Contract News of the Future

CONTRACT NEWS OF THE FUTURE

DEADLINE-HOLLYWOOD-GHOST-TOWN

24 JULY 2017

In yet another advance for creatives planet-wide, after years of ‘New Media’ study, the AMPTP announced their last, best, final ultimatum to the Creatives Guilds Alliance. The CGA, composed of reps from the WGA, SAG, IASTE, DGA and AFTRA, were gifted at the confab with a 55 gallon drum of Kentucky jelly, to be liberally shared among the members.

With the contract due to run out on 31 July 2017, AMPTP spokesdevil Santa Spawn commented, "This is a back-breaking opportunity for these unworthy creatives. In the darkness of our hearts we have decided to give up our claims on all of their children, only demanding their first-born. Further, we will now increase their already bountiful rations to include bread with the recycled sewer water we now provide them.

Asked for comments, at their idyllic island retreat on Alcatraz, a lone dissenter demanded to ask a question. He was immediately shot and run through the Ferti-Loamer machine.

When questioned, Santa Spawn admitted the incident, "It’s sad, but we must keep the creatives isolated from society, rather than chance that they infect the loyal, orderly, working drones. After all, once they reach 27, 28 years old, they’re over the hill and really only good for plant food. A bit acidic though, I might add."

A creatives bystander, shook his head and remarked, "He knew better, they told us they would review the New Media provisions back in 2008. Don’t people realize this stuff takes time?"

Santa Spawn smiled and slapped him on the back, "Sheeply, you’re great! We’re still working on that DVD formula from back in the ‘80s and hope to have it figured out by the next contract."

Rumors that Santa Spawn danced off singing "My North Pole Is Gonna Be In Your South Hole" could not be confirmed.

Hollywood Family Feud, SAG vs AFTRA

I'm on the sidelines when it comes to this mess.

SAG and AFTRA are cutting each other's throat, trying to leverage power with AMPTP.

After the WGA strike, this could be the worst thing that happens this year. If it comes to another strike, then expect things to get very nasty.

Like we need more problems in this country.

Take away the 'bread and circuses' and what will be the results?

I don't even want to speculate.

Time to buy some more books.

WGA Strike, A Benefit For The Flyovers

They can say what they want, but the truth will out. The landscape has change since the last writers strike. In those long ago days, there wasn’t an Internet, 2,000 plus film schools around the country, an international pool of talent that speaks multiple languages. We might be seeing the crumbling of the Hollywood empire.

Those who have looked down upon the ‘flyover states’ now have cause for concern. Let’s explore the changes in nature and work environments.

If the global warming scenario continues, then LA and other coastal areas will be under duress to continue filming and TV work. Look at the current situation with the wildfires in LA. Stars leaving their homes, TV and movie productions halted, the ever present threat of earthquakes. What are they going to do if the ocean starts to swamp their beach houses? It doesn’t take a genius to understand why many people from the coastal areas have relocated here, in middle America.

When it comes to the work environment, the WGA and the writers have been living in a cocoon, a nice tranquil world of big names and fancy dinners. Let’s not forget those backpats at the awards shows. The ego-feeders will find out all about the bottom feeders who will eat their lunch and steal their jobs. Unlike the movies, real life can be real serious, without a happy ending.

In my experiences with Hollywood, I’ve found out that as much as they would like the world to think that they are ‘leading, bleeding edge’ adventurers, they really are pretty much stuck in a rut. Notice the same-old, same-old when it comes to movie themes and TV shows. Rip-offs of foreign TV and movies is now greater than ever. If Americans knew how much of their TV and movie fare came from outside sources, they might be shocked. I doubt that they really care. All they want is something that’s interesting and entertaining. Which they now find on the Internet.

Those with a clue can see where this is going. You might consider looking back to see what lies ahead. In the really old days in Hollywood, they cranked out two to four films a month, per studio. They weren’t epics, which came along to fill movie seats for long times and more popcorn/soda money for the movie house. Which was part of a chain owned by the studios. Now, many people don’t leave the house for the local movie palace to take in the latest flick.

