Deconstructing Dracula

The éQuinoxe Germany International Screenwriters Workshops aim to get the best possible result out of strong stories with an inherent cultural identity, and enable talented screenwriters to learn from the best in the business.

In April 2010, éQuinoxe Germany brings its International Screenwriters Workshop to Connemara, and FÁS Screen Training Ireland, in association with MEDIA Desk Ireland and MEDIA Antenna Galway, is delighted to support two local industry Masterclasses as part of the éQuinoxe Germany programme.

One course is called "Deconstructing Dracula", and will take place on the 16th of April, 2010 in the Town Hall Theatre, Galway.

Course Profile:
This masterclass will explore how award-winning screenwriter Jim Hart adapted "Dracula" for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 screen adaptation of Bram Stoker’s horror classic.

Following the screening of "Bram Stoker’s Dracula", Hart will deconstruct the structure and introduce his “Hart Chart”, a tool for optimizing script structure, and explain how he came to develop it after working with Francis Ford Coppola.

• Getting to the heart of the source material
• Idea to screen – how to stay true to the core of the idea
• Structure and Character

The masterclass is free, the deadline for applications is Tuesday 13th April 2010, and applications are processed online.

Oscar Writing Winners

Last night the Winners of the 82nd Academy Awards were announced. A full list is available to view online.

Here are the nominees and winners (in bold) in the writing categories:

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• District 9 Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
• An Education Screenplay by Nick Hornby
• In the Loop Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
• Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
• Up in the Air Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• The Hurt Locker Written by Mark Boal
• Inglourious Basterds Written by Quentin Tarantino
• The Messenger Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
• A Serious Man Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• Up Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Irish animator Richard Baneham picked up the Best Visual Effects Award for Avatar together with Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum and Andrew Jones.

Oscar-nominated scripts online

Want to read the scripts written by the nominees for the 2010 Best Screenplay Oscar and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar?

Thanks to Raindance.org you can access of all of them online!

James Bartlet Seminar

Filmbase is hosting a seminar on "Hollywood Screenwriting - Jumping the First Hurdle", which is being given by James Bartlet, on Friday 26th March 1.00pm - 3.30pm.

In Hollywood, thousands of scripts land on the desks of producers, agents, actors and studio executives every day – how can you make sure that yours makes it past the first hurdle? This hurdle is actually a person - a script reader - and he or she can be many things: a stressed assistant, a summer intern, or - if you’re lucky - someone who has spent years analysing scripts and can recognize talent and potential when they see it.

This lecture will give you industry information and tips that will make your script a more professional and sellable product. Whether you are applying for funding, entering a competition or sending off writing samples, this lecture will help your script jump the first hurdle.

YOUR SPEAKER: JAMES BARTLET:

James Bartlett is a writer and journalist living in Los Angeles. He is also a story analyst for the Sundance Institute, National Geographic Films, New Regency, UCLA and the Academy of Motion Pictures’ Nicholl Screenwriting Awards, the US consultant for Euroscript, and a reader for several regional funders in the UK and Ireland.

Cost: €40 for members/ €55 for non – members

All booking must be made in advance at Filmbase reception: 01 679 6716.

James Parriott Interview

On the BBC Writersroom web site there is an extensive interview with US screenwriter and showrunner James Parriott (Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Sons of Anarchy).

In it he talks about pitching, how the Writers' Room works in America for creating television series, and the changes he foresees in how television programmes will be funded in the coming years.

The piece is well worth reading.

New Film Strategies Needed

The Washington Post has a long article analysing the current trends in the American box office, and what effect this might have on the production of new films in the coming years.

Two kinds of films are doing well: big budget blockbusters with visual impact (and often little else), and the low-budget indie film. One is making money by satisfying the desire in moviegoers for the visual spectacle, and the other is earning because of its low outlay.

The middle-range, well-made film with strong performances is suffering. One distributor in the USA is releasing such films in the theatres, and on its cable company simultaneously, so it can capitalise on the buzz of the film's launch and yet reach those viewers who don't want to leave their couches.

The usual Hollywood strategy of paying $20 million for a prominent actor and expecting that to translate into box office sales for a film is no longer working.

