Los Angeles Acting blog by David August: September 2008

Monday, September 29, 2008

SAG's Letter to Producers

Our discussions with you and many of your colleagues since formal talks ended have educated both of our teams about our respective priorities and flexibilities. As we have said to SAG members, if we can reach agreement on three threshold issues, we believe we can finish these negotiations. One issue you brought to the table: force majeure protection for actors held by contract to a suspended production. Two issues we have identified as core principles: coverage for all new media productions (including those below $15,000/minute) and residuals for made-for new media productions re-used on new media. Other issues divide us, certainly, but we believe those other issues can be successfully addressed once we have resolved these three threshold issues. We have approached these contract negotiations reasonably and with a realistic and informed view of the state of the industry.

We are prepared to meet formally and continuously until we reach agreement. We owe it to our constituencies and the thousands of others in this industry that depend on a productive, stable and uninterrupted relationship between Screen Actors Guild and the networks and studios

(from a letter sent to the AMPTP's J. Nicholas Counter III [President], Fox Group's Peter Chernin [President] and The Walt Disney Company's Robert Iger [President and CEO] by SAG's Alan Rosenberg [National President] and Doug Allen [National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator]).

Labels: unions

this posted by David August at 2:33 PM - 0 comments -

Friday, September 26, 2008

Megan Fox's Audition for Transformers

You can watch the audition tape of Megan Fox auditioning for Transformers, how she got the part (after an ad).

Labels: inspiration, process

this posted by David August at 10:33 AM - 0 comments -

Sunday, September 21, 2008

SAG Regime Shift

With the backing of moderates, the dissidents, backed by Tom Hanks and Sally Field, now control a majority of votes on the national board. That could jump-start stalled contract talks with studios

(from Los Angeles Times).

With your help we have begun the process of turning SAG toward real power through unity, by winning 6 of 11 national/Hollywood board seats and 13 of 22 national alternate/Hollywood directorships

(from Unite for Strength's website). Membership First's website does not seem to have had any updates since the results were announced.

Labels: unions

this posted by David August at 8:44 PM - 0 comments -

Thursday, September 18, 2008

SAG Election Results Announced

Screen Actors Guild today announced election results for the Guild's national board of directors

(from sag.org).

Haven't had a chance to assess whether Membership First or Unite for Strength has won more seats.

Some said producers were waiting to see what way the election would go before negotiating in earnest for a new deal. Hopefully the producers will now make a deal with the long-term SAG leadership and things will pick up.

Labels: unions

this posted by David August at 5:51 PM - 0 comments -

SAG Members Want More Negotiating

The Screen Actors Guild National Negotiating Committee met today and was given the results of the SAG mail-in poll by National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Doug Allen.

87.27% of the 10,298 SAG members who responded to the poll said the union should continue bargaining in an effort to achieve a fair contract. 12.73% of those who responded said they would accept the terms presented in the AMPTP's June 30th offer to SAG

(emphasis added, from sag.org).

Labels: unions

this posted by David August at 12:53 PM - 0 comments -

Some Fall TV Shows Premiere Online First

Add this to the list of marketing strategies that the broadcast networks are using as they introduce shows this season: NBC will premiere five debut episodes on the Internet a full week before they are broadcast on television

"Knight Rider," the revival of the classic series about a talking car named Kitt, will stream online beginning Sept. 17, ahead of the TV premiere on Sept. 24.