Everyone has a two minute attention span. In writing, essays were supplemented by newspaper columns, are being augmented by blogs. Plays were supplemented by movies, which gave ground to TV, which is now seeing the impact of the Internet.

The key factor in all of this is that they diversified, yet increased the audience base. It also resulted in a general depreciation of content. Fast food people want short order entertainment. Something they can watch and digest in less time than it takes to read this blog.

Sooner or later, everything gets destroyed so that it can be recreated in a new form. Why should Hollywood be immune?

After all, the movie business started in New Jersey. Then moved to California because the cameras and other equipment were too fragile to use outside except in perfect weather. Now anyone can shoot anywhere, at any time and put it up online.

Goodnight Hollywood, it’s been a wonderful dream.

The Rise of Bollywood, China and Hollywood North

As the sun goes down over Sunset Boulevard, you can hear dreams crashing like bumpercar BMWs, as if driven by writers off their meds. It’s a sad day in the city of Tinsel, as scribes wander the streets wailing for residuals. The WGA has voted, will it be much ado about nothing or the final strike-out?

While those of us who have written, but not been bought, stand back and contemplate. Can we now get a shot at the big time? Don’t hold your breath, I’m not. We live in the land of litigation. Look at me wrong and I’ll sue you down the river of debt.

No, there will be few scabs, even if the writers have to get out of their cars and walk the picket lines. If they’re smart they’ll get a rent-a-picket, someone who actually can be physically intimidating to a line-crosser. How far will they have to travel to stop writers who can work off-scene, away from LA, somewhere across the digital divide?

A while back, I presented a screenplay logline to a couple of hundred writers during a seminar held at a major studio. It was about outsourcing jobs around the world. The Important Hollywood Scribe/Director/Producer in charge of the seminar had a simple critique for my screenplay. He didn’t know what the word ‘outsourcing’ meant! Therefore, my screenplay wouldn't sell. The Hollywood crowd and the WGA will get to find out what the rest of American society has known for years. It’s outsourcing time in the city!

The easy way out for producers and studios alike will be to go East and head North. Bollywood might not have the same cultural excesses as it’s namesake, but the producers will just write in the extra sex, drugs and gratuitous violence. Then there are our neighbors to the north. Vancouver will be glad to shoot more movies, TV shows and documentaries for those in need. Montreal can give it a leetle French flair, mon ami. Did I mention all those studios in China? We love our globalization.

Don’t hold your breath WGA. This might be the start of something big. After all, one of Hollywood’s own started all of this, back when he broke up the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO). You might remember him, he was the president of the Screen Actors Guild, before he took up residence in the big, white house on Pennsylvania Avenue. Which led to fuzzy math economics. Kinda like those figures you hear concerning residuals, new media, digital revenue, etc. It could be a ‘trickle down’ type of contract. Moguls, keep your genitalia away from that zipper!

I better check my passport. Can the WGA sue me if I work as a writer in China and get paid through a bank in Switzerland, while claiming residence in Australia?

Hollywood Writers Strike

It's fall, there are leaves hitting the ground and lines being drawn in the sand. Hollywood is facing a writers strike. I had planned on flying out to LA to attend the Screenwriters Expo, but won't be doing that this year.


The thought of a writers strike is not good news. It means that the people who are supposed to work together in the movie business can't divide up the income from the product in a manner which is fair to all participants. The problem is that money has become the overriding concern.

The aspiring writers who I have met almost all mention two things that motivate them to write for the movies. The 'big money' and their ego, err, name on the 'big screen'. The serious ones write, whether they make money doing it or not.


Which comes down to the motivation. This strike, like many I have seen, is about leveraging power to redistribute the income from the product. Too many people are unwilling to accept the fact that the lines between writer/director/producer are blurring.


It's going to be an interesting situation. I would like to see it resolved to everyone's satisfaction. That's not going to happen. It will probably be like any deal. Someone is going to walk away from it feeling like they got the short end of the stick.

This could be the seismic shift that changes how movies and all video content are created and distributed in the future.

So, if they want, let them fight it out.

I've got work to do on my book.