I pray that I am wrong about the future of this strike, because my fear that the WGA is now moving towards creating enough internal dissension that the union will be forced to settle unfavorably around March, if not earlier. That would be tragic. And even more so because it will make it very hard for SAG to hold firm
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Review: Little Women (no spoilers)
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
could someone explain to me why the WGA has jurisdiction over whether the academy can use clips from old shows and films?
It’s my understanding that writers aren’t involved in the creation of those packages, it’s an editor and a segment producer working from a selects stringout from the films that an assistant editor pulled for them, on the package. Where does a writer come into play in the creation of that package other than at the teleprompter stage for the poor hollywood royalty to read before the package rolls?
I am surprised by this also, but I assume it has nothing to do with production and everything to do with writers needing to sign off on free uses of materials… which I assume is normally controlled by the studios without any discussion.
What this also brings up is the question of whether the clips can be used for a licensing fee paid by ABC, which would presumably through off royalties. I don’t see how the WGA could legally stop that… but I could be wrong.
My understanding at this point is that the writers are eligible to get residuals from the use of clips from movies they wrote. Typically the WGA just gives the Academy a blanket waiver to use whatever clips they want. This time they can use the clips but they have to pay for the usage. The DGA and SAG have the same rights but aren’t striking.
Correct me if I’m wrong, someone.
That’s what I assumed, actually.
almost everybody that participates in the making of a film – actors, directors, screenwriters – has the right to be compensated. on the other hand, their respective guilds can give waivers to the award show producer for every clip he/she intends to use. however, if one guild does not aprove the waiver request no clips can be used. also, even if the producer of the award show is willing to pay for clip clearance fees, the guild still has the rigth to not allow the usage of such clip(s).
Check out AFTRA’s website for their position as it relates to participation by their members in the award shows.
http://www.aftra.org/aftra/aftra.htm
At this point, David’s posts on whatever the WGA does can be reduced to, “This is not a good idea and it will probably backfire for the writers.” Repeat.
Christian – It is reductions like that which lead to failure… in all things.