Media & Entertainment Law

The Denigration Express

Posted on September 17, 2008
Hollywood?s labor troubles seemingly haven?t been so bad since the days of police brutality at studio gates, when actors, writers and directors were first trying to unionize. That?s an exaggeration, of course (and there has been much turbulence in the intervening years), but even in the dark and primordial days of the 1930s, it would have been hard for organizers to imagine the paradox of 2007-08: a writers strike over new media ? the Internet and cell phones, both unimaginable 70 years ago ? that lasted 100 days despite the fact that there?s been scant money in these media to date and not much likely for the next few years...

SAG: How to Make a Deal

Posted on September 14, 2008
SAG staggers on, occupied by bitterness and dissension, but with little apparent progress towards a deal with the studios. The last contract expired almost three months ago. Does that mean one?s impossible? No. Here?s a plan.(Hats off to Stephen Diamond for his memo ?How to Break the Template? for several of these ideas...

REMINDER - Live Streaming Video Interview with AFTRA National Executive Director

Posted on September 10, 2008
Just a reminder: On Look at LA today, I'm doing a live streaming video interview with AFTRA's National Executive Director, Kim Roberts Hedgpeth. The interview will be today (Wednesday) at 2:00 p.m. Pacific / 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Go to http://www.ustream...

AFTRA Interview Available in Archives

Posted on September 10, 2008
To see archived video of my interview with AFTRA National Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth,  go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/look-at-la.  The archived video wasn't working earlier, but it is now.

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Live Streaming Video Interview with AFTRA National Executive Director

Posted on September 07, 2008
On Look at LA this week, I'm doing a live streaming video interview with AFTRA's National Executive Director, Kim Roberts Hedgpeth.As you probably know, AFTRA (the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), and its relations with the studios and its sister union SAG, have been much in the news this year...

SAG independent candidate interviews archived

Posted on September 05, 2008
To watch my interview on Look at LA with the independent candidates for SAG board, click here:Video clips at UstreamIf you can't see the video, go to www.ustream.tv/channel/look-at-la and choose the most recent video (dated 9/5/08).

Reminder - Live TV interviews with independent SAG Board candidates

Posted on September 05, 2008
Just a reminder: I'm interviewing the SAG independent Board candidates today on Look at LA. The interviews will be today, Friday (9/5) at 2:00 p.m. Pacific / 5:00 p.m. Eastern and will last for approximately 2 hours, depending on the exact number of candidates...

Can SAG Keep a Secret?

Posted on September 05, 2008
I don?t mind bar codes, at least when they?re on books, boxes, and bags of sugar. When I find them on ballots, though, I get more nervous. That turns out to be a legitimate concern in the case of SAG, which sent out a 12-page mailing a few days ago assailing the studios? proposed deal, accompanied by a bar-coded postcard asking SAG members whether the Guild should keep fighting for a better contract or accept what the studios were offering...

When Will There be a Contract?

Posted on September 03, 2008
When will there be a new SAG TV/theatrical contract ? i.e., when will the studios and SAG close a deal? My guess: not until January or even February of next year. Do the math: 1. If Membership First wins the election overwhelmingly, and if members overwhelmingly vote in the SAG push-poll to have the Guild continue pushing hard for a better deal (i...

What Happens if the Challengers Win Control of the SAG Board?

Posted on September 03, 2008
What happens if the challengers, Unite for Strength, win control of the SAG National Board? That would effectively happen if UFS (aka U4S) won a certain number of seats, apparently about 6 seats, displacing incumbents who are members of Membership First (MF), the dominant faction...

Live TV interviews with independent SAG Board candidates

Posted on September 03, 2008
Last week, I did live Internet online video interviews with representatives of Membership First and Unite for Strength, the two slates battling for control of the Screen Actors Guild Board. Those interviews were widely viewed and blogged about.But - those slates account for 64 of the 84 candidates...

SAG Slate Interviews: Disappointment

Posted on August 31, 2008
Last week I conducted interviews with David Jolliffe and Anne-Marie Johnson, leaders of the dominant Membership First faction of the SAG National (and Hollywood) Board, and Ned Vaughn, leader of Unite for Strength, the challengers. An actor-like congeniality reigned, including flirtatiousness in Johnson?s case...

Video Interview Update & Call to Independent Candidates

Posted on August 29, 2008
The video interviews of SAG Board candidates from Membership First and Unite for Strength that I did on Wednesday have now been seen by over 400 people live or via archive. (The number might be more -- for some reason the Views counter on ustream is stuck on 150...

Archive Video of Interviews with SAG Candidates

Posted on August 28, 2008
Yesterday, I did live streaming video interviews with SAG candidates and board members from the incumbent, dominant faction, Membership First (represented by David Jolliffe and Ann-Marie Johnson), and the challengers, Unite for Strength (represented by Ned Vaughn)...

