We’re on par with last year’s box office record. What’s with this low box office BS? Plus, we’re getting a star wars movie and a tarantino movie this year. Every year they put out such bull shit about how the film industry is dying and no one’s going to the theatres anymore. Yeah, evidenced by End Game’s 2.7 billion in earnings, and now Spider-Man’s 600 million dollar cash cow. Re-fucking-lax. Year’s not even over and people are crying that the sky is falling. They should have released The Irishman to theatres though, more than a limited release.
Anonymous
The industry is producing crap. That’s why nobody is going. The clinically insane political posturing doesn’t help.
Anonymous
Wake up WGA. All the showrunners who think they should’ve made $70 million instead of $35 million for their crappy 1990’s series: get over your bad selves. THIS is where we should be negotiating our fair share. And we need the Big 4 on our side in this fight. Look forward for once, WGA. The past is…past.
Anonymous
And how is the WGA figuring this into their overall strategy with the Big 4 & the 2020 AMPTP negotiation? Oh, right, they’re NOT.
I don’t trust this at all. Multi-platforming shouldn’t be made easy for these media companies.
Anonymous
If only we had agents and agencies strong enough to stand up against these mega-multi-media companies…. maybe they could start their own production companies that writers can own their own IP and license it out to different platforms for limited time periods. But shows and movies keep getting made no need for that.
Yeah, except it’s not. They say this shit every year and it’s NEVER been true.
Brendan
I wonder if older content could be renegotiated under these terms so orphaned properties could be easier to return to market. I’m thinking specifically of shows like “On The Air” which weren’t popular but have been widely pirated. Maybe the recording industry could take note and we could get movie soundtracks from the pre streaming age on Spotify and Apple Music.
Lebowski
Hmmm… What about investors?? Not allowed anymore?… How does this affect an outside investor’s profit participations?? What do you mean “caps” profit? Only the revenue should “cap” profits…
Marcos
I wonder why there are literally no comments under this article.
Basit Saliu
I like the way Disney created Disney Television Studios with production labels- 20th TV, ABC Studios, Fox 21, FXP, ABC Signature, Marvel TV- similar to Indies structure like All3Media or their Endemol Shine, and even Sony Pictures Television (Sony Pictures Television Studios), and their film group Walt Disney Studios. Great article BTW.
Anonymous
Seems the only logical way to go. I have never understood the traditional setup. I every other walk of life, you get hired, you do what you’re hired to do, you get paid, and you leave. Simple as that.
Getting paid in perpeturity for something you did 14 years ago is crazy.
Anonymous
Not when the person you sell it to expects to make money in perpetuity. We don’t work at the GAP for God’s sake.
Anonymous
You clearly have never created anything before.
Oliver
This is what market dominant companies do. Antitrust is a joke
Anonymous
I’m curious as to what legal issues it could raise (as mentioned in the article). Is there a law that says talent must be paid a share of profit, and that media companies must always negotiate fair values for content (so as to avoid sweetheart deals)? It would seem a company would have the right to pay whatever it wants, and offer no profit participation, but perhaps there is a law in California about this?
Anonymous
WGA needs to resolve its dispute with agents, because there is a much bigger fight coming next year.
Anonymous
“Eyes” – its already been agreed while the dust has been kicked up by WGA-ATA
great job
Anonymous
But writers don’t need agents to fight this by creating competition and leverage in negotiations or by creating packages that studios must have. After all “that’s what we’re paying 10% for and agents should be grateful for it.” Good luck with that!
Anonymous
Monopolies screw the little guy. Don’t believe the “this is good for junior writer bs.” This is bad for everyone who isn’t a stock-holder in three companies…it’s totally messed up.
What's Left To Fight About?
good news, ATA! now you won’t even have a back-end packaging fee to sell out your writer clients over
We’re on par with last year’s box office record. What’s with this low box office BS? Plus, we’re getting a star wars movie and a tarantino movie this year. Every year they put out such bull shit about how the film industry is dying and no one’s going to the theatres anymore. Yeah, evidenced by End Game’s 2.7 billion in earnings, and now Spider-Man’s 600 million dollar cash cow. Re-fucking-lax. Year’s not even over and people are crying that the sky is falling. They should have released The Irishman to theatres though, more than a limited release.
The industry is producing crap. That’s why nobody is going. The clinically insane political posturing doesn’t help.
Wake up WGA. All the showrunners who think they should’ve made $70 million instead of $35 million for their crappy 1990’s series: get over your bad selves. THIS is where we should be negotiating our fair share. And we need the Big 4 on our side in this fight. Look forward for once, WGA. The past is…past.
And how is the WGA figuring this into their overall strategy with the Big 4 & the 2020 AMPTP negotiation? Oh, right, they’re NOT.
If they want to multi-platform, they should suffer the complexities.
I don’t trust this at all. Multi-platforming shouldn’t be made easy for these media companies.
If only we had agents and agencies strong enough to stand up against these mega-multi-media companies…. maybe they could start their own production companies that writers can own their own IP and license it out to different platforms for limited time periods. But shows and movies keep getting made no need for that.
Deregulation and consolidation has killed the film, TV and music industries.
Beginning of the end. What happened to the music industry is slowly happening to our industry. Goodbye middle class….
Yeah, except it’s not. They say this shit every year and it’s NEVER been true.
I wonder if older content could be renegotiated under these terms so orphaned properties could be easier to return to market. I’m thinking specifically of shows like “On The Air” which weren’t popular but have been widely pirated. Maybe the recording industry could take note and we could get movie soundtracks from the pre streaming age on Spotify and Apple Music.
Hmmm… What about investors?? Not allowed anymore?… How does this affect an outside investor’s profit participations?? What do you mean “caps” profit? Only the revenue should “cap” profits…
I wonder why there are literally no comments under this article.
I like the way Disney created Disney Television Studios with production labels- 20th TV, ABC Studios, Fox 21, FXP, ABC Signature, Marvel TV- similar to Indies structure like All3Media or their Endemol Shine, and even Sony Pictures Television (Sony Pictures Television Studios), and their film group Walt Disney Studios. Great article BTW.
Seems the only logical way to go. I have never understood the traditional setup. I every other walk of life, you get hired, you do what you’re hired to do, you get paid, and you leave. Simple as that.
Getting paid in perpeturity for something you did 14 years ago is crazy.
Not when the person you sell it to expects to make money in perpetuity. We don’t work at the GAP for God’s sake.
You clearly have never created anything before.
This is what market dominant companies do. Antitrust is a joke
I’m curious as to what legal issues it could raise (as mentioned in the article). Is there a law that says talent must be paid a share of profit, and that media companies must always negotiate fair values for content (so as to avoid sweetheart deals)? It would seem a company would have the right to pay whatever it wants, and offer no profit participation, but perhaps there is a law in California about this?
WGA needs to resolve its dispute with agents, because there is a much bigger fight coming next year.
“Eyes” – its already been agreed while the dust has been kicked up by WGA-ATA
great job
But writers don’t need agents to fight this by creating competition and leverage in negotiations or by creating packages that studios must have. After all “that’s what we’re paying 10% for and agents should be grateful for it.” Good luck with that!
Monopolies screw the little guy. Don’t believe the “this is good for junior writer bs.” This is bad for everyone who isn’t a stock-holder in three companies…it’s totally messed up.
good news, ATA! now you won’t even have a back-end packaging fee to sell out your writer clients over