The marketing of the film is being deemed as critical:

Hollywood Reporter writer Carl DiOrio, who in April wrote about the struggles of adult-oriented dramas, says it all comes down to one thing: marketing. "It's less about whether there will be actual motion pictures and more about whether they're concepts that are easily marketed," he says. "You need to let the viewer understand what their moviegoing experience is going to be like in a very simple TV message, and that's not easily done unless you have something that can be boiled down to a [one-sentence synopsis]. And the [typical] modestly budgeted adult-oriented drama of the character-driven variety doesn't really lend itself to a convenient marketing hook."

(Last winter's "Taken" and the current "Julie & Julia," both adult-aimed movies that have done well, exemplify DiOrio's point. One is a fast-moving action thriller about a retired CIA agent who must rescue his abducted daughter. The other features a beloved actress playing an equally beloved American icon, in a story set in romantic postwar France and full of delicious shots of food and cooking. What's not to like?)

Bickford echoes DiOrio's observation. "As long as you can figure out a way to market these movies without spending your entire profit, they'll be made," she says.

"The last 18 months have been just devastating," she continues. "But in terms of audiences for these movies, they're there. Look at how many people want to see Meryl Streep play Julia Child."

A Familiar Story

The Writers Guild of America (West) has published the 2009 Hollywood Writers Report, called Rewriting an All-Too-Familiar Story?, which looks at the statistics regarding the employment of screenwriters in Hollywood broken down by gender, race and age.

What's notable is that the percentage of women writing for film/television is not improving, and there is some evidence that their earnings are decreasing (these figures only go as far as 2007 before the current change in the economy). The situation among writers from a minority background has improved by a barest margin.

The following are some highlights from the report:

Women Writers' Overall Employment Share Remains Largely Flat

Between 2003 and 2007, gains for women writers have not exceeded one percentage point in any of the employment areas. Women, who account for slightly more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, remain underrepresented in television employment by 2 to 1 and in film employment by nearly 3 to 1.

Earnings Gender Gap in TV

Women television writers earned about the same in 2007 ($82,604) as they did at the beginning of the five-year report period in 2003 ($82,000), despite spikes in earnings in 2005 and 2006. The television earnings of white male writers, by contrast, increased by nearly $4,000 over the report period (from $84,300 to $87,984), after peaking at $100,000 in 2005 and 2006.

Earnings Gender Gap in Film

The gender earnings gap in film for 2007 ($41,724) was the largest since at least 2003. Film earnings for women were down from the 2003 figure of $62,500 in 2005 ($50,000), 2006 ($55,500), and 2007 ($57,151). By contrast, the earnings of white male writers increased by more than $8,000 over the period, from $90,476 in 2003 to $98,875 in 2007.

White Males Continue to Dominate in Overall Earnings; Minority Earnings Approach Those for Women

Minority writers earned $87,652 in 2007, compared to $90,686 for women and $112,500 for white males. The $24,848 gap between minority earnings and white male earnings in 2007 represents nearly a $14,000 reduction in the $38,490 gap evident in 2005, the last year covered in the previous report. Meanwhile, the overall earnings gap between minority writers and women writers closed to its smallest point in 2007 ($3,034), which improved upon a much wider gap in 2005 ($12,868). Nonetheless, the overall earnings of white male writers significantly outpaced those of the other groups throughout the study period, reflecting the continuing dominance of white males in the industry

More Films More Profit

A recent article on the L.A. Times suggests that movie studios should be considering making more films, not less, despite the current economic crisis.

The advice is based on industry research from SNL Kagan, which examined the 611 major studio releases between 2004 and 2008 to create imaginary slates of five, ten, and fifteen films broken down by genre. It then created three versions of each slate, using a variety of genres.

Without getting caught up in the nitty-gritty of the analysis (which is available for a fee here), the end result of their study was that the bigger the slate, the better the odds for profit. The five-film slate had a net loss of $94 million. The 10-film slate had almost $140 million in profit, while the 15-film slate had $466.4 million in profit. The study, which used a time frame of 12 years to determine the results, assumed 8% in distribution costs and 10% profit-participation and also included video and television revenues.

Agent Layoffs in Hollywood Shuffle

An article on The Independent discusses the latest shake-up in Hollywood, with the merger between two agencies -- William Morris and Endeavour -- to create a new "super-agency" called WME Entertainment.