Live TV interviews with SAG Board candidates/members

Posted on August 25, 2008
There's a fight for control of the Screen Actors Guild. Elections are going on now, and may determine whether and when the Guild finally reaches a deal with the studios. Join me as I interview representatives of Unite for Strength, the challengers in this election, and of of the dominant incumbent faction, Membership First...

New Media Jurisdiction: Letter from the DGA

Posted on August 20, 2008
The DGA has just released a letter from DGA President Michael Apted entitled "Giving New Media Room to Grow." Dated today (August 20, 2008), the letter appears in the September 2008 issue of DGA Monthly. The letter addresses the question of the jurisdictional carveout for certain media production...

SAG Still Talking? And What Next?

Posted on August 16, 2008
Frustrating bloggers and reporters who hoped the week's business was done, SAG sent out another weekend evening email an hour or so ago. The previous such email, released about two weeks ago, is discussed here -- and, on a personal note, I managed to beat the MSM with my report on that one...

Unite for Strength Star Power

Posted on August 13, 2008
Unite for Strength took the battle against Membership First to the stars today, releasing a list of almost three dozen A-listers who support U4S in its bid to wrest control of the SAG board from MF hardliners. The bold-face names include Alec Baldwin, Sally Field, and Tom Hanks, among others...

Rainbow Flags at Comic-Con

Posted on August 06, 2008
Note: This post is off topic. The typical comic book cover features an assortment of superheroes and civilians, but one thing?s almost a constant: the guys are buffed and the women curvaceous (the aliens are too, in a way, unless they?re blobs). Add to that a rainbow of colors, and it?s obvious why comic book covers are so appealing...

SAG DVD Residuals Increase: RIP

Posted on August 04, 2008
It seems pretty clear that SAG has dropped its request for an increase in the DVD residual (as I predicted it would have to): an email from National Executive Director Doug Allen to the members an hour ago lists various priorities -- and omits DVD altogether...

Dueling Press Releases

Posted on July 29, 2008
Last night saw an extensive press release by the AMPTP reacting to various statements by SAG over the last few weeks, followed by a short release from SAG responding to some of the AMPTP?s points. Who?s right? Here?s the language from the two releases and my analysis, interleaved so that you can see what items respond to what...

Guild Agreement New Media Thresholds

Posted on July 28, 2008
This is a rather technical post:Regarding the AMPTP-proposed SAG agreement, the media has been saying ?The thresholds for new media work are $15,000 per minute, $300,000 per program, or $500,000 per series, whichever is lowest.? This is meant to describe what work is covered and what is not...

Dot Dot Dot ... The Mark of the Beast

Posted on July 24, 2008
Jonesing for a color laser printer? You might want to think twice. As the NYT reminds us (it's not a new story), color lasers (but not inkjets nor, presumably, b&w lasers), leave their mark with yellow tracking dots:Some, but not all, [color] laser printers do leave a series of nearly imperceptible yellow dots on the printed page...

SAG Challenge Slate to Oppose Hardliners

Posted on July 24, 2008
A slate called Unite for Strength has arisen to challenge the hard line Membership First faction of the SAG Board. Their goals: unseat Membership First, make a deal with the studios, and merge SAG and AFTRA. The move was first reported by the Los Angeles Times yesterday, and in today's hardcopy edition...

WGA MIA?

Posted on July 21, 2008
By shutting down the Golden Globes (and threatening to do the same to the Oscars), SAG helped the Writers Guild close its deal and end the writers strike earlier this year. SAG members -- both rank and file and a number of stars -- walked the picket lines and were vocal in their support of the WGA...

AMPTP Ad in LA Times tomorrow

Posted on July 20, 2008
The AMPTP (studio alliance) is running an ad in tomorrow's LA Times. Here's the text:?This is the BEST DEAL the guild has bargained for in 30YEARS.?Patric M. Verrone, President of WGAW?This has been a great ACHIEVEMENT for the DGA.?Michael Apted, President of DGA?This is a SOLID DEAL...

SAG commentary

Posted on July 20, 2008
No deal yet between SAG and the studios. This commentary explores why:

SAG Hollywood Meeting Yesterday

Posted on July 20, 2008
Several hundred SAG members attended a Hollywood branch meeting yesterday, with the Hollywood Reporter estimating 400-500 people and Variety reporting the Guild's estimate of 735. The two Allens received standing ovations and enthusiastic support. They attacked the AFTRA deal and insisted that the studios were still negotiating, but did not provide details on strategy...

Letter from SAG

Posted on July 17, 2008
SAG seems to be holding firm to its positions. Here's an email they sent to their members today:July 17, 2008 It?s Not New Media ? It?s NOW Media Dear Screen Actors Guild Member,I want to tell you why your national negotiating committee has not accepted the June 30 offer put across the table by the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP...

SAG - Looking Ahead

Posted on July 16, 2008
This short press release from the AMPTP (studio alliance) re today's SAG-AMPTP meeting says it all. Not particularly encouraging. And, below, my analysis.STATEMENT BY THE AMPTP A small group from AMPTP and SAG met today. Both parties agreed that the contents of the meeting should be kept private...

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