AP: Writer's Deal Could Impact Other Unions: http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/business/20071104_ap_writersdealcouldimpactotherunions.html
Also, there's Tweets on Twitter on the writers strike at http://twitter.com/writersstrike And finally, an article from the Huffington post on "Show Runners", like 30 Rock's Tina Faye, who both produce and write television programs. I include this link because many videobloggers are their own writers and producers, etc. etc. : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/05/show-runners-forced-to-_n_71124.html So it begs the question if vloggers were in a union, which would it be? Writer's Guild? AFTRA? Is it a case-by-case situation? On 05/11/2007, synchronistv <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I am fascinated by this strike... as an actor I am entirely pro-union > and whole heartedly > believe that writers and actors deserve their rightful piece of the > pie.... I am also equally > enamored by the online video world where most of these production contract > lines don't > exist (note recent southpark online video contract where the creators > receive an > unprecedented share of add rev.- I think 50%, correct me if I'm wrong).... > On line video has > the chance to write its own rules...and for most of us online content > creators that has > meant a far more equal and permanent piece of the pie for all of the > production team. > Why? because for so many of us online video is about celebrating the true > democratization of the entertainment community... > > however... I also think those of us who are currently smaller content > creators are in a > precarious position.... more and more we are competing with the big > guys... how do we > hold are own? What entices a viewer to turn on synchronis.tv or moya > entertainment or > batmangeek.com instead of Heroes online? I have a ton of ideas about this > which I will get > to in the coming weeks... > > but in the meanwhile an idea was born at podcamp boston last week that > could help our > community to both empower one another as well as the community at > large...for online > videos creators, at least at present, the commerce lies in our numbers... > how do you > increase your numbers? Getting featured in itunes sure helps... How do you > get featured > in itunes? Well... there are a lot of ways, most of which involve > editorial choices on the > part of the itunes podcast department.. but one thing that helps is a good > number of > positive reviews.. so... > > I created a wiki.. http://reviewitforward.pbwiki.com head over there and > list your > vodcast... but... by listing your vodcast you are committing to reviewing > ten other > podcasts on the wiki...now first DO NO HARM! if you don't like the show > move on to > another podcast.... > > but we can have a strong united voice... we can support one another and > ourselves while > also paving the way for a strong culture of democratization in online > video. Maybe its a > simple as a wiki... > > > --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com <videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com>, > "Rich Elswick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > There is one major difference here in all this. > > > > I do NOT 'need' Hollywood to distribute my video, audio or any other > > content. Sure, it helps and they have it down pat, but in the end... if > I > > don't want to associate with the studios or the unions, then I do NOT > have > > to. That is why there has been sooo much uproar from the major studios > over > > everything about iTunes, the internet and Napster. In the days before > the > > Internet, if you wanted to get heard as the artist, you had very little > > recourse than to go through their channels, IF you wanted or desired to > be a > > big celeb and make big bucks. > > > > Of course, my opinion matters very little on this topic as I am neither. > > (side note, I believe a good writer/author is well worth their weight in > > salt) > > > > The point of this post is that, the writers are striking over something > that > > does makes sense from their business relationship with the studios, but > to > > the rest of the content producers out on the Internet, well, their > little > > squabble with the studios seems trite as I believe most web content > > producers don't use Union writers and to some degree could care less > what > > happens with the strike. Hell, most content consumers of web content > could > > probably care less as well, because they just might consume *more* web > > content. > > > > It is interesting times to be where we on this list are, web content > > producers as well as other software producers on the internet. > > > > Sorry if this rant seems off, but that is how I see it. Oh and I just > > joined the list not long ago and this is my first post from the shadows > of a > > lurker. > > > > I am into Podcasting and expect to expand into Video as time progresses > and > > I get some good vidoe editing software and skills going. > > > > Thanks, > > Rich Elswick > > Moya Entertainment > > http://www.MoyaEntertainment.com <http://www.moyaentertainment.com/> > > > > > > On 11/5/07, Jeffrey Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > And writers may very well see the internet talent that profits out of > this > > > situation as scabs, and at worst this could set off an adversarial > > > relationship between traditional content producers and web content > > > producers. > > > > > > It is a tough line to walk here, as there is a tremendous opportunity, > but > > > it also could shoot one's self in the foot when this is all over with. > > > There > > > are no clear-cut answers about how to handle this. > > > > > > J > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 05/11/2007, Heath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Most of the conflict in this dispute is directly related to the > > > > growth of the home video market, first VHS and the DVD sales. You > > > > are probably going, "Umm, Heath they are talking about 'online' > > > > video" and I know, but the ROOTS of the issue go back to VHS and > > > > DVD's. You see when the last contract was agreed upon, VHS sales > > > > were just begining, no one knew how much money was to be made and > the > > > > writers only got a very small residual. And of course the home video > > > > market became a HUGE money-maker with the studios. The writers do > > > > not want to make the same mistake, and quite frankly neither do the > > > > directors or actor's. Their contracts are up this June. > > > > > > > > This battle is HUGE, HUGE, for Hollywood. I suspect that if the > > > > strike goes on for a bit there will be a run at some of the few web > > > > stars out there. But I would caution them......cause once the strike > > > > is settled and it will settle sooner or later.....Hollywood will > dump > > > > the "new" talent in a hot minute and they may find the reception a > > > > bit chilly from union members. If you have designs of "making" it in > > > > Hollywood, be careful is all I can say..... > > > > > > > > Heath > > > > http://batmangeek.com > > > > > > > > --- In > > > > videoblogging@yahoogroups.com<videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com><videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com>, > > > > "Bill Cammack" > > > > > > > > <BillCammack@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com<videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com> > > > <videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com>, > > > > Andrew Baron <andrew@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > The major studio writers are on strike starting today. They are > > > > > > interested in obtaining royalties or monetary compensation for > > > > their > > > > > > work that airs online. I think the studios are moving slow and > > > > can > > > > > > not agree on how money will be made in the future are have been > > > > > > unwilling to commit. Most of these people have contracts with > > > > terms > > > > > > well into the future that were defined a long time ago and thus > > > > have > > > > > > terms that make no mention of use online. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yep. New ways of MAKING money call for new ways of DISTRIBUTING > > > > profits. > > > > > > > > > > > Many major TV shows, including The Daily Show, may need to > revert > > > > to > > > > > > reruns today because they depend on writers for up-to-the-minute > > > > > > scripts. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Interesting side-effect that these shows are based on daily-fresh > > > > > material, NONE of which is written by the comedians themselves. > > > > > Therefore, no writers => no show. I'd love to see these guys hold > > > > > their own show just based on their personal skills at creating and > > > > > maintaining a conversation, as well as their own research. You'd > be > > > > > surprised how much on-air talent is *completely* dependent on > ghost > > > > > writers. > > > > > > > > > > > This is really a major shakeup for the industry. Many people > > > > expect > > > > > > this to go unresolved for months. > > > > > > > > > > > > What will happen next? How does or can this effect > videobloggers? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > How it affects us is that finally, somebody will start seriously > > > > > looking at how to monetize online video. It wasn't a big deal when > > > > it > > > > > was a bunch of hobbyists _not_ getting paid for putting video on > the > > > > > internet. Now that people who are getting paid to be a part of > > > > these > > > > > MSM productions are getting shorted on their online residuals or > > > > > whatever writers are supposed to get, a lot of people are going to > > > > be > > > > > focused on how to determine the worth of online video, how to > figure > > > > > out and report demographcs and how to convince advertisers that > they > > > > > can deliver ROI. > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Bill > > > > > http://billcammack.com > > > > > > > > > > > http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=writers > > > > > > +strike&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn > > > > > > > > > > > > Hollywood writers' strike begins as talks collapse > > > > > > 2 hours ago > > > > > > LOS ANGELES (AFP) Hollywood writers went on strike Monday > > > > after > > > > > > last-minute talks aimed at ending a standoff between studios and > > > > > > wordsmiths collapsed, with the union demanding a share of cash > > > > > > brought in from DVDs and online distribution of