The agents were the first casualty of this change, with over 100 employees at William Morris being made redundant.

"Tenpercenters", as agents are known, are notoriously sharp-elbowed, and many small firms such as Gersh now hope to convince former Endeavour clients that the new firm, WME Entertainment, will no longer offer the "boutique" service they had enjoyed.

Kevin Spacey was among the first casualties of the new era. He announced this month that, after years with William Morris, he was joining CAA. This week, by way of response, WME announced its first new signing, stealing the Lost star Matthew Fox, inset below, from ICM.

The turmoil comes as agencies weigh the cost of the recession. Box-office revenues remain robust but DVD sales have slumped and fewer films and TV shows are getting the green light. Owing to difficulties securing finance, the once extortionate salaries offered to actors and writers are being slashed. "All you ever need, to do to know what's happening in Hollywood, is to follow the money," said an agent at a leading Beverly Hills firm, who was not authorised to speak publicly. "Look at this year's box office: fewer hit films are star driven. People are buying into concept movies like Terminator and Transformers. The days when $20m-a-film deals happened each week are gone. Bluntly, that means fewer jobs for agents."

Reality TV Lawsuit

According to the L.A. Times three former employees of Fremantle Media, which produces hit reality TV shows such as American Idol, have launched a class-action lawsuit against the company.

In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday, the former employees -- a music coordinator for "American Idol," an associate producer for the reality-based TV series "Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" and a producer for the game show "Temptation" -- contend that the London-based company and its various subsidiaries exposed them to sweatshop conditions.

"Employees work ten, twelve and even twenty-hour days, six or seven days a week, without overtime compensation and are forced to forgo meal and rest breaks as required by law," the suit states.

The workers further alleged that Fremantle engaged in a "fraudulent scheme" to conceal the hours they worked, forcing them to falsify their time cards so that they would not be paid overtime.

The Writers Guild of America, East and West, have been campaigning strongly for four years for better rights for writers on reality television shows in the USA. The Guild backed two similar lawsuits that made comparable allegations against reality TV producers and networks, and the suits were settled in January for $4 million.

In February the Guild continued its picket of the popular American Idol reality show.

"'Fremantle is lowering standards for workers all across the entertainment industry," said David N. Weiss, vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West. "American Idol is the top-rated show on television, and the fact that Fremantle does not compensate its writers and other workers fairly is unacceptable."

L.A. Inishmore Postponed

The Los Angeles Times reports that the L.A.-based Center Theatre Group is postponing until next year Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore, part of its 2009 season at the Mark Taper Forum. The CTG artistic director Michael Ritchie explained the reasoning to the newspaper:

"It is a show that is for us to do it right would cost us an extra $750,000 above what we could expect in income from ticket sales," Ritchie said of "Inishmore." "It's in this season, but it's in next fiscal year. So we're planning the next season and we decided the move made more sense."

Wilson Milam, who staged the 2006 Broadway production of the eight-character "Inishmore," will direct at the Taper when the play goes up in 2010. No cast has been attached, Ritchie said, and that fact was taken into account when making the decision to postpone. Patrons holding tickets to the play can receive a refund or will be given a credit that they can use toward the purchase at any show at the three CTG theaters.

Ritchie emphasized that while the move was precipitated by concerns about the economy, CTG is financially stable — "and we want to keep it that way."

Sales have been off by about 5%, he said, but CTG's $20 ticket program has given box office a boost. "It's been a great benefit to us. People who normally wouldn't be coming to our shows because of the economy are buying, and yet it doesn't seem to be drawing down from our regular priced tickets."

Ocars 2009

Last night the winners of the 81st Academy Awards were announced in Los Angeles.

A full list of all the winners can be read on the web site, but here are the categories of most interest to our membership:

Best original screenplay: Milk, written by Dustin Lance Black

Best adapted screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire, written by Simon Beaufoy; based on the novel by Vikas Swarup.

Slumdog Millionaire went on to win another seven Oscars, including Best Film, and Best Director for Danny Boyle.

