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WGA Update: 2008 Film Schedule Covered

The WGA 12:01 AM PT walk-out has officially commenced, something which will clearly affect the television industry and short-term programming plans in the very near future. The Late Night Talk Show circuits will go dark tonight and within a month, most networks will have to plan alternative programming as they run out of the scripted shows in their seasonal lineups. The film industry, however, is covered for the next year. It's not exactly suprising given that nearly every article over the last six months had some sort of warning inside about the studio wanting to get the deals done and the script fleshed out before any strike complications. Today, Variety reports that various Hollywood production companies have at least 50 feature films said to be in preparation for lensing in the coming months, with many still to be cast. This is a far cry from the initial 300 pre-strike list which originally surfaced online but it's certainly something for short-term goals.

This doesn't include many of the films already lensed over the past year, films such as INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, IRON MAN, HELLBOY II, etc. In other words, high profile projects set for a Summer 2008 release. Most, if not all, of the 2008 productions have scripts ready to go leading into the fall season.

Of course, that isn't to say there won't be issues for the studios with this WGA strike as an on-going issue. For one thing, their advertising avenues will have to change. They can't exactly push their movies by having stars on Leno, Letterman, etc when those programs are in reruns, nor can they hope to reach as large an advertising audience during the networks primetime lineup when they too are televising reruns and alternative programming. Outside of the advertisement questions, they also have to think about long term issues for the film industry should this strike not be resolved in the foreseeable future. For example, their release schedules past next winter. They have nearly every 2008 release scripted by now but that same assessment can't be said for their 2009-2010 films.

Another example would be the larger strike questions set for next year. In June of 2008, the SAG and DGA contracts with the AMPTP also expire. If all three unions have not come to an agreement with AMPTP, they are expected to support each other in a collective negotiation with the threat of a collective strike that would effectively cripple the Hollywood film industry for years to come. If necessary, the other two organizations would strike in July of 2008, just after the SAG and DGA contracts with the AMPTP expire.

Click here for more from the story.

Another note: So, what happened during the emergency Sunday session? It seems more bitter exchanges ensued between WGA and AMPTP. During the day, the Producers Guild caused a flashpoint by telling WGA-East to delay its 12:01 ET deadline another three hours to match up with WGA-West deadline, a request which was promptly shot down.

"Notwithstanding the fact that negotiations were ongoing, the WGA decided to start their strike in New York," AMPTP president Nick Counter said. "When we asked if they would 'stop the clock' for the purpose of delaying the strike to allow negotiations to continue, they refused.

"We made an attempt at meeting them in a number of their key areas including Internet streaming and jurisdiction in new media," Counter said. "Ultimately, the guild was unwilling to compromise on most of their major demands. It is unfortunate that they choose to take this irresponsible action."

The WGA had a statement of their own after the meeting broke up late into the night.

"Early today, the WGA completely withdrew its DVD proposal, which the companies said was a stumbling block," the guild said. "Yet the companies still insisted on ... no jurisdiction for most of new media writing, no economic proposal for the part of new media writing where they do propose to give coverage, Internet downloads at the DVD rate, no residual for streaming video of theatrical product, (and) a "promotional" proposal that allows them to reuse even complete movies or TV shows on any platform with no residual."

 The most troublesome areas have been DVD and new-media residuals throughout these meetings between the two sides. The strike can be pin-pointed to that subject alone above all other reasons. The WGA also slammed what it called a management proposal for a distribution window providing "free reuse on the Internet that makes a mockery of any residual."

"Our position is simple and fair," WGA West president Patric Verrone said Friday after the WGAW board and WGA East Council voted to approve strike recommendations for 12:01 a.m. Monday. "When a writer's work generates revenue for the companies, that writer deserves to be paid."


Click here for more about the planned picket lines.