shows. > > > > > > > > > > > > "The strike is on," Writers Guild of America spokeswoman Sherry > > > > > > Goldman told AFP. > > > > > > The strike deadline was a minute into Monday in each US time > > > > zone, > > > > > > meaning writers in New York City were the first to walk off > > > > their > > > > > > jobs, according to Goldman. > > > > > > > > > > > > An 11th-hour negotiating session was held with the help of a > > > > federal > > > > > > mediator Sunday, but it broke down without achieving any > results. > > > > > > > > > > > > Members of the 12,000-strong union plan to begin picketing > > > > Monday > > > > > > morning at major studios in the Los Angeles area and outside NBC > > > > > > studio at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. > > > > > > The first casualties of the walk-out are likely to be talk > > > > shows, > > > > > > soap operas, and comedy programs that rely on fresh scripts. > > > > > > > > > > > > Major motion picture studios and television programs typically > > > > have > > > > > > stockpiles of scripts that can insulate them from feeling the > > > > effects > > > > > > of the strike for a year or longer. > > > > > > Writers want a greater share of residual profits from television > > > > > > series sold on DVDs and money made from programs shown on the > > > > > > Internet, cellular phones, and other new media outlets. > > > > > > Producers acknowledge that online viewing is increasing and > > > > promise > > > > > > to study the issue, but argue that it is too early to say how > > > > > > profitable it will be. > > > > > > > > > > > > Writers are determined not to repeat a mistake made decades > > > > earlier, > > > > > > when they underestimated how lucrative home video sales would > > > > become > > > > > > and settled for a contract that gives them just three cents of > > > > each > > > > > > DVD film sale. > > > > > > > > > > > > "The biggest sticking point is new media, new technology," > > > > Goldman > > > > > > said after the strike began. "Our mantra is, 'if they get paid, > > > > we > > > > > > get paid'." > > > > > > > > > > > > Writers get 1.2 percent of revenues from shows streamed online > > > > for > > > > > > one-time viewing but get nothing from content downloaded to own > > > > from > > > > > > websites such as iTunes. > > > > > > > > > > > > "This technology has boomed," Goldman said. "We need to get paid > > > > for > > > > > > new media," she said, rattling off new-fangled ways movies now > > > > are > > > > > > viewed, including "webisodes," "mobisodes" and "snippets." > > > > > > "More of this is being shown on computer screens and we get > > > > nothing," > > > > > > she said. > > > > > > > > > > > > For example, if an entire blockbuster film supported by ads is > > > > shown > > > > > > free of charge on the Internet, writers get no money because > > > > studios > > > > > > label the display "promotional." > > > > > > > > > > > > The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) > > > > has > > > > > > refused to discuss anything related to new media in negotiations > > > > > > during the past three months, Goldman said. > > > > > > > > > > > > "There is no common ground," the union spokeswoman said. > > > > > > > > > > > > Producers reject the guild's demands as unworkable and too > > > > expensive, > > > > > > setting the stage for the first major strike by Hollywood > writers > > > > in > > > > > > nearly 20 years. > > > > > > > > > > > > The strike call came after talks between the guild and the AMPTP > > > > > > broke down hours before an existing agreement expired on October > > > > 31. > > > > > > > > > > > > "We are very disappointed with ... the action they took," > > > > Nicholas > > > > > > Counter, president of the AMPTP, said of the unionists. > > > > > > > > > > > > Counter contends that the union's public argument is laden with > > > > > > "falsehoods, misstatements and inaccuracies" and promised > > > > specifics > > > > > > at a later date. > > > > > > > > > > > > Industry analysts predict a lengthy shutdown lasting several > > > > months, > > > > > > with one estimate of potential losses set at more than one > > > > billion > > > > > > dollars. > > > > > > > > > > > > A WGA strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry an > > > > > > estimated 500 million dollars. > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Jeffrey Taylor > > > Mobile: +33625497654 > > > Fax: +33177722734 > > > Skype: thejeffreytaylor > > > Googlechat/Jabber: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > http://twitter.com/jeffreytaylor > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Rich Elswick > > http://www.moyaentertainment.com > > > > <a > > href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/scacast";><img > > src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/scacast.gif > > " style="border:0" alt="The Pain Bank - SCA and WMA"/></a> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > -- Jeffrey Taylor Mobile: +33625497654 Fax: +33177722734 Skype: thejeffreytaylor Googlechat/Jabber: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://twitter.com/jeffreytaylor [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/videoblogging/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/videoblogging/join (Yahoo! 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