Writers Guild Awards 09

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) announced the winners of the 2009 Writers Guild Awards last weekend:

Film

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Milk, Written by Dustin Lance Black, Focus Features

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Slumdog Millionaire, Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, Based on the Novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup, Fox Searchlight Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Waltz with Bashir, Written by Ari Folman, Sony Pictures Classic

Television

DRAMATIC SERIES

Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Jane Anderson, Rick Cleveland, Kater Gordon, David Isaacs, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Marti Noxon, Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner; AMC

COMEDY SERIES

30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tina Fey, Donald Glover, Andrew Guest, Matt Hubbard, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Ron Weiner; NBC

NEW SERIES

In Treatment, Written by Rodrigo Garcia, Bryan Goluboff, Davey Holmes, William Merritt Johnson, Amy Lippman, Sarah Treem; HBO

EPISODIC DRAMA – any length – one airing time

"Pilot" (Breaking Bad), Written by Vince Gilligan; AMC

EPISODIC COMEDY – any length – one airing time

"Succession" (30 Rock), Written by Andrew Guest & John Riggi; NBC

LONG FORM – ORIGINAL – over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times

Recount, Written by Danny Strong; HBO

LONG FORM – ADAPTATION – over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times

John Adams, "Episode 1, Join or Die," Teleplay by Kirk Ellis, Based on the book by David McCullough; "Episode 2, Independence," Teleplay by Kirk Ellis, Based on the book by David McCullough; HBO

ANIMATION – any length – one airing time

"Apocalypse Cow" (The Simpsons), Written by Jeff Westbrook; Fox

COMEDY/VARIETY – (INCLUDING TALK) SERIES

Saturday Night Live, Head Writers Seth Meyers, Andrew Steele, Paula Pell, Writers Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Alex Baze, Jessica Conrad, James Downey, Charlie Grandy, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Marika Sawyer, Akiva Schaffer, Robert Smigel, John Solomon, Emily Spivey, Andrew Steele, Kent Sublette, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker, Additional Sketches by Robert Carlock; NBC

COMEDY/VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS

2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Written by Billy Kimball, Aaron Lee, Jennifer Celotta, Rainn Wilson; IFC/AMC

DAYTIME SERIALS

As the World Turns, Written by Jean Passanante, Leah Laiman, Courtney Simon, Lisa Connor, David A. Levinson, Peter Brash, Richard Culliton, Susan Dansby, Cheryl Davis, Leslie Nipkow; CBS

CHILDREN'S EPISODIC & SPECIALS

"Elmo's Christmas Countdown" (Sesame Workshop), Written by Joey Mazzarino; ABC

CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL

"Polar Bears" (The Naked Brothers Band), Written by Polly Draper; Nickelodeon

DOCUMENTARY – CURRENT EVENTS

"Bush's War: Part One" (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk; PBS

DOCUMENTARY – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS

"Secrets of the Parthenon" (NOVA), Written by Gary Glassman; PBS

NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

ABC Weekend News, Written by Joel Siegel, Karen Mooney, David Muir; ABC

NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

"Yankee Stadium and the New Gilded Age" (Bill Moyers Journal), Writers Bill Moyers & Michael Winship; PBS

Radio

DOCUMENTARY

Black History Month, Written by Anthony J. McHugh; CBS

NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED OR BREAKING

World News This Week, Written by Marianne J. Pryor; ABC

NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

Tributes, Written by Gail Lee; CBS

Promotional Writing

ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION)

Jericho: Two-Minute Drills, Written by Eric Jacobson; CBS

TELEVISION GRAPHIC ANIMATION

"Medical Animations" (CBS Evening News), David Rosen; CBS

Videogame

VIDEOGAME WRITING

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Writers Haden Blackman, Shawn Pitman, John Stafford and Cameron Suey, LucasArts

Busy Awards Weekend

There were a slew of other awards were handed out over the weekend:

The regional 2008 British film critics' awards, called the Richard Attenborough Film Awards, were announced, and the Best Screenwriter went to Irishman Martin McDonagh for In Bruges, along with four wins - including Best Film and Best Director - to Slumdog Millionaire.

The 2008 Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards were awarded in numerous categories for film and television, including Best Feature Film, which went to Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire.

The 36th Annual Annie Award (2008), which recognises superior achievement in film and television animation, were also announced. Some of the winners included Kung Fu Panda for Best Feature, and Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death for Best Short.

