The news is good–but nonetheless carries a sobering historical perspective–relative to on-location spot filming in Los Angeles. According to year-end data released by FilmL.A., Inc. (formerly the Entertainment Industry Development Corp.–EIDC), the number of filming days for commercials on location in 2005 increased a little more than four percent as compared to ’04. Based on FilmL.A.-handled lensing permits, the final tally for spots in calendar year ’05 is 6,983 production days, which is 280 more days than in ’04.
The ’05 performance continues a fairly steady growth path for commercialmaking in Los Angeles since the large drop-off of ’00. Indeed spot biz plummeted precipitously in ’00, which is when the six-month actors’ strike against the advertising industry took place. That strike arguably exacerbated what had already been a deepening runaway commercial production problem, with American spots scurrying to Canada and overseas for production. The resulting negative impact on the U.S. economy, including in such markets as Los Angeles and New York, was felt well after that strike was settled.
Now that spotmaking in Los Angeles seems to have turned the corner in its recovery as evidenced by the latest FilmL.A. figures, the reality is that the current actors’ contract is set to expire in October. Suffice it to say that the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) commercials contract is of prime industry concern and the hope is that negotiators on both sides of the table can learn from the past.
Adding to the angst for some has been the recent changing of the guard at SAG, with Alan Rosenberg elected Guild president, succeeding Melissa Gilbert who did not seek reelection. Rosenberg ran on the promise that he would be tougher in negotiations with management, contending that agreements reached during Gilbert’s tenure fell short of what actors deserved in terms of recompense and benefits. He cited in particular the failure to gain proper residuals for DVD sales during the last contract hammered out with the major feature/TV studios.
During Gilbert’s presidency, SAG reached agreement with the advertising industry on a contract in relatively short order in ’03, well before the expiration of the previous pact. Gilbert’s predecessor, William Daniels, presided over SAG during the strike in ’00. He campaigned for and won office on the pledge of being a tough negotiator seeking significant concessions from management.
The FilmL.A. figures represent the number of film-permitted, on-location production days in the City of Los Angeles, Diamond Bar, South Gate and West Hollywood, unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, the Angeles National Forest, and in more than 800 facilities operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The tally of filming days does not include production that occurs only on soundstages or in surrounding cities. Permit applications handled by FilmL.A.–which oversees the joint Los Angeles City/County Film Office–account for an estimated 80 percent-plus of on-location shooting in L.A. County.
A Nomination Tradition: DGA Award, Best Director Oscar Discrepancy Continues
The awards season norm has seen the nearly annual occurrence of at least one difference between the lineups of Best Director Oscar and the DGA Award nominees. In only five of the 77 years of the DGA Awards have the Guild nominations exactly mirrored their Academy Award counterparts. This time around Edward Berger and Coralie Fargeat are in line with the predominant history. Fargeat earned a Best Director Oscar nomination this week for The Substance (MUBI). Berger, who didn’t make the directorial Oscar cut, earned a DGA Award nomination for Conclave (Focus Features). Four of the five directors vying for the DGA Award and the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Oscar are in sync this year: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Sean Baker for Anora (Neon), Brady Corbet for The Brutalist (A24), and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown (Searchlight). On the flip side of tradition, if Fargeat were to win the directing Oscar, that development wouldn’t be aligned with but rather bucking history. Only eight times has the DGA Award winner not gone on to win the Oscar. That happened most recently in 2020 when Sam Mendes won the DGA Award for 1917 while Bong Joon-ho scored the Oscar for Parasite. Fargeat has already made a bit of history, scoring just the 10th Best Director Oscar nomination ever for a woman. The Substance is up for five Oscars--the other nominations being for Best Picture, Leading Actress (Demi Moore), Original Screenplay (Fargeat), and Makeup & Hairstyling (Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stephanie Guillon, Marilyne Scarselli). Even without a Best Director nomination, Conclave tallied eight Oscar nods--for Best Picture, Leading Actor (Ralph... Read More