better compensation and structural changes to the way writers relate to studios, streaming services and networks as the entertainment industry evolves. Conversations between theater industry leaders, union leaders, and CBS are ongoing. The Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, which jointly present the Tony Awards, are hoping to resolve the crisis soon. If a broadcast proves impossible, many industry leaders appear determined to hand out the prizes as scheduled, either at a nontelevised event or simply by announcing the winners.

☆ ‘It’s Going to Be a While’: No End in Sight for Hollywood Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Brooks Barnes | John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In addition to raises, however, writers want media companies — Netflix, in particular — to make structural changes to the way they do business. The companies — Netflix, in particular — say that is a bridge too far. The union contends that the proposals are necessary because entertainment companies are increasingly relying on what is known in Hollywood slang as a miniroom. Because they have not officially ordered the series, studios pay writers less than if they were in a large, traditional writers’ room. If a show does get a green light, fewer writers are sometimes hired because blueprints and several scripts have already been created.

Across the city, writers gathered outside the Culver Studios, where Amazon has an office. has painted the dispute in stark terms, saying that the rise of streaming and the explosion of TV production have eroded working conditions.

☆ Late Shows Go Dark in First Fallout From Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The fallout from the writers’ strike is beginning to hit. Late night shows, including “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” will immediately begin showing repeats, according to several people briefed on the plans. The Comedy Central program “The Daily Show,” which has no dedicated host, will also air repeats, as will the HBO shows hosted by John Oliver and Bill Maher. The writers have said that their compensation has stagnated even as television production has rapidly grown over the past decade. leaders have said the current system is broken, arguing that the “the survival of writing as a profession is at stake in this negotiation.”

☆ Hollywood Writers Will Go on Strike, Halting Production
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( John Koblin | Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The writers want to also fix the formula for residual payments, which have been upended by streaming. Years ago, writers could receive residual payments whenever a show was licensed — into syndication or through DVD sales. But writers are often paid less to work in minirooms, W.G.A. Writers have also said that the sudden growth of minirooms has also disrupted the decades-long art of learning how to make a television show. “This is stuff that you have to experience.”But because of minirooms, writers are sent home after as little as 10 weeks, and frequently are not around for the production process at all, he said.

☆ Opinion | The Hollywood Writers’ Strike Isn’t About Money, It’s About Survival
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Zack Stentz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Continuing to succeed consistently over the course of a career can often seem next to impossible. But after three seasons of steady television work and a screenplay credit on the hit movie “Agent Cody Banks,” my luck finally ran out. The W.G.A.’s members make on average around $250,000 a year — and that’s before taxes, union dues and commissions to agents, managers and lawyers. The reality is that the seemingly big paychecks of Hollywood have to last through the lean periods that nearly every writer experiences. The formulas used to calculate the money owed for various forms of reuse are complicated and vary widely across platforms.

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