As reported in last week’s SHOOT e.dition, the three-month Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike against the television/feature studios exacted a heavy toll on the California economy–at a time when our country’s economy was already, and continues to be, besieged by rising fuel, food and healthcare costs.
According to a Milken Institute study, the WGA strike, which ended four months ago, will cause a net loss this year of nearly 38,000 jobs tied directly and indirectly to the entertainment industry. Though the WGA strike concluded in February, many of those crew people who lost their jobs have not yet been hired back as TV/feature studios scaled back production.
The Milken research estimates that lost wages in California will amount to some $2.3 billion in ’08 due to the strike. These losses will diminish by early ’09 as production hopefully returns to previous levels–unless there’s a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike.
At press time, SAG was in talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on a new features/TV contract. The current SAG features/TV pact expires on June 30.
Meanwhile the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), which split from SAG to conduct its own collective bargaining sessions with the AMPTP, has reached an agreement on a new features/TV contract. However, at press time, SAG was asking those of its members who are also in AFTRA’s rank and file to vote against ratification of that AFTRA/AMPTP contract, contending that it undermines actors getting the best possible feature/TV deal.
The ad biz will has cast an interested eye on how the SAG/AFTRA relationship evolves. Keep in mind that the two-year extension to the commercials contract for actors is set to expire at the end of October. It remains to be seen what bearing, if any, AFTRA’s split from SAG on the primetime TV contract front will have on prospects for reaching an agreement with the ad industry.
The commercials contract extension was agreed upon by the advertising industry, SAG and AFTRA. The two years have and are being used to conduct a joint study exploring alternative compensation models for performers spanning traditional spots as well as nontraditional ad fare spanning a growing array of new media. The results of that study are to be used to form the basis for renegotiating the next commercials contract this year.
There’s been nary a whisper of what that joint study has yielded thus far. Whether no news is good news or if that silence is ominous depends on whether you view the proverbial glass as being half full or half empty.
While one of civilization’s failings has been to let bad history repeat itself through the ages, our sincere hope is that labor and management will learn a lesson from recent history, namely the heavy losses in jobs and revenue resulting from the WGA strike. We cannot afford any more prolonged labor unrest. So consider it our wish that cooler heads prevail, that both sides of the negotiations keep the greater good in mind and work in cooperative give-and-take fashion to arrive at fair deals.
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More