2009 Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Goya Awards were handed out last night. Best Original Screenplay went to Javier Fesser for the feature film, Camino, and Best Adapted Screenplay was won by Rafael Azcona and José Luis Cuerda for Los Girasoles Ciegos, which was adapted from the novel by Alberto Méndez.

The BBC Four World Cinema Awards 2009 were handed out. The winner of Best Film was 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days, written and directed by Cristian Mungiu. The inaugural World Cinema Achievement Award was given to German writer/director/producer Werner Herzog.

Oscar Nominees

The nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards have been announced.

Of particular interest to our members are the following categories:

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

• Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
• Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
• In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh (Irish writer)
• Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
• WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth & Robin Swicord; based on the short story by F Scott Fitzgerald
• Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley; based on the play by John Patrick Shanley
• Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan; based on the play by Peter Morgan
• The Reader (2008): David Hare; based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy; based on the novel by Vikas Swarup

Irish screenwriter/director Steph Green has also received an Oscar nomination in the category Best Short Film, Live Action, for her short film "New Boy", which is adapted from a short story by Roddy Doyle.

Congratulations to all the nominees!

Awards '09

The international awards season for film and television has kicked off. Last week the National Society of Film Critics Awards were announced.

The critics picked Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky for Best Screenplay, as well as Best Director, with the surprise pick of Best Film going to the animated feature, Waltz with Bashir, which was written and directed by Ari Folman.

Last night the Golden Globes were awarded.

Slumdog Millionaire, written by Simon Beaufoy, won Best Screenplay, garnered Best Director for Danny Boyle, and also picked up Best Motion Picture - Drama.

Irishman Colin Farrell won Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy for his performance in In Bruges.

Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy was won by Vicky Cristina Barcelona, written and directed by Woody Allen, and Best Animated Feature Film went to WALL-E, which was written by Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, and directed by Andrew Stanton

Waltz with Bashir won Best Foreign Language Film.

Best Television Series - Drama was scooped by Mad Men.

Irishman Gabriel Byrne won the Best Actor In A Television Series - Drama for his performance in In Treatment.

Best Television Series - Musical Or Comedy was won by 30 Rock, and HBO's John Adams won Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Steven Spielberg was presented with the Cecil B DeMille Award for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field".

AFI's 8 2008 Moments

At the end of last year the American Film Institute (AFI) announced its 2008 Moments Of Significance: eight noteworthy events "determined to have had an impact on the world of the moving image during the calendar year 2008."

This is a decidedly American perspective, but contains some perceptive insights into how the industry has shifted in the past year:

Slumdog Millionaire – A celebration of the global film

The AFI called the film "a monument to the possibilities of cross-cultural storytelling", and "a signpost in America's search for greater authenticity in its stories." Other films deemed to reflect this cultural shift included Gran Torino, The Visitor, Australia and television's Heroes.

Television and new technologies provide a global oracle for America's Presidential race.

The race to the White House saw "television and web coverage played to each other's strengths, as every nuance of the long, arduous campaigns was accessible for public celebration and scrutiny."

NBC coverage of summer Olympics brings the world together

The AFI praised Zhang Yimou's direction and choreography for the opening and closing ceremonies in Beijing, as well as the news coverage provided by American TV channel NBC during the Olympics.

"Age Of Anxiety" as business models for the arts evolve.

The writers' strike and ongoing threat of an actors' strike underscored tensions between artists and executives. "The one certainty in these uncertain times is that the film and television communities continue to redefine their business models for the digital age."

Tina Fey – America's First lady of laughs

Tina Fey, former Saturday Night Live head writer, and writer, producer and star of 30 Rock, returned to the SNL with her acclaimed impersonation of Vice Presidential candidate hopeful Sarah Palin.

Independent film artists face distribution crisis

Several specialty and smaller labels like Warner Independent Pictures, Picturehouse, THINKFilm, New Line and Paramount Vantage folded in 2008. "Despite the unprecedented availability of filmmaking tools and the explosion of opportunity in on-line exhibition, the challenge for independent voices in American film is perhaps greater than ever. Now, an artist outside the studio system must also master finance and distribution to have their stories told."

Film critics lose voice

"In 2008, many of the ardent voices of film criticism were silenced. Full-time posts at Time, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice and Newsday, among others, were eliminated as the circulation of newspapers and magazines declined. As a result, writing about film has moved to the Web-a world where authority can be lost among the voice of the masses."

Dr Horrible operates in explosion of short form

Writer-director Joss Whedon's comedy musical, Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, became an international hit after it was released online for free as three 13-minute webisodes. " This movement was catalyzed in part by the Writers Guild strike of 2007, when artists from film and television came together in greater numbers to express themselves in the short form, an integral part of the moving-image experience since the dawn of cinema."

WGA in Arbitration

Last month the Writers Guild of America West announced that it had filed for arbitration against the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers – the AMPTP – over non-payment of residuals from new media.

"Our agreement with the companies on material released to EST covers feature films produced after July 1, 1971, and television programs produced after 1977," said John F. Bowman, WGAW Board member and chair of the 2007 WGA Negotiating Committee. "The companies have reneged on this agreement and are taking the position that only programs produced after February 13, 2008 are covered by the new provision. This may be their deal with the DGA, but that was never our agreement. Every proposal we made during negotiations made clear our position that library product was covered, and the AMPTP never objected to that position. The Guild will not allow this to stand."

The Guild is also preparing to file for arbitration against the AMPTP companies for failing to pay residuals due for the streaming of television shows on the Internet. "Our tracking has shown that episodes are staying on websites longer than the 17-day initial window called for in the contract. This triggers the payment of a residual, but so far we've seen nothing," said David Young, executive director of the WGAW. "Given the reports by the conglomerates of the growth of the number of shows being streamed and increases in new media revenues, this is an unacceptable situation."

"In light of the fact that writers are not being paid for new media reuse, it's unconscionable that the AMPTP proclaims on its website, 'By working under an expired contract, SAG members are not receiving the new media residuals that other Guild members are already collecting,'" said WGAW President Patric M. Verrone. "The companies know what is being streamed, and they regularly announce how successful they are in generating online advertising revenue, so there's no reason for them not to honor the agreement they made with us."

Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood covers the reply from the AMPTP as well as the WGAW's response to the excuses.

WGA Members Arrested

Nikki Finke reports on the recent arrest of Writers Guild of America West activists in a shopping mall in Hollywood. Their crime: passing out leaflets during American Idol's auditions that informed the public that "FremantleMedia refuses to treat its writers fairly".

The WGAW insists they did not interfere with or obstruct the shopping mall's operations or the activities of FremantleMedia. But the guild members were turned over to the LAPD, and later released after posting bond. Writers Guild General Counsel Tony Segall said the guild was considering legal action against the operators of the Hollywood & Highland Center for false arrest. The California Supreme Court has held that the state constitution guarantees the right of expression of ideas in shopping malls on the grounds that they're the contemporary equivalent of the town square. The WGAW notes that other labor unions and community groups have held public actions such as leafleting and picketing inside the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex without incident.

Thursday's protest was part of the WGA's ongoing campaign of rallies, briefings, and a nationwide tour to bring attention to what the guild claims are "the substandard industry practices" of American Idol producer FremantleMedia. The American Idol Truth Tour shadowed AI auditions this past summer in several major U.S. cities -- including San Francisco, New York, Phoenix, and San Juan, Puerto Rico -- to demand that FremantleMedia provide its writers and other workers with industry standard pay and benefits. But yesterday was the first time American Idol Truth Tour participants had been arrested. "We will continue to exercise our First Amendment rights despite the heavy-handed treatment we received," said the WGAW's Hermanson. "The public has a right to know that the top-rated show on television does not provide their writers with basic necessities like health care."

No Contract Yet for US Actors

According to an article in the LA Times the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in America is no closer to forging a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP).

Instead, the AMPTP is turning its attention back to International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the smaller union.

IATSE and the studios have set aside three days next week in an effort to wrap up negotiations that were put on hold in April when the studios turned their attention to the Screen Actors Guild. More than six months later, however, the studios still don't have a contract with the actors. A federal mediator has met with each side but so far has not convened a joint meeting to resume formal bargaining. And sources on both sides of the divide have little confidence that the process will yield a breakthrough, moving SAG closer toward a potential